Hell's Kitchen Radio #613: Let's Blow San Francisco

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Sometimes things come in twos: peanut butter and jelly, baseball and hotdogs, cats and furballs. So it came as no surprise when I had panned to take the night off that I was lured into the studio when I read about Rolling Stone magazine's horrendous Top 100 Punk songs of all time list. 

As for the second treat, you may have read, or seen the flyer posted around San Francisco, looking for a Daniel Lurie look-a-like to star in a porn parody "Let's Blow San Francisco". I was lucky enough to land Don Francisco, the producer, director, writer for this soon to be classic film for an on air interview, talking about the film and where they're at right now in the process.

Daniel Haver, from the Mabuhay Gardens, was in the studio co-hosting with me again tonight. I've really enjoyed Daniel being around. He's really coming into his own on the air. And then Rob from the band The Seagulls came by along with his friend Heather. And to round out the crowd, Jasper, host of Saturday's Broadcast from Limbo added to the mix.

We all had something loud to say about this top 100. Upsetting and confusing was the common call. My theory is the editors for this list looked at regions of punk around the globe (US and Britain that is) and then considered the top acts and albums from those regions. Finally, they combined all of that into one list. 

Lame. All of it, lame. 

Nevermind #9! 

Most of these bands deserve to be on this list. Pretty much all of them shouldn't be in the order they're in (MC5 after Blink 182, who shouldn't be on this list at all!). And where's the first Stooges and VU albums? Where is DRI? MDC? Cromags???

So between the music, the banter, the talk about what makes San Francisco great, this turned into a better choice than to just stay home on a Monday night.

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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I'm Waiting For The Man: Velvet Underground (Velvet Underground and Nico - 1967)
Kick Out The Jams: MC5 (Kick Out The Jams - 1969)

I Want To Be Your Dog: The Stooges (The Stooges - 1969)
Looking For A Kiss: New York Dolls (S/T - 1973)

Judy is a Punk: Ramones (S/T - 1976)

Rocket Reducer: Dead Boys (Young, Loud and Snotty - 1977)

I Like Cars and Girls: The Dictators (Go Girl Crazy!!! - 1975)
I'm So Bored With The USA: The Clash (S/T - 1977)
Jocko Homo: Devo (Are We Not Men? - 1978)

Friction: Television (Marquee Moon - 1977)

Let's Lynch The Landlord: Dead Kennedys (Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables - 1980)

Way of the World: Flipper (Generic - 1981)

Car Crash: Avengers (S/T - 1980)

Touch Me I'm Sick: Mudhoney (Superfuzz Bigmuff and Singles - 1989)

I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts: X (More Fun In The New World - 1983)

School: Nirvana (Bleach - 1989)

Caliente: Supersuckers (Smoke of Hell - 1990)

I Come From The Mountain: Thee Oh Sees (Floating Coffin - 2013)

GFY: Amyl and the Sniffers (S/T - 2019)

Magic: Zig Zags (S/T - 2014)
Napoleon: The Bobby Lees (New Self - 2026)
Never Gonna Be: False Flag (7" - 2026)

Wasted: Black Flag (First Four Years - 1981)

Hell's Kitchen Radio #612: Chip Kinman is the Dilsest

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Chip Kinman of The Dils and Rank and File talk about his new self-titled album out on In The Red Records, and his colorful history in the punk scene. What a blast it was to talk to him about the scene, going back to his earliest days with him and his late brother Tony.

The Chip Kinman Band has a show at Bottom of the Hill, on Friday, May 29th. I cannot wait to get to this show. I hope to see you there.

Tune in Monday, May 25th as Daniel from the FabMab and I vomit all over the recently released Rolling Stone's 100 Best Punk Albums. WTF??? There is a lot wrong with this list. Tune in and prepare to rage!!!

Also, if you haven't heard, there's a casting call out for a Daniel Lurie look-a-like for a porn film. I'm going to talk to the filmmaker Scooter, who's flyers you have scene around the city in the past week. Casting call at Radio Valencia, Monday night? 

Stay tuned.

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" - 
Kick Out The Jams: Mono Men (7" - 1996)

Interview with Chip Kinman

Radio/TV/I'm In Love: Chip Kinman (S/T - 2026)
Class War: The Dils

Me and Tony: Chip Kinman (S/T - 2026)
I Hate The Rich: The Dils

So Long Rock And Roll: Chip Kinman (S/T - 2026)
Class War: Ty Segall (Fudge Sandwich - 2018)

Paradise Girls: Deerhoof (Start Your Own Fucking Show Space - 2016)

Jumper Hanging Out On The Line: RL Burnside

So Beautiful: White Fence (Orange - 2026)
A Man Needs A Maid: Orcutt