The Paranoid Squirrel

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Iggy & The Stooges get things going this week with The Hellacopters covering the MC5 hot on their heels. Royal Acid Orchestra have track from their third album “Kingdom of Nothing” aired. The band’s new album “Never Mind The Strawberry Fields” is out any day now and features former Hellacopter Robert “Strings” Dahlqvist. Up next The Trouser from Budapest have a track from their new album “Mother of Illusion” played, their last album featured Nicke Andersson. Spit Single time and Taken By Surprise recording artists and Paranoid Squirrel favourites Mother’s Children and the Mandates have got it together. Well they’re both Canadian, both have just toured mainland Europe together and both are purveyors of top quality Power Pop. The next split is the first on Catastrophe Records and features two tracks by The Lovesores and Born Loose. One original each and one cover each. I play, in a World exclusive, both originals. Be prepared to be blown away! Much rejoicing was had by me last week, yes I Graduated but that wasn’t it. What had me punching the air was the news that Steve Jones and Paul Cook’s post Sex Pistol band The Professionals were reforming. Steve, unfortunately, won’t be joining in the fun but his replacement Tom Spencer, yes the Tom Spencer from The Yo-Yo’s and The Loyalties hasn’t ruled out Jones future involvement. Get in. A third piece of fortuitous news this week was that The Backyard Babies are playing in London the day before my 50^th Birthday, I know I only look like I’m in my thirties......If Moose from TeamRock Radio is reading this please give me a presenting job as an early present......Tank, the non Algy Ward version, are all set to release a brand new album in September called “Valley Of Tears”. Very good it is as well, as you will hear irrespective of who is or isn’t in the band. Tank by name, Tank by nature.  I lend my thoughts to Lemmy and Motörhead’s appearance at this year’s Glastonbury festival. Obviously I play a Motörhead track. I also talk about the purchasing of music, mp3 versus vinyl versus CD. The show is wrapped up by Mustasch and a track from their up and coming “Testosterone” but then I realise that I have a few minutes to spare and actually it is Nancy Boy that end this week’s show off.

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This week I bring you studio and live material for you to get your ears round. Topic of conversation that starts things going is the cancellation of the Foo Fighters remaining European dates after Dave Grohl broke his leg. I and Mrs A. had tickets for today and along with 160,000 other people who had them and for yesterday, that’ll be friend of the show and Squirrel Associate, we’ve had to find alternative entertainment. Ours is Alcohol and food. First up music wise are the Biters and a track from their soon to be released debut album “Electric Blood”. Then “Compare & Contrast” returns with the Damned being prosecuted by Family. More new music in the shape and form of former Runaways vocalist Cherie Currie who has just announced a UK tour in November with the Last Great Dreamers in support. Live action come courtesy of 5 Seconds of Summer and Hey Violet from last Sunday’s Wembley performance. I also pose the question why the General Rock Community has a downer on the aforementioned 5sos. I was impressed by Hey Violet so much so that I almost mugged off The Golden Gods Awards to see their headline Islington Academy 2 gig. Onto the just mentioned Golden Gods; I bring you Suicidal Tendencies, Baby Metal and Killing Joke. Sad news reached us at the end of last week that Eddie Spaghetti bassist, vocalist with the Supersuckers had been diagnosed with stage 3 oropharynx Cancer. Obviously being American there is no free NHS Healthcare so his wife has set up the “Fly the middle finger at Cancer and join The Eddie Spaghetti Fight Cancer Fund” which you can at http://www.youcaring.com/eddie-spaghetti-373610. The final live track this week comes from the last Supersuckers gig for a while. Where Eddie Vedder and Blind Marky Feltchtone join the band for a rousing rendition of The Ramones “I Believe In Miracles”, which we surely do. The final two bands this week are The Trousers from Hungary and Nuclear Assault from NYC.

