Monday, August 31, 2026

Hell's Kitchen Radio #625: Cover Me Covering You

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So punk photographer Rob Coons (AKA: Rob Taco) gave me a ring asking if he could come in to co-host a Punk covers night. What was I supposed to say? I jumped at the chance to collaborate with Rob on such a fun show.

I've played a ton of covers in the past, but Rob's idea was to play both the cover and the original. He also wanted to make the point that many covers came from originals that were as far from Punk as one could get! He wasn't kidding.

I played along, but only played the covers. 

Daniel (AKA: DJ Copper Stripper (who knew there were at least three meanings to this moniker???)) was present but neglected to bring any vinyl along. WTH DJ CS????

I'm curious how many of you knew these were covers? 

We had so much fun we've decided to host a part two in the coming months.

Also, now that we're getting closer to fall, it's time to prepare for my 16th annual Annual Annual. I think we're going with 1967, unless Copper Stripper gets his way and we do 1933. I also like the idea of doing 1982, but I did 1981 last year, so probably not. 

If you're unaware of this special, I play at least two hours from one year. Last year I played four hours from 1981 and it was amazing. 

My 16th annual Annual Annual will be sometime in late November. Stay tuned.

Next Monday night I'm thrilled to have Kate Vargas and Eric McFadden of Sgt. Splendor in the studio playing tunes and talking up their residency at Soiled Dove in Alameda. Talking to Kate and Eric is always a treat.

Tune in and enjoy.

jh

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

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Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love: Minutemen
Eight Miles High: Husker Dü
Eve of Destruction: The Dickies

Wild in the Street: Circle Jerks
Wild in the Streets: Garland Jeffreys
Police on My Back: The Clash
Police on My Back: The Equals

Steppin' Stone: Minor Threat
I Will Always Love You: Me First and the Gimmee Gimmees
Louie Louie: Black Flag

Goo Goo Muck: The Cramps
Goo Goo Muck: Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads
Pills: New Your Dolls
Pills: Bo Diddley

I Don't Wanna Grow Up: The Ramones
I Don't Wanna Grow Up: Tom Waits
Looking at You: The Damned
Looking at You: MC5
Truckin': Pop-O-Pies

Ofortuna: Botch
Ofortuna: Karl Orff
Goin' Blind: Melvins
Goin' Blind: Kiss
Hurdy Gurdy Man: Butthole Surfers
Hurdy Gurdy Man: Donovan

12XU: Minor Threat
Gloria: Patti Smith

Son of a Gun: Nirvana
What A Wonderful World: Joey Ramone

Monday, August 24, 2026

Hell's Kitchen Radio #624: Reality Look What You're Allowing

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Nothing to see here. Apparently there is something to listen to, however. Listening to this show week to week has been shown to improve your musical intelligence and increase your ADHD!

I have to thank DJ Copper Stripper, or DJ Charlie Daniels Hologram...whatever Daniel is going by these days, for injecting the genre-bending goodness that he does so well, week after week. I come from the school of keep your listeners on their toes kind of radio. Daniel takes this to heart. He deserves a full throated thank you for that.

Monday night continues in this vein. We both have a lot to say on the turntables and on the mic. We were certainly in the zone on this show. It went off the rails a few times. Give it a spin.

New music from Death Valley Girls, False Flag, Angine de Poitrine, Poncho and the Wizards, and Ty Segall. Too much great music in two hours is good for your health.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

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

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In Frisco: Pop-O-Pies (7" - 1982)
Tommy in 7 Minutes: Various (7" - 1994)
Whiskey and Wimmen: John Lee Hooker (I'm John Lee Hooker - 1960)

Know Your Product: The Saints (Eternally Yours - 1978)
Roll 'em Pete: Jimmy Witherspoon (...at the Renaissance - 1959)
I'm Not Pretty: The Lewd (American Wino - 1982)

I Am A Wave: Death Valley Girls (7" - 2026)
I Was Cruel: Magic Dirt (10" - 1996)
Roomful of Mirrors: The Pretenders (Get Close - 1986)

Let's Make It Clear: Dickie Thompson (7" - ????)
Dropout Boogie: Captain Beefheart (Safe As Milk - 1967)
Johnny Too Bad: The Offs (7" - 1978)
Lust For Life: Bad Livers (7" - 1991)
Poppity Pop: Slim Gaillard (Slim's Jam - 1945)

Chrome: Ty Segall (Chrome - 2026)
Yor Zarad: Angine de Poitrine (Volume 2 - 2026)

