THE SQUIRRELS, NOW (aka "Old Age Urban Squirrels"):
ROB MORGAN- Lead Vocals, Kazoo, etc. /
JOEY KLINE- Vocals, Guitar, Bass (Co-pilot) /
JAMES "COOKIE" COOKMAN- Drums & Percussion /
MATT FOX- Bass, Vocals, Stunt Guitar /
AARON "A.T." TAYLOR- Lead Guitar, Vocals /
RUSTY "NEW GUY" URIE- Keyboards /
BABY CHEEVERS- Wisdom, Team Spirit /
Full time members currently enjoying non-active duty (aka "The Reserves") include Jimmy "J.T." Thomas (lg), Kevin Crosby (b), Hollis The Bug (d, v), Mark Nichols (k, v), Bruce Laven (k, v), Craig "Mamoo" Ferguson (b), Gimpy LaRue (d), Tad Hutchison (d) & a host of other fine, fine musicians FAR too numerous for us to try and list here. And of course, who could forget the incredible contributions of Eric "Golden Ears" Erickson (lg, v) & Tom Morrison (k), who we are sad to report are both now performing at 'The Great Gig In The Sky', so to speak (RIP, guys- and say "hi" to Upchuck for me, will ya?). / For a complete & thorough run down of the various Squirrels line ups & their personel (with pictures!), please log on to http://www.thesquirrels.com/poplust/lineups.htm ...don't delay, do it today!
/ THIS PAGE MAINTAINED BY ROB "CAPT." MORGAN HISSELF, ASSISTED BY BUX DIRMEDOSEQUEZ (Poplust Office Boy). All contents (c) 2008 Poplust Enterprizes.
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Influences
Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention, The Beatles (Ringo RULES!), The Tubes (Quay Lewd RULES!), Firesign Theatre, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, The Frazz, The Sorcerer's Apprentice (the band, not the cartoon- although we really dig that, too!), The Marx Brothers (Groucho RULES!), J. P. Patches, Sparks, Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Donald Duck, Jethro Tull, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (Vambo ROOL!), Pee Wee Herman, Herman's Hermits (Peter Noone RULES!), Ramones, The Monkees... um, let's see now... man, that's kind of a HARD question! I'm starting to CONFUSE myself! I think I'll try this again later....
Sounds Like
Well, that depends. What kind of music do you want to HEAR? 'Cuz we'll play it for ya! Sorta (lol)...
Founded in 1984 by Rob "Capt." Morgan (Poplust Magazine publisher & former vocalist for Seattle's bubble-punk legends THE PUDZ), The Squirrels are a highly theatrical & comedic outfit that can best be described as a semi-surrealistic bubble gum rock & roll musical comedy workshop. Sort of. Either that, or you could just compare them to an AM/FM radio from another dimension that's gone totally out of control (sort of like a cross between a '70s High School dance band from Hell & a low-rent version of The Mothers). Again, sort of. Perhaps it's supposed to be "ART" or something. Maybe, as one ex-member-who-shall-go-nameless so candidly put it 'back in the day', the whole thing is basically just "a men's club with instruments". With, like, bubbles & stuff.
In the end, the truth is that it's really sort of pointless to try & explain, analyze or pigeonhole what The Squirrels do at all. It is what it is, and BOY, what an "IS" it is am be ARE. Specializing in offering up what the band likes to call "total entertainment" (a term coined by Rob's long time heroes The Tubes), The Squirrels' world incorporates twisted takes on hits of the 60s, 70s & beyond, bizarre originals, rapid fire improv & low budget theatrics to create an act that truly has to be experienced to be fully understood. It's like a freakin' punk vaudeville Top 40 NIGHTMARE! And don't even ASK me about that damn talking Cabbage Patch Doll... OR that freaky Giant Dancing Squirrel. I mean, we don't wanna scare any little kids around here. Seriously. YIKES.
