Artist description BIOGRAPHY Suburban Armchair Paranoia is the occasional solo project of John Youens. John was formerly lead guitarist with Slow Faction (1993-1996) and lead vocalist/lead guitarist with Smartbomb (1998-2000). Following the amicable split of Smartbomb last year, John decided to return to the bedroom armed with a guitar and a drum machine and work on some new songs. All reviewers of Smartbomb demos picked out the strong melodic appeal of the songs (see reviews below). Freed from the constraints of working with a speed-fuelled drummer (now drumming appropriately with the Amphetamine Missionaries) John hopes to carry on writing melodic, punk-influenced songs without necessarily charging through them at 250bpm.

Press Reviews PEOPLESOUND – EDITORIAL “Influenced by the punk sarcasm of the Sex Pistols, and with just as much speed-fuelled energy, Suburban Armchair Paranoia is notable for the refreshing absence of a false US accent. America takes a swipe at the States’ glorified self-image as the home of the brave and the leader of the free world, while Hate Mail targets middle-England’s politics of ‘don’t knows and don’t cares.’ John Youens’ most impressive achievement lies in the seamless integration of fully-fledged punk attitude with insightful social commentary.” Please see below for reviews of John’s previous work with Smartbomb. MAKING MUSIC: DEMO OF THE MONTH NOVEMBER 1998 “THIS IS THE MOST DYNAMIC, UP-FRONT RECORDING OF THIS MONTH’S BATCH. OPENER ‘STUPID’ IS A CRACKING TUNE – CATCHY AND AGGRESSIVE IN EQUAL MEASURE, IT TRULY DOES JUSTICE TO THE TERM BRITROCK. ‘BARFLY’ PERHAPS NODS TOO VIGOROUSLY IN THE DIRECTION OF CLASSIC PUNK, BUT IS PERFORMED WITH AUTHENTIC POST-GRUNGE VIGOUR AND A MONSTER GUITAR SOUND. ‘WASTED YEARS’ HAS A PROPER SHOUTALONG CHORUS AND AN ENGAGING DELIVERY; AS IF THE BAND ARE REALLY ENJOYING THEMSELVES. NOT BAD GOING FOR A REHEARSAL. I IMAGINE SMARTBOMB ARE A KICKING LIVE ACT WHO, IF THEY SHAVE AWAY SOME OF THE MORE OBVIOUS RETRO INFLUENCES, MIGHT MAKE A NATIONWIDE IMPRESSION.” FRACTURE FANZINE: FEBRUARY 1999 “I EXPECTED SMARTBOMB TO BE LOUD BLARING PUNK ROCK, BUT SMARTBOMB IN FACT ARE QUITE DIFFERENT. MAYBE IT’S JUST THE DEMO RECORDING, BUT THE ECHOEY SOUND DID REMIND ME OF A SORT OF CROSS BETWEEN TOXIK EPHEX AND RED LONDON. NOT BAD, AND I HOPE THEY DO MORE……” SOUND ON SOUND: APRIL 1999 “DESPITE THE EXCESSIVE REVERB, THE ENERGY OF THE BAND WAS WELL CAPTURED ON TAPE.” OPEN UP AND BLEED, ISSUE 4 SPRING 99 “3 EQUALLY CATCHY TUNES, A SINGER WHO CAN SING THE AGGRESSIVE BUT ‘MELODIC’ PUNKY SONGS WITHOUT BURSTING YOUR EARDRUMS. NO FUSS, NO FUZZ! OPEN UP AND BLEED, ISSUE 5 SUMMER 99 “ONCE AGAIN SOME VERY GOOD TUNES AND VOCALS, KIND OF MELODIC PUNK WITH RAW VOCALS……STEPFORD CHILDREN IS FOR ME THE BEST ONE I’VE HEARD FROM THEM……I THINK THEY HAVE A HELL OF A LOT OF PROMISE.” OPEN UP AND BLEED, ISSUE 8 SUMMER 2000 “SMARTBOMB ARE A LONDON-BASED BAND WHO REMIND ME VERY MUCH OF SLF, RAW VOCALS, MELODIC SOUND, AND ‘SERIOUS’ LYRICS WITH A SOCIAL CONSCIENCE BUT WITHOUT THE CRINGE FACTOR. A BAND WHO MAKE A REAL EFFORT TO PRODUCE SOMETHING WITHOUT TAKING THE EASY OPTION.WELL DONE – MOST ENJOYABLE.” MAKING MUSIC: SEPTEMBER 2000 “ …YOU’LL BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY ‘LITTLE ENGLAND’ WHICH IS A SPIKY, UPBEAT, TUNEFUL OPENER WITH, SHOCK, A HOOK! ‘NUMBER 1 FAN’ FOLLOWS ON NEATLY, REMINISCENT OF BILLY BRAGG AT TIMES, BUT MASSIVELY PUNKED UP – OBVIOUSLY IT LIKEWISE HAS ONE EAR ON THE COMMERCIAL MARKET WITH ANOTHER STRONG ENERGETIC TUNE. ‘STEPFORD CHILDREN’ TRIES TO EMULATE ‘LONDON CALLING’ ERA CLASH …BUT AS PUNK ‘BALLADS’ GO, IT’S NOT A BAD EFFORT. SMARTBOMB ARE A DECENT, INVENTIVE BAND…” SOUND ON SOUND: DECEMBER 2000 “ALL THE CLASSIC PUNK ELEMENTS ARE THERE – TRASHY PRODUCTION, AGGRESSIVE ANTHEMS AND A STRONG, GRAVELLY VOCAL DELIVERY.”

Location London, Great Britain - United Kingdom

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