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Thunder, Lightning...Must be Downpour Weekend....I mean Castle Donington Monsters of Rock 2015. Fortunately I’m not in attendance, ’86 and ’87 was enough for me. So instead over the next hour I’m going to treat you to; The Ramones who are swiftly followed by The Backyard Babies covering The Ramones before I play their new single taken from the up and coming “Four By Four” album, Sator covering ABBA, I kid ye not, then I talk about The Treatment’s new vocalist and lack of invite to the World Première playback of Ghost’s new album “Meliora”. I still play something from it though. Hard Action, who are a Finnish Garage Rock Band that are certainly doing it for me, then it’s NME favourite US three piece Radkey, who I got to know about thanks to Vive Le Rock!, think The Bad Brains playing The Misfits. Up next it’s a quick return to Mary’s Kids and then those Smell City Five Super-Heroes Märvel present us with a track from their soon to be released long-player, as do Motochrist, who, for those of you who don’t know are the brainchild of lead guitarist Marc Diamond of the Dwarves and singer Danny Nordahl formerly of the Throbs. Into the home straight and France’s thought provoking Shock and Awe Band Undercover Slut make a much welcome return to the show. Former Plastic Tears guitarist, Stereo Junks vocalist and blink and you missed him front man for Smack, Anzi Destruction, or just plain Anzi, has, like the World and her husband, a new album, “Black Dog Bias” due for imminent release, a track of which I play. There is a live segmentation this week. Albeit a very brief one in the form of Pitbull’s live band from The Capital Radio Summertime Ball as they obviously have been listening to some serious Rock Music. Listen and you’ll find out. This week’s show is rounded off by my review of The Damned Documentary “Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead” with the show ending with some post Damned Brian James. Until I discover I’ve two minutes to fill so as I started with The Ramones I end with them. What’s not to enjoy?  

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“Camden Rocks, London Shakes!” This week sees The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show Up Town Top Ranking for this year’s Camden Rocks Festival. 200 hundred bands spread over 20 venues. However paranoia, overzealous door staff and lack of amenable toilets kept me at The Proud forgoing bands I should’ve really seen.  So we have The Amorettes, Glen Matlock, Richie Ramone and Michael Monroe for your listening pleasure but no Pink Cigar, The Men That Will Be Blamed For Nothing, Brawlers, Role Models or The Dictators NYC.

