Hell's Kitchen Radio #553: Yuletide Hell

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Being the resident non-holiday-celebrating host that I am, I figured I'd host a holiday show. Go figure. I'm no bah humbuger however. Oh no, far from it. I was married to two, count them TWO women who were both very much into the decorate-the-house-get-a-tree and all that jizzy jazz. And who did most of the decorating with glee? Me! Your own Hellacious Claus. 

And I have the collection of holiday music to go along with it. This is merely a tiny drop in the bucket of what I had to offer.

HUGE thanks goes out to the late great Mikl-em for providing much of what you heard tonight. What a fabulous human he was, and we're still at a great loss without him. FUCK CANCER!

So twinkle your lights and go drink something that'll make you merry. I'll take care of the next two hours for you.

If I'm in next week it'll be a sort of Best of 2024. There was a lot of great music this year. See you then.

Enjoy and please have a safe and a reflective holiday season.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Santa Claus, Go Straight to the Ghetto: Belle and Sebastian
The Christmas Song: James Brown
Father Christmas, Do Not Touch Me: The Goodies

Run Rudolph, Run: William Shatner
Yingle Bells: Yogi Yorgesson
You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch: Thurl Ravenscroft

Baby, It's Cold Outside: Ray Charles with Nina Simone
Ain't No Chimneys in the Projects: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Little Drummer Boy: David Bowie and Bing Crosby
Christmas Wrapping: Kylie Minogue with Iggy Pop

Merry Christmas From The Family: Robert Earl Keen Jr.
Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy: Reverend Horton Heat
'Zat You, Santa Claus?: Louis Armstrong
Father Christmas Dressed in Green: Wild Billy Childish and the Musicians of the British Empire

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen: Jerry Garcia and David Grisman (December 09, 1991)
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem: Emmylou Harris

Allen Toussaint: Silent Night, Holy Night
Santa Doesn't Cop Out on Dope: Martin Mull
Christmas Card From A Hooker in Minneapolis: Tom Waits

Father Christmas: The Kinks
Jingle Bell Rock: The Fall
I'll Be Home For Christmas: Doris Day
Santa Claus and His Old Lady: Cheech and Chong
Up on the Housetop: The Jambalaya Cajun Band

Fairytale of New York: The Pogues
Zan Vevede: Angelique Kidjo

Frosty the Snowman: Los Straightjackets
Carolina Christmas: Squirrel Nut Zippers
We Wish You Merry Christmas: John Denver and the Muppets
Auld Lang Syne: Chriss Issac
Hanukkah Schmanukkah: Rachel Lark
Silent Night: Brian Wilson

Hell's Kitchen Radio #552: Inner City Hell

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Hot damn, it was cold in the Radio Valencia studio on Monday night. It took a real hot set of music to turn up the heat. I often walk the line of telling it like it is and just getting the heck off the mic so you can enjoy the music. I even have a music bed, performed by the magnificent singer/songwriter Adam MacKintosh, that keeps me honest at about three minutes in length. There's a method to my madness. I need more than three minutes to tell it like it is. 

Each week I go through my record collection searching for whatever is tickling my fancy this week. I'm also listening to a lot of radio (Radio Valencia, KFJC, KALX, KEXP, WFMU, and others as I commute daily). There are so many great DJs turning me on to new music. 

If you're thinking of what to get your loved ones for a gift, I strongly encourage music. No albums in the house? Buy a turntable! Only listening via an app? Get the Bandcamp app and support the artists directly. But let's all agree that cassettes were wrong the first time around (other than mix tapes) and should never make a comeback. This coming from the guy who worked the cassette room at Tower Records, and owned thousands of bootleg tapes. There is nothing redeemable about cassettes. Though there is something to be said about buying an off-brand best of southern rock cassette while on a road trip. 

I do have a few boxes of my airchecks from my many years at KFJC. Those have to be incredibly embarrassing to listen to. There was a show I hosted in 1991 (one of my early graveyard shifts when I was the Reverend Dah Wave), when I was taking call in confessions (I didn't know it was a priest that took confessions, so there ya go). We didn't have a delay at KFJC, so I took a real risk that the callers weren't going to swear. Luckily no one did. And many of the callers were my friends, up late and very imbibed. The great Oz, the Watermonk of Dah (aka Noa Oz Appleton) was in the studio with me. We took a few very hilarious calls. 

