The Paranoid Squirrel

I make no apologies for opening this week's show off with some Peel Session Motörhead as I should've seen them last night at Hammersmith Odeon. Instead I caught up with Brian James at the Hope and Anchor who has a track from his "Guitar That Dripped Blood" aired afterwards. Staying with the Damned interconnectedness; The Mutants, who feature Rat Scabies on drums, are finishing up album number three "Desert Sessions" so I play a track from their second album "Tokyo Nights" which up until this week I didn't realise had been released. Digging deeper into the realms of collaboration, Iggy Pop and Josh Homme have teamed up for an album called "Post Pop Depression" and subsequent tour, the London date is the same day as The Treatments London date, 13th May. Hurrah! Not. Obviously I play the track by them that has already hit the interwebs, along with The Treatments first single from their new album "Generation Me". However sandwiched in-between them are Headline Manic who sport 3/5th of Eddie & The Hotrods and a track from their soon-to-be-released album "Rock 'n' Roll Thuggery", Beach Slang who I'm seeing tonight down in Brighton and a track from their "The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us” album with The DeRellas the last filling as sadly vocalist Robbie Tart has stepped down from the Band. The UK Subs final and 26th album "Ziezo" is in the final throws of being Subsified. A track from it has just been unleashed on a suspecting fan base. Of course I play it! Megadeth have a brand new album out called "Dystopia". As with Metallica, the first three Megadeth albums are, for me untouchable, when it comes to aggression and Punk attitude. The playing on "Dystopia" as you expect to top notch but the Piss and Vinegar has somewhat been placated. However it still hits home as you will hear. Those "Pure Rock Awards" nominees and Welsh support band for The Professionals, The Sick Livers have a track from when some band members still had Restraining Orders played. New to The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show are German band The Gee Strings and a track from their Ghost Highways Recordings album "I'm So Gee". Black Sabbath close the door on not only on this week's episode but on their career with a 8 track tour ep. Four studio tracks that were recorded for the "13" album but didn't make the final track listing and four songs recorded live that did.

My battle with Man-flu is the underlining theme on today’s show. On the musical front though DENIMGOAT, who sport Danne McKenzie, Nicke Borg, Richie Puzz, Max Diesel and Ida Evileye in their ranks have just released a cover of Phil Lynott’s “Nineteen” which obviously I play. Can you believe it’s been 30 years since he died? Even more worrying is that later on this year it’ll be Cliff Burton’s. Hey! Hello! have a track aired from their second album, “Hey! Hello! Too!” which has me more than excited. As the latest Classic Rock Magazine reviews Dirtbag Republic’s debut album for the second time I feel the need to play something off it. Up next are the LLUNATIKS who hail from Villalonga, Spain and a track from their “Ultra Rock” album. Then as I’m seeing the UK Subs tonight at the 100 Club as part of the Resolution Festival I hold my own mini one by playing classic tracks from the Anti-Nowhere League, GBH, Discharge, Chelsea and the UK Subs. Missing from the Festival were the Damned and or associated former or current members, so I redress the situation by playing the last recording that Captain, Rat and Paul Gray did together. It’s a riot. There’s a clue for you. As the World and her husband are talking about Guns ‘n’ Roses I join in with my two pennies worth playing one of their tracks in the process. The Cruel Intensions, who feature former Vains of Jenna vocalist Lizzy DeVine, make their second appearance on The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show with their new single. I finish this week’s show off with The Heavy Eyes who last fm describe as “psychedelic bluesy rock from the delta that sounds similar to a skeleton driving a speed boat on a flaming Mississippi River headed back to 1969.” Sold to the man with the snotty nose and cough!  