Double Adapter: City Ram Waddy (Project X - 1979)
I Like Boys: Missing Persons (EP - 
Sure Shot: Beastie Boys (Ill Communication - 1994)
City of The Future: False Flag (Art School - 2026)

Be Here Now: Pancho and the Wizards (Sun Splendor - 2026)
Persuasion Architecture: Cory Hanson (Western Cum - 2023)
Snakes Crawl: Shannon and the Clams (Year of the Spider - 2021)

Right Thing To Do: Matt Cameron (Gory Scorch Cretins - 2023)

Monday, August 10, 2026

Hell's Kitchen Radio #623: Pushed Over the Edge

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Another Monday, another chance to get into your pants. That's if your pants are your ears. See what I did there? I was trying to do a rhyme thing. It didn't work. I could have just deleted this, but for some reason I'm still typing. Still. Not stopping.

In other news, Daniel (AKA: DJ Copper Stripper) takes over the decks in the second hour in preparation of filling in for me next Monday night. I know you're going to dig that.

If you've been tuning in since March you've heard Daniel join me every week, bringing in records I never would have looked for while crate digging. And that's a good thing!

After all, this is why you tune into uncensored, non-commercial, community radio: to hear music curated from DJs who live their lives looking for the next tune to turn you on. We really enjoy turning you on at Radio Valencia.

New music from Death Valley Girls, Jack White, Hex Pest and Die Spitz tonight, and a lot of music that's new to you...and me!

OK, I'm going to go figure out what it was I was actually going to post on here tonight instead of saying rhymes that I come up off the top of my head. I just aim to please.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

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

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Funnel of Love: Squrl/Wanda Jackson (Only Lovers Left Alive SDTK - 2013)
Hard Luck Olympics: Hex Pest (Let Go Hell, Your Fall Will Be Broken By The Roof of Heaven - 2025)

I Am A Wave: Death Valley Girls (7" - 2026)
Isolation: Ty Segall (Fudge Sandwich - 2018)
Bumble Bee: Big Mama Mae Thornton (With Muddy Waters Blues Band - 1966)

G.O.D. and the Broken Ribs: Jack White (Frozen Charlotte - 2026)
One Beer: MF Doom (Mmm...Food - 2004)
All the Young Dudes: Mott the Hoople (All the Young Dudes - 1972)
Bottle Up and Go: The Monkeywrench (S/T - 1992)

One Way Or Another: The Coathangers (7" - 2021)
Pushin' Too Hard: Klan (Rodney on the Roq Vol. 1 - 1980)
Fire In The Western World: Dead Moon (Strange Pray Tell - 2012)

Red40: Die Spitz (Something to Consume - 2025)
'tis A Pity She Was A Whore: David Bowie (Blackstar - 2016)
Make Me Make You: Rumplestiltskin (S/T - 1970)
What To Do?: Vanusa (S/T - 1973)

Sick of Being Sick: The Damned (Peel Sessions - 1977)
Aftab Noorani: Wesley Willis (Greatest Hits - 1995)
Time Time: Mr. Nicotine Paul Chaplain and the Emeralds (Mr. Nicotine - 196?)
In Frisco: Pop-O-Pies (7" - 1983)

Evil Hoodoo: The Seeds (S/T - 1965)
The Last Time I Sawed Paris: Robert C. Pritkin (There's A Song In My Saw - 1976)

November 22, 1963: Destroy All Monsters (S/T - 1991)
Pussy Strut: The Waitresses (Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful? - 1982)

Bad Mouth: Fugazi (S/T - 1988)

Monday, August 03, 2026

Hell's Kitchen Radio #622: You're Embarrassing Yourself

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Rock out, you fools!

That was the plan tonight. Don't have a plan. Just gather what you think you need and fly. That's a good strategy, dontcha think? It works for me most of the time.

The most planning I do for my show is pulling music I've purchased recently and coupling that with artists from my library that have been running through my head, or I feel will pair nicely with what I've already got ready to go.

I also know that Daniel is going to bring in his share of treats that will get a spin. He even surprised me with a 7" box set of noise that I didn't know I needed. Thanks Daniel!

There was one scheduled interview for Monday night. I had Kevin Seal coming in to talk about the upcoming Seal Party show at the Rickshaw Stop on Friday, August 14th.

Then the Icelanders walked by.

Daniel and I were talking about something nonsensical, and I made some comment about "fools" just as three people were walking by the open door (the Radio Valencia studios are street level). They looked at me and I waved them in. That's how we came to have three young Icelanders in the studio, and I put them on mic. 