Unbeknownst to me, my program director was listening in too. I got a stern talking to (understatement of 1991) and was lucky to keep my shift. I listened back to that aircheck a few years later. It was so cringey that I took the tape out of my car stereo and threw it in the back seat. I wonder where that thing is??? Do I dare listen back? Should I digitize it? Should I share it on Radio Valencia?!?!?!??!

As for this show, I'm as cringey as ever, but I own that now.

All vinyl. Nothing new. Many genres. All worth your time.

I'll be hosting an alternative XMas show on Monday, December 23rd. Tune in and enjoy the hot cocoa on me. Maybe that'll heat up the studio this time around.

Enjoy and please share.

 

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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I Fuck Around: Melvins
We're a Happy Family: Ramones

Gone Daddy, Gone: Violent Femmes
Midnight Special: Harry Belafonte
On The Sunny Side of the Street: Ella Fitzgerald

Inner City Blues: Grover Washington Jr.
Othelia: Yusef Lateef
It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry: Bob Dylan
Go To Satan: Rube Waddell

Down, Down, Down: Tom Waits
In Heaven There Is No Beer: Polkacide

To Defy The Laws of Tradition: Primus
Eminence Front: The Who
Broken Hands: Mudhoney

Notes and Chords Mean Nothing to Me: Monkeywrench
Deuce: Redd Kross
Backdoor Medley: ZZ Top

Vacancy: Neil Young
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night: Iggy Pop
Sunday Morning: Velvet Underground with Nico

Uh Oh, Loves Comes To Town: Talking Heads
This Is Not A Love Song: Public Image Ltd.
Christmas Card From A Hooker in Minneapolis: Neko Case

Hell's Kitchen Radio #551: I Am SpartaHell

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Call me LuigiHell because I'm slaying tonight!

Seriously though, what's it going to take to wake people up...to the fabulous music that's being played on Radio Valencia? And to the Hell that awaits soulless CEOs and corporations that suck off the teet of the common people? 

I really hope that Africaaner leech oligarch is looking over his shoulder right now. That guy needs some comeuppance.

As for the music, holy moly this was a fun show to produce!

You got you some folk, blues, jazz, funk, punk, psych, garage, post-punk and more! All that you've come to know and love on Hell's Kitchen Radio.

Now, let's cook us up some oligarchs! 

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Conservative, Christian, Right-Wing, Republican Straight White American Males: Todd Snider

Mojo Hand: Lightnin' Hopkins

Little Red Rooster: The Grey Ghost
Be Proud To Be A Black Man: Bee Houston

Ida Mae: Sonny Terry
The Cosmos: Sun Ra
The White Man's Gotta God Complex: The Last Poets

You Better Have A Gun: Fantastic Negrito

Whatever Turns You On: The Bell Reys
The Assembly Line: Commodores

P Funk: Parliament

Pass the Peas: The JBs

Doing In My Head: Amyl and the Sniffers

Lights Out/She Don't Want That: Midnight Snaxx

Excuse Me: The Linda Lindas

I Dream of Jesus: Dead Milkmen

Goatbrain: GOAT

Plastic Plant: Oh Sees

Reputation: CIA

Sex Bomb: Flipper

Meathouse: Negative Trend

Out of the Races and Onto the Tracks: The Rapture

Marques Cha-Cha: The Fall

Send Me A Postcard: Shocking Blue
Daylight: The Kinks

Hell's Kitchen Radio #550: Inspiration Move Me Brightly

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Inspiration comes in many forms, but for tonight it was a pile of vinyl and an old friend. We held a very rare in-person Radio Valencia meeting before my show with 18 members of our staff (35 current shows). One of our staffers, the Alchemist, Saturdays 6-10pm, has been a close friend of mine since we first met when working at Tower Records back in 1989. Yes, that's a longterm friend right there.

I recruited him over two years ago, since I knew he had excellent taste in music, and if he was interested, would host an impressive show. He has yet to disappoint.

After the meeting I invited the Alchemist to hang out in the studio with me for my show, and it pushed me to bring an even better show than I already strive for. This guy has taste and I did not wish to disappoint.

Plenty of new songs, including Robin Coomer, WAND, GOAT, the Linda Lindas, and Lorde covering Talking Heads. 