Welcome to Episode 477 of The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show which is also the last of 2015. Kicking off this “Back To The Studio” affair is a seasonal Ulysses, who also crop up later in the hour in a non-seasonal way.  But before we get to that The Backyard Babies who are swiftly followed by early Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers really get things going. Then it’s a Radio 1 in session track from The Damned still featuring Algy Ward but showcasing a tune that will appear on their Paul Gray forth album. The first new song of this week’s show comes courtesy of The Class of 76 who feature Barrie Masters, Steve Nicol from Eddie & The Hot Rods, Members and Vibrators guitarist Nigel Bennett and bassist Russ Strutter formerly of Wilko Johnson. Helldivers from Sweden sent me an mp3 of their latest single which I obviously air as it’s rather good in a Detroit Garage kind of way, as is the King Mastino track, who hail from Italy, that follows it.  On episode 472, which was the CJ Ramone gig, I apologised for not recording the Yorkshire Rats who were on just after openers Los Pepes and just before Vice Squad, saying that I would be playing something off their “Sea Of Souls” CD to make amends. Well making good on my promise I do exactly that. Scott Sorry, he of The Wildhearts and Sorry and The Sinatras has just released his first solo album via Pledge Music called “When We Were Kings” and quite frankly it could be a contender for album of the year, if I was to do one, which I don’t, so it won’t. If I was it would’ve probably been The Sick Livers or Michael Monroe anyway. However that’s all immaterial so crack it up from Scott Sorry and a track from the aforementioned album.  Sticking with The Wildhearts interconnectedness; CJ Wildheart has just shared a second track from his forthcoming pledge album “Robot”. To coincide with the release of the album in February he is playing in London which unfortunately clashes with The Vibrators 40^th Anniversary gig at the Islington Academy. So I’m in a bit of a quandary which gig should I go to. Please e-mail me with your thoughts so I can then apportion blame elsewhere. “They made me do it!” To celebrate the release of the new Star Wars film I play The Dollyrots’ acoustic and electric versions “Be My Leia” at the same time because I stupidly thought that they would’ve used the same mastertape therefore they’d be the same length. Oh how I laughed. Plastic Tears get us back on an even keel with a cover taken from the Christmas edition of their “Rhythm Rider” ep and in six degrees of separation Smash Fashion have their brand new single played. As we hurtle towards the end of the show and year The Black Bullets help me pick up speed with a track from their new ep “Bombshell” but it’s The Hip Priests with a brand new track that takes us over the edge and out of 2015.

Turbonegro get things going this week with a Demolition 23 sounding Def Leppard following in their wake. Then my own mix of “AntiPope” by The Damned takes the world by storm. We then get back onto new music from Psychopunch, which almost didn’t happen, and The Carburetors, two bands that seem to be going hand in hand at the moment. A band that I had to miss off Episode 469 due to time constraints was The Dogbeats from Benidorm. Obviously they are included on this week’s show to make amends. More new music with the b-side to Hard Action’s “Hands Dripping Red” 7” which is due out on Bootleg Booze Records at the end of February. The Hip Priest/Billy Hopeless split 7” has finally landed on Doormats around the World but as I’ve already played both tracks in question I play The Hip Priests new track “For Life Till Deth” instead. In a Wildhearts Six Degrees of Separation I play new tracks from The Main Grains, that features Danny McCormack and The Drama Club Rejects that features Stidi. Both cracking songs! Scumbag Millionaire from Gothenburg are up next with some “Enraged and fast moving, cooking with gas and grooving Punk Rock” with the return of Royal Republic to The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show following on. Sham 69 have just released a brand new album called “It’ll End In Tears”. This is the Ian Whitewood line up. Deadbeat London, who feature Rich Rags on guitar from The Role Models, debut single gets an airing. I love finding new bands and new music with The Whipshades from Fredrikstad, Norway, being the latest band to fall into that category. It goes without saying I play track by them which comes from their latest release “Fast, Loud and Primitive”. This week’s show is wrapped up with part of an interview with Richard Strange that I attended on the 27^th that was hosted by Peter Cook from The Academy of Rock. Richard “Kid” Strange was in The Doctors of Madness that for a few gigs in 1978 featured Dave Vanian from The Damned. You also get to hear the question I posed, with the one and only studio track that Dave Vanian recorded with The Doctors of Madness that was co-written by TV Smith from The Adverts closing proceedings.

Welcome to Episode 467 of The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show, where, even though the news about The Hellacopters one off Sweden Rocks gig is over a week old, I go off on a complete tangent, not playing was I was planning to but Bands and Records that have shaped, if not changed the course of my life. Therefore for the first part of this week’s show I play; The Hellacopters, The Ramones, Motӧrhead, The Damned, The Beatles, Ginger Wildheart, The Hydromatics and Cinderella. Fortunately I do leave myself enough room for new music that you should hear on the Radio but don’t in the form of Brian James and a track from his latest album “The Guitar That Dripped Blood”, The Dirty Strangers and something from their just released “Crime And A Women” album. If you think that the Rolling Stones haven’t released an album of decent tunes this century The Dirty Strangers will restore your faith. Scott Sorry, he of Sorry and The Sinatra and sometimes Wildhearts Bassist, has the first fruits from his Pledge Music solo album aired and I finally manage to play a track from the Black Bombers 7” that their Bassist and Walter Lure’s, Darren Birch sent me a couple of months ago. Well worth the wait. As we plunge head long toward the end of this week’s hour the Zodiac Panthers, all two of them, give us some Primal Garage Punk with The Beladeans blending some modern/vintage Pacific Northwest Garage Rock to actually bring proceedings to a close.