Impromptu interviews happen, so I was just happy to gice these kids their first taste of being on the radio, and while they're visiting the states!!!

Music from six decades all packed into two hours. How do we do it?!?!?!?

Enjoy and please share.

jh

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

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In Frisco: Pop-O-Pies (7" - 1983)
Midnight Special: Harry Belafonte (The Midnight Special - 1962)
Whitey On The Moon: Gil Scott-Heron (The Revolution Will Not Be Televised - 1974)
Dancing In The Sun: Sun Ra (The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra - 1965)

Dye n Red: Lazy Cowgirls (Third Time's A Charm - 1987)
Country Death Song: Violent Femmes (Hallowed Ground - 1984)
No More Pushing: Daniel Johnston (Hi, How Are You? - 1983)

Spirits: Albert Ayler (Spirits - 1964)
Leave Us Alone: Mary Monday (In The City: SF Punk 1977 - 2021)
Trouble At The Cup: Black Randy and the Metro Squad (7" - 1977)

Gut The Quantifier: The Fall (This Nations Saving Grace - 1985)
Eventually: Ornette Coleman (The Shape of Jazz to Come - 1959)
My Boyfriend's Back: The BeeJays (7" - 1980)

Way Down We Go: Kaleo (A/B - 2016)
They Came In: Butthole Surfers (After the Astronaut - 2026)

Redacted: Seal Party (Circles Headed To The Sky - 2024)
Dark Days: Jolie Holland (Wine Dark Seas - 2014)
Blind Promise: White Heaven (Tokyo Flashback - 1991)
Self Hypnosis in Three Days: WAND (Golem - 2006)

Yor Zarad: Angine De Poitrine (Vol. 2 - 2026)
Desperation: The Avengers (S/T - 1978)

Monday, July 27, 2026

Hell's Kitchen Radio #621: Photographer Rob Coons

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Has this ever happened to you: you're in the pit, minding your own business, moving around and around, and across, and around, most likely in a counter-clockwise fashion (there's scientific studies that explain why), and every so often clockwise, elbows up (if you're in Fresno!), helping up your fallen brothers and sisters, and then a flash goes off in your face?!?!?!

What the hell was that?

More like WHO the hell was that?

More than likely it was Rob Coons, capturing you in all your pit-living glory. 

Indiana born Rob Coons made his way to San Francisco in the early 90s, involved in the music scene as contributor to Maximum Rock and Roll, including a few years on their radio show, which also ran on Radio Valencia! He started shooting live shows about ten years ago, first and foremost as a fan of music, especially hardcore punk; a card-carrying member of Gilman Street. 

His live pics of concert-goers is full of energy: many depicting crowd surfers and stage jumpers. I cannot get enough of Rob's content.

Neither will you.

Monday night Rob came on to share some really great stories and highlights of his own journey, as well as sharing the soundtrack he loves the most. 

Take a look at the playlist below and check out his incredible photography on his Instagram feed.

If you're not sweating after looking at his pictures then you weren't looking at his pictures!

He'll see you at the show!

Enjoy and please share.

jh

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

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In Frisco: Pop-O-Pies (7" - 1983)
1970: Mission of Burma (The Horrible Truth About... - 1985)
Boys Went South: Wuffy Dogs (7" - 1983)

Radio Youth: Wild Youth (1979)
Kill Yourself: The Lewd (Kill Yourself...Again - 1998)
Nothing For Me: Filth (Don't Hide Your Hate - 1978)
God Is Dead: Heart Attack (7" - 1981)
Death to the Sickoids: The Subhumans (Incorrect Thoughts - 1980)

Tears Won't Soften Steal: Wizard Rifle (Speak Loud Say Nothing 2012)
Bend Over Baby and Let Me Drive: Buck Naked and the Bare Bottom Boys (12" - 1993)

Knowledge: Operation Ivy (Energy - 1989)
Don't Leave Me: Green Day (7" - 1990) This may be the first time I have played Green Day on my show.
Summertime: Crimpshrine (Duct Tape Soup - 1986)
Fuk Shit Up: Blatz (The Shit Split - 1991)
Today's Lesson: The Filth (The Shit Split - 1991)

Police Brutality: Urban Waste (S/T 7" - 1982)
Boiling Point: SS Decontrol (American Hardcore - 1982)
Parasite: Cause for Alarm (S/T -1983)
Second Coming: Battalion of Saints (Second Coming - 1984)
Protester: Choke (???)

Talk To Much: False Flag (Art School - 2026)
Throw Yourself To The Sword: Die Spitz (Something to Consume - 2025)