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Back once again into the studio with the “Demons” kicking things off this week with a Damned cover. Who knew? With The Michael Monroe Band reminding us that there’s no right or wrong, let alone black or white. New music? Shed loads this week with, thanks to Ginge, with a World exclusive (Radio Wales on the 9^th May doesn’t count in this instance as Wales had been annexed from the aforementioned World) I air a track from the up and coming “Mid Liver Crisis” album from The Sick Livers. Not strictly new new but as MFC Chicken are in the studio with new bassist Zig who just so happens to be my 2^nd favourite bassist of all time, I play one of their recent singles. As we move towards the middle of the year I already have pencilled in a couple of albums that are going to be in my top releases of 2015. One of which is “Easy Piracy” from Dead Men Walking who are an amalgamation of The Stay Cats, The Living End, The Alarm, The Damned and some bloke wo used to play bass with Guns ‘n’ Roses. Obviously I play a track from it, well two as I couldn’t make up my mind which one should get an airing. Bob Wayne has just release an album of covers called “Hits The Hits” as the name implies, is an album of, well, hit songs. Some from world of Rock with the Stones, Guns ‘n’ Roses, The Offspring and Zeppelin getting Countrified, and to prove it doesn’t matter what the genre once you turn it into a Country song it becomes good he has tackled Skyfall, Rihanna’s Disturbia, even the dreadful “All About That Bass” is now passable. Just, only just. However the song that gets an outing is none of the above. Sticking with covers I play a track from the Sulo & Friends CD “Keep Yourself Alive” which was part of The Crunch’s PledgeMusic campaign for “Brand New Brand”. The CD features the likes of Wilko Johnson, Spike, Paul Carrack, Tom Robinson and Dave Higgs reprising songs that they are associated with along aided and abetted by Sulo. The individual members of what would become The Crunch also crop up. Sulo’s “other” band is The Diamond Dogs who have a new album out at the end of August called “Quitters & Complainers”. A song from which I sneakily play. Australian band The Casanovas have also just released their, until recently only available via PledgeMusic, album “Terra Casanova” to the general public. Less Thunders and more Stones this time around. Staying Down under to celebrate Muscle Car deservedly winning the Melbourne Mötley Crüe-Alice Cooper opening support slot I play the bands last 7”, well the A-Side. For the third time this year The Hip Priests have released a 7” single. This time around it’s a split with The Bitch Queens hogging the limelight on the b-sided, but for you listening pleasure I just give you The Hip Priest. “Arm giveth and Arm takes away”. That can’t be said for The Chuck Norris Experiment and Märvel split 7”, both have a track aired. Sticking with Vinyl; Mary’s Kids have just released the 10” variety with a CD version only available on their upcoming German (one Swedish) tour. It’s called “Death In Suburbia” that feature six tracks, one of which I naturally play. Up next courtesy, of Dom Daley he of Uber Rock and Glunk Records notoriety, are the Sticky Valentines with something from their second self-titled EP. At this point listeners on The Wall Rock Radio will hear the said Stick Valentines track fade out as Robbie John takes hold of the helm, but for the rest of you the Brawlers make their debut appearance with a track from their “Errors Of Our Youth” CD which came out on the Alcopop label last month. John Dissed returns with a remixed, especially, for radio of his cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” which is swiftly followed by Wonk Unit. We are almost at the end but before the final track “Compare & Contrast” comes along with a three way tag match between The Wildhearts, Green Day and Sam Cooke. It is, however, Girlschool, who are currently in the USA with Crucified Barbara, which closes this week’s show. ***Phew*** Now if only Team Rock Radio would give a job……

The Paranoid Squirrel ep 435

Back once again into the studio with the “Demons” kicking things off this week with a Damned cover. Who knew? With The Michael Monroe Band reminding us that there’s no right or wrong, let alone black or white. New music? Shed loads this week with, thanks to Ginge, with a World exclusive (Radio Wales on the 9^th May doesn’t count in this instance as Wales had been annexed from the aforementioned World) I air a track from the up and coming “Mid Liver Crisis” album from The Sick Livers. Not strictly new new but as MFC Chicken are in the studio with new bassist Zig who just so happens to be my 2^nd favourite bassist of all time, I play one of their recent singles. As we move towards the middle of the year I already have pencilled in a couple of albums that are going to be in my top releases of 2015. One of which is “Easy Piracy” from Dead Men Walking who are an amalgamation of The Stay Cats, The Living End, The Alarm, The Damned and some bloke wo used to play bass with Guns ‘n’ Roses. Obviously I play a track from it, well two as I couldn’t make up my mind which one should get an airing. Bob Wayne has just release an album of covers called “Hits The Hits” as the name implies, is an album of, well, hit songs. Some from world of Rock with the Stones, Guns ‘n’ Roses, The Offspring and Zeppelin getting Countrified, and to prove it doesn’t matter what the genre once you turn it into a Country song it becomes good he has tackled Skyfall, Rihanna’s Disturbia, even the dreadful “All About That Bass” is now passable. Just, only just. However the song that gets an outing is none of the above. Sticking with covers I play a track from the Sulo & Friends CD “Keep Yourself Alive” which was part of The Crunch’s PledgeMusic campaign for “Brand New Brand”. The CD features the likes of Wilko Johnson, Spike, Paul Carrack, Tom Robinson and Dave Higgs reprising songs that they are associated with along aided and abetted by Sulo. The individual members of what would become The Crunch also crop up. Sulo’s “other” band is The Diamond Dogs who have a new album out at the end of August called “Quitters & Complainers”. A song from which I sneakily play. Australian band The Casanovas have also just released their, until recently only available via PledgeMusic, album “Terra Casanova” to the general public. Less Thunders and more Stones this time around. Staying Down under to celebrate Muscle Car deservedly winning the Melbourne Mötley Crüe-Alice Cooper opening support slot I play the bands last 7”, well the A-Side. For the third time this year The Hip Priests have released a 7” single. This time around it’s a split with The Bitch Queens hogging the limelight on the b-sided, but for you listening pleasure I just give you The Hip Priest. “Arm giveth and Arm takes away”. That can’t be said for The Chuck Norris Experiment and Märvel split 7”, both have a track aired. Sticking with Vinyl; Mary’s Kids have just released the 10” variety with a CD version only available on their upcoming German (one Swedish) tour. It’s called “Death In Suburbia” that feature six tracks, one of which I naturally play. Up next courtesy, of Dom Daley he of Uber Rock and Glunk Records notoriety, are the Sticky Valentines with something from their second self-titled EP. At this point listeners on The Wall Rock Radio will hear the said Stick Valentines track fade out as Robbie John takes hold of the helm, but for the rest of you the Brawlers make their debut appearance with a track from their “Errors Of Our Youth” CD which came out on the Alcopop label last month. John Dissed returns with a remixed, especially, for radio of his cover of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” which is swiftly followed by Wonk Unit. We are almost at the end but before the final track “Compare & Contrast” comes along with a three way tag match between The Wildhearts, Green Day and Sam Cooke. It is, however, Girlschool, who are currently in the USA with Crucified Barbara, which closes this week’s show. ***Phew*** Now if only Team Rock Radio would give a job……