Welcome to another week of music that you should hear on the radio but don’t here on The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show. As its Halloween I might as well get my token All Hallows’ Eve track out of the way courtesy of The Misfits. Then as I’m seeing Bernie Tormé tonight up at The Borderline I play a track from his latest album “Blackheart” to get me, and hopefully you, all fired up. Up next and new to the show are Thirsty who feature two ex-Quireboys Guy Bailey and Chris Johnson. At the end of last week the members of the UK Subs jointly released a statement saying on the 24^thOctober a major announcement regarding the band would be forthcoming. For the bands 26^th and FINAL album “Ziezo” fans would be able to get fully involved in the whole process via Pledge Music which goes live tomorrow (1^st Nov). Naturally I play two UK Subs track, the first was originally released as a fan club only one-sided 7” with the second taken from the bands last album “Yellow Leader”. Keeping in the classic Punk Rock mood I play a track from Chelsea’s last album “Saturday Night, Sunday Morning” which goes straight into the Dahlmanns, who hail from Norway, latest 7” single. The Last Great Dreamers have just released a new single to coincide with their up and coming support slot to Cherie Currie, obviously it gets an airing as does a track from D-Generations 2015 Record Store day 10”. A sad note I play a track from late 80’s Glam Rockers Belladonna’s debut 12” as their original and former Bad English (SA) drummer Vince Höare passed away at his home in South Africa last weekend.  Following on is Husker Du and then Anthrax with the first new song from the band’s upcoming 2016 album. Onto the home straight and it’s the Eureka Machines and the Sick Livers. The Eureka Machines track is taken from their soon to be released “Rarities” CD with the Sick Livers song taken from “Mid Liver Crisis” which has just had a video released to accompany it.

Welcome to Episode 463 of The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show which pretty much is the finale of Monday’s show. So on today’s episode it is the turn of The Michael Monroe Band to *Rock Like Fuck out of The Electric Ballroom in Camden on the last night of their UK co-headlining tour with Hardcore Superstar. The Monroes latest album “Blackout States” was only released just under week before this London date but by the amount of people who already new word perfect the new songs and welcomed them into the band’s set like classic long lost songs. Michael, Sami, Steve, Karl and Rich must surely soon be looking for wall space for a Gold Record. The band’s set Anyway Thursday’s set was a broad representation of Michael’s career to date, although I thought “Horns and Halos” was under represented however he is here to promote “Blackout States” and it would’ve been interesting to hear a Hanoi song from the rebirth days as well or instead of “Oriental Beat”, “Tragedy” and “Malibu Beach” but I was glad to hear “Up Around The Bend” a song I don’t think I’ve heard him played solo. It’s funny but on Monday’s episode with regards to the Hardcore Superstar set I said that I thought it was a tad too long and that I’m more of a “Wham, bam, thank you Arm” merchant. Not when it comes to Michael Monroe. I could’ve quite happily watched The Monroes play their entire back catalogue from start to finish. It pretty much was the perfect ending to a Thursday evening of musical entertainment. A shoe in for Download this year surely?!

*Copyright Adam Bomb 

Welcome to Episode 462 which is the first of three Podcasts this week, four if you count next Saturday. The others will be on Wednesday and Friday. But let’s concentrate on what I have on offer for you today, which is Hardcore Superstar recorded on their last date of their co-headlining UK tour with Michael Monroe, who will be the subject of Wednesday’s Podcast. It always seems that Hardcore Superstar are up for co-headlining duties having seen them with The 69 Eyes and Buck Cherry over the years. Certainly it makes financial sense. The bands current album “HCSS” which was released at the beginning of this year is a really strong album. It’s hard for me to say it’s their best album to date as the band has constantly maintained a high standard when it comes to their recording output, however I was disappointed at the lack of their earlier material live, but the band are here, once again, to promote the new album, so I can’t really complain. I did feel the bands set went on a tad too long, I know it was a co-headlining show so both bands get, quite rightly, equal stage times but in this instance I would’ve preferred the “Wham, Bam, thank you Arm” approach. Minor quibble on what was otherwise a great set as you are about to hear.