Anyway, over the years a veritable who's-whooo of Seattle musicians have joined Morgan in the project including members of such well known & influential NW bands as The Young Fresh Fellows, The Posies, The Frazz, Prudence Dredge (Dredge guitarist/vocalist Joey Kline- now leading The Plaintiffs- has played in 89.2% of the Squirrels lineups to date), The Fastbacks, Radio Nationals, Bitter End, The Chicken Noodle Soups, Sister Psychic, & Duffy Bishop & The Rhythm Dogs. Rob & his seemingly ever evolving cast of co-horts have released numerous albums, singles & what not under The Squirrels name over the years, mostly on Conrad Uno's Popllama Products label. Critics seem to LOVE 'em (knock on wood), & tend to cite the highly acclaimed Pink Floyd tribute/parody "The Not-So-Bright Side Of The Moon" from 2000 &/or 1988's uber-schizo "Oz On 45 / Alone Again, Naturally" single (one of legendary British DJ John Peel's all time personal favorites) as the catalog's high water marks. Meanwhile, longtime fans often site the 1990 "What Gives?" CD (long out of print & capable of fetching stupid money on internet auction sites) as well as the band's overly joyous & truly frightening Christmas album "Digital Snowman" as personal favorites. On the live front Rob, Joey & the gang have played literally hundreds of shows together over the years in a variety of venues all over the West Coast: punk clubs, jazz clubs, festivals, parties, colleges, weddings, giant coffee pots- you name it, they've probably done it! And will probably do it again. They can't seem to HELP themselves.
And the SCARIEST thing of all is the fact that as of this writing, despite general indifference from almost everybody (lol), The Squirrels as a working unit show no obvious outward signs of packing it in anytime soon ("world be damned"). Seriously... I mean, "What Gives?" indeed. HELLOOOOOOOO? I mean, when is this all gonna stop? I guess only time will tell. What IS for certain is that while they are often imitated (but never duplicated), the fabulous Squirrels Group are truly one of a kind. And we can all thank God for THAT, if you catch my drift. Oh, & if some strange reason you still want even more info on these freaks, please log on to thesquirrels.com ASAP (see link to the left) - it's a HOOT. Informative, too! (NOTE: there is also a pretty decent entry on the band posted on Wikipedia- head on over to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Squirrels to check that out! And thanks to everyone who contributed.)
/ PS- While there is nothing cast in stone at this point, Rob DOES hope to do some recording with the current lineup sometime in early 2008- we'll let ya know when we have some actual news on that. And hey- they're STILL looking for someone to put out "Rock Polisher", the follow up to TNSBSOTM, so all you label peeps &/or potential investors best be headin' on over to http://www.thesquirrels.com/poplust/2002CD.htm for more info on what is sadly shaping up to be the "Great Lost Squirrels Album"...it really is quite the Magnum Opus. Or something. Anyway, they ain't done YET, peoples!
TO BE CONTINUED. Oh, & "Long Live Rock" & stuff like that. Ya know?
Bux Dirmedosequez (world famous music historian, brainiac & all around swell guy. Last updated 6/07).
Neat pic! Hey, Warmest of funnies on your recording session. I wish I could be there to throw in some backup howling or cheesy noodles! XOXO, Can't wait to hear it! Much love from Spamingham! Smack!
I forgot to grab my cd:(. That was fun and I had forgotten how fascinating Barbie can be, or I probably just have a crush there. People just don't seem to be doing anything so much this year.
When I saw the PUDZ on your myspace I couldn't resist sampling some lyrics for our status and mood. Hope you don't mind. If so, let me know and I'll pull it.
tour of outer space? does it start from inner most or outmost LY? maybe venus to sirius to plaeides/orion/taurus area to the more northern gemini/cygnus, lyra/vega systems? isnt there a cat planet? dont know about squirrels. sounds dangerous.
Great Burfday partay Rob! We had a grand ying/yang time!We'll have to do it again soon! btw: I've just got to get this off me chest, but as we all know, prior to KEXP, there was a little ole radio station called KCMU. When I was there I was chastized a lot by the M.D. (name not to be mentioned) for playing the hell out of local music like The Squirrels, YFF, Next Exit, Fastbacks, Green Pajamas, Variant Cause, The Pudz, Runaway Trains, Number One & The Best Boys, The Life and the list goes on... Was it worth it? For me it was!!! Rock on my friend!!!
just needed to tell you that i paid 14.95, three yrs ago, for the not so dark side of the moon. on a whim, having never heard a note. after listening to it at least once a week over the 3 yrs, it is one of my 10 'desert island' albums. you's guys are a bunch of frickin geniuses!! THANK YOU FOR EXISTING