Dig This Inspired show.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Dicks Hate The Police: The Dicks
What Do You Want From Life: The Tubes

Me and the Girls: Amyl and the Sniffers
Where Eagles Dare: Misfits

Whoopie Chateaux: Sgt. Splendor
In Dream Every Home A Heartache: Roxy Music
Attractive Target: Negativland
Isotope: McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson

Yo Me Estreso: The Linda Lindas
I Will Kill for Suzy: Catheads

Close Call: Robin Coomer
High Time: WAND
The Rain: Eddie Gale

Dollar Bill: GOAT
Tally Ho: Psychedelic Porn Crumpets

Chaise Lounge: Wet Leg
Bodies: Sex Pistols
Eagles Over America: ShitKid

Pushing the Extremes: Wipers
Take Me To The River: Lorde

Cream Puff War: Widespread Panic
In The Great Gettin' Up In The Morning: The New Gospel Keys

Hell's Kitchen Radio #549: 14th annual Annual Annual: 1994

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It's time for my 14th annual Annual Annual! This is where I choose one year to focus on for two hours. I like to put this out to my music-loving friends before I make a choice. I've covered a couple years from the 90s in the past, including 1991 last year. This time around I'm going with 1994.

My memories of 1994, when I was turning 24, are murky at best. In my own life I was single, living in Redwood City, on the air at KFJC and working at a small local record label/music distributor: Tandem Records/The Remix Club (TRC). I ran the warehouse before becoming the promotions director of the label. I recall us courting The Mermen, though I'm fairly confident we didn't get much farther than a meeting with them.

That was a challenging job. Most of the music the label had was in the Pop R&B genre, and I think you know what I think about anything Pop. And my boss was dating a young singer, who was marginal in talent to say the least...not to mention at least 20 years older than her. It was my job to get her played on R&B stations around the country and to take her to events in the Bay Area. There wasn't a lot of success there, in her music or the relationship.

I also didn't appreciate how my boss liked to yell at his staff, either. Ooh, I do remember that we watched the OJ Simpson trial in the office though. HA!

It was while I ran the shipping and receiving department that I learned of Kurt Cobain's death. I can picture that moment well: working in the warehouse and the announcement came on the radio. I saw Nirvana at the Warfield Theater in October 1991 for the Nevermind tour. TAD and Sister Double Happiness opened. I was on the floor for the openers, but it was so packed (oversold?) and my shoelaces were united, that I decided to bodysurf my way out of there. I ended up on the first tier with a perfect view of the stage for the Nirvana set. I always liked that band. 

Like my previous annual specials there's more to share than just the music: film, news and culture are included throughout the night, and there's never enough time to get to all the music I want to. 

Though there wasn't a lot of strong releases in 1994 (I blame the major record labels), there were a number of notable debuts: Notorious BIG, Jeff Buckley, Fu Manchu to name but a few. 

Let's get on with the show.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

2011 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1971
2012 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1972
2013 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1973
2014 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1974
2015 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1975
2016 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 2006
2017 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1992
2018 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1983
2019 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1969
2020 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1980
2021 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1978
2022 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1968
2023 - ANNUAL ANNUAL - 1991

Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia in SF
http://radiovalencia.fm

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Miserlou: Dick Dale (Pulp Fiction Soundtrack)

Juicy: Notorious BIG (Ready to Die)

Give It Up: Public Enemy (Muse Sick-n-Hour Mess Age)

Get It Together: Beastie Boys (Ill Communication)

The Man Who Sold The World: Nirvana (MTV Unplugged)
Royal With Cheese (Pulp Fiction Soundtrack)
Grace: Jeff Buckley (Grace)

Revolve: Melvins (Stoner Witch)

Timeline: 1994

Ojo Rojo: Fu Manchu (No One Rides for Free)

Supa Scoopa and Mighty Scoop: Kyuss (Welcome to Sky Valley)

Buenas Tardes Amigo: Ween (Chocolate and Cheese)

Baddest of the Bad: Reverend Horton Heat (Liquor in the Front)

Gringo Honeymoon: Robert Earl Keen Jr. (Gringo Honeymoon)
Pendulum: Mark Lanegan (Whiskey for the Holy Ghost)

Timeline: 1994

Bull in the Heather: Sonic Youth (Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star)

Violet Eyes: Meat Puppets (Too High To Die)

Fuel My Fire: L7 (Hungry for Stink)

Do You Love Me: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (Let Love In)

Free As A Bird: The Beatles (Free As A Bird)

Zed's Dead, Baby/Bullwinkle Part II: The Centurions (Pulp Fiction Soundtrack)

The Dishwasher: King Missile (S/T)

She Gave Good Sunflower: Black Crowes (Amorica)