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Stiv Bator with a cover by The Damned starts things going this week before I talk about clashing gigs; Brian James vs The UK Subs vs Kory Clarke which leads me into Volbeat. Onto new music, as I seem to have a shed loads, firstly from The Hip Priests and a track from their current 7”, then I talk about The Sick Livers soon to be unleashed “Mid Liver Crisis” LP and late Summer tour with The Disconnects who I play. A tour that is currently underway over on the Mainland and I wish had strayed over here features Mother’s Children and The Mandates. Mother’s Children I’d heard about but not The Mandates. A quick trip over to their BandCamp site had by purchasing their debut album and “In The Back Of Your Heart” quicker than you could sing “Oh Canada”. Obviously I share a track with you. Next up is Swiss band The Lovers with a track off their new album “In The Air”. I slow things down (not) with some new Slayer then talk about going up to Ginger’s “Songs and Words” London gig, meeting Mikko Von Hertzen, Dante Bonutto and Rich Jones and finding out the preliminary release date for the new Michael Monroe album, which leads me nicely into The Compulsions who feature Sami Yaffa. The Crunch, (part Sham 69/Lords of The New Church, part Diamond Dogs, part Clash and part Cockney Rejects) have a new track aired from “Brand New Brand” and I talk about not seeing them at The Borderline before Nicke Andersson’s Imperial State Electric take centre stage. Los Pepes swiftly follow as I realise that my Facebook notifications for them had been turn off before former Vains of Jenna vocalist Lizzy DeVine introduces us to his new band The Cruel Intensions. The Sonic Jewels have just released a new ep called “By The Light Of Woland’s Candle”, a track of which I naturally play. Sick Boys Revue, who hail from Italy sent me an e-mail with a track attached from their “Sick Tails” album asking that if I liked it would I be so kind as to play it. Like it? Love it. Hopefully you will to. A band that I thought had long since spilt up were Finland’s Mean Idols. They haven’t and are supporting The Vibrators (in Finland) on the 28^th. To celebrate I dig out my “Suffer” 7” and play it. At this point Wall Rock Radio listeners will hear Drugdealer Cheerleader as their drummer Ringo sadly passed away on Wednesday before Robbie Johns come crashing in with his Rock Lobster Show. For everybody else it’s The Mean Idols, “Compare & Contrast” and in the dock are Guns ‘n’ Roses with Australian Crawl prosecuting. Duff McKagan has just published a new book and ep to coincide. The ep features Jerry Cantrell, Roy Mayorga and some guy called Izzy Stradlin’, the title of which I air. It’s at this point everybody else gets to hear Drugdealer Cheerleader before Korpiklaani and a sort of cover almost end the show, but that is left to The Damned as tickets to the UK Première of their Documentary have been secured.