As you know The Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show airs on The Wall Rock Radio for the East Midlands every Saturday for an hour at 7’o clock with a repeat Tuesday evening. As Episode 459 was nearly 1¾ hours long for The Wall listeners the show ended after “Condition Hüman” by Queensÿche. So instead of a Tuesday repeat I rerecorded the last 45 minutes, shuffling songs in the process, The BossHoss are now on first instead of last. I also added new songs like “Jet Boy, Jet Girl” by Elton Motello which was the original English version of “Ça Plane Pour Moi”, played something off Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats’ new album “Night Creeper”, swapped the Graveyard tune for anotherwith even a live Hydromatics track to end this non repeat Tuesday hour off. I did splice the original show with this new one with a view to reuploading it as it worked a whole lot better than the last 45 minutes of Saturday’s show. Towards the end I was flagging due to lack of sleep, and it shows, thanks to the Gas Board digging up the side of our house to fix a Gas leak at 12:30 in the morning. However deleting and adding again to Podbean seemed more trouble than was actually necessary. So here is the Tuesday non repeat ofThe Paranoid Squirrel Rock Show on The Wall Rock Radio in all its glory, featuring; The BossHoss, Elton Motello, Dirtbag Republic, Michael Monroe, The Shondikes, The Tartan Horde, Giuda, The Bones (Twice), Tank, Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats, Graveyard with The Hydromatics live.

Well today got off to a great start with the Gas Board digging up our side path to fix a Gas leak at 12:30 this morning. No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith indeed. Consequently if I sound like I’m on speed towards the end of this nearly two hour show, you’ll know why.

On the musical front Russkaja, the Austrian equivalent to The Leningrad Cowboys, start things off, then it’s some Classic Backyard Babies in demo form who are swiftly followed by some up to date UFO. A track from Operation: Mindcrime’s debut album is aired and then it’s a live in the studio song from Bernie Torme to promote his new album, Blackheart and subsequent tour. Compare and Contrast is back with The Boys prosecuting The Towers of London. Now when I started this podcast back in 2007 I never in a million years thought I’d be playing a Prog Rock track by The Pope. Yes The Pope as in his Holiness Pope Francis, but today on this episode I do. How do you follow the Pontiff? You follow him with some Barbe-Q-Barbies and a track from their new album “Driven”. (It’s a good job I’m not Catholic, how many Hail Mary’s?). Darren Birch, Walter Lure’s European bassist, e-mailed to tell me that it was in fact Ozzie who was drumming at The Jazz Cafe and not Martin Ashston as I claimed. Darren is also in The Black Bombers who are head to head with The Hip Priests tonight in Digbeth and it’s only a Fiver to get in. So Get In!  New to The Paranoid Squirrel are Swedish Garage Merchants The Deadheads with a track off their second and new album “Loadead” On the Pledge front Mustasch’s new album arrived last week, signed. Well when I say signed the CD lid was, not the actual booklet. Obviously I play a track which for some reason had me think of Sabbath. Queensryche also fan funded their latest album “Condition Human” however I bought the regular version. The band certainly seem to have found their Mojo which has been absent for most of this century as hopefully you’ll agree on hearing it. Uber Rocks’ Dom Daley pointed me in the (one) direction of The Shondikes. Who he says and I quote “If you still have a shred of life in your rock 'n' roll heart and you want to hear a great record then take a chance on The Shondikes because if you're true to yourself then you will love this record like your first born” On that review I purchased their self-released album “Psychotic Make Out Music” CD and share a track. A band that has got me all excited is from Vancouver Dirtbag Republic featuring Sandy Hazard and Mick Wood formerly of Grandma Moses. Think Rolling Stones, Cheap Trick, NY Dolls, Sex Pistols, Aerosmith, Hanoi Rocks and The Ramones. Now you know why I’m excited. They even cover a Professionals track! Michael Monroe’s latest album “Blackout States” is released next Friday. Wanna sneaky listen to a track? Oh all right.....Joyous news reach me last week that the Bay City Rollers are to reform, well three of the classic line-up are. Pre-Christmas gigs have been booked which sold out in seconds. Hopefully a London date will be forthcoming. To mark this news from 1975, The Tartan Horde’s one and only single “Bay City Rollers – We Love You” is played. If you are scratching your head as to why.....Nick Lowe and a pre Rat Scabies Chris Miller aka Mouse Modem play on it, which leads nicely into the new single by Giuda. Up next are two tracks from The Bones, one is in Germany whilst the other is the English equivalent. Rattling towards the end of this week’s show we have new music from Tank, Graveyard who are due over here with Imperial State Electric and finally it’s The BossHoss who add the full stop to proceedings.