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I was back out into gigland for this week’s show which features the Last Great Dreamers and Danny Fury’s Tango Pirates recorded live at The Fiddler’s Elbow on the 8^th. It’s been three years since I last saw the Tango Pirates and in the interim the band have had a major overhaul in the line-up department with only vocalist Danny Fury remaining. Apparently the Last Great Dreamers haven’t toured for twenty years; obviously this has been rectified with original drummer Steve Grainger reprising his role on some selected dates with former Sliverhearts drummer Ginge on duty for the remaining. Sorry the show notes aren’t as informative as usual; tough week.

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Shock, Horror! I’m back in the studio this week with The Ramones kicking things off then The Sonic’s whose latest album has just come out a massive 49 years after their last remind us the 60’s weren’t just about “The British Invasion”. Up next is a track from Punk Uberlord Brian James’ new solo album “The Guitar That Dripped Blood” that features Dead Boy Cheetah Chrome on additional guitar. Stinking with The Damned connection; The Deadmen Walking a band that features core members Captain Sensible, Slim Jim Phantom, Mike Peters and newest edition Chris Cheney from the Living End with guests  spots from Fred Armisen and some guy called Duff McKagan who obviously wants to boost his credibility, are all set to release their debut album “Easy Piracy” on May 7^th in the meantime I play the first single from it. The Ruts DC come crashing in next with a track from their Book Pledge and sticking with pledging for a few more songs I play a track from Jettblack’s third album “Disguises” and one from The Crunch’s second album “Brand New Band” and something from The Eureka Machines latest “Brain Waves”. Cover territory this week comes courtesy of John Dissed and The Discontents a band that features one time American Heartbreak and Jetboy drummer Jeff Moscone. Jesse Malin of D Generation fame has just released his first album in over five years which is called New York Before The War”. The track I play features Brother Wayne Kramer. In stock news I play some CrashDïet as Simon Cruz has left the aforementioned band, then some Hornet as they have called it a day with finally some Treatment as Matt Jones, like Simon Cruz has left his respective band. If you are listening to The Wall Rock Radio Beat The Drag are going to bring my hour to a close. A great band that I literally heard only this morning. Its riffy rock as much influenced by the Backyard Babies as it is by Fu Manchu and old Def Leppard. Some Eighties-inspired solos as well.” For everybody else it’s The Quireboys with a track off their 4CD Box set "St Cecilia and the Gypsy Souls" and then it’s Beat The Drag with Whitesnake Burn(ing) things up at the end of the show

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I’m breaking out of the studio for the next few shows and what a finer way to kick things off with Hardcore Superstar recorded live at the Garage in Highbury at the beginning of their “When We Touch The Sky” tour. The band will be releasing their umpteenth album “HCSS” between April 21^st and 28^th depending where you live, unless you ask Mr Merch Guy very nicely and a promo version could be yours for a Tenner. Practically all 10 tracks were played live which shows the band have got real confidence in the yet to be released album. Let’s face it; normally a couple and at a stretch three new tracks are played when a band tours to support/promote a new product. Not Hardcore Superstar with the new songs welcomed like classics that they surely will become. A great 1¼ hours set had me wondering why on earth they hadn’t headlined over here since January 2010 playing second fiddle to the likes of The 69 Eyes and then Buck Cherry in the interim. Well worth the wait as you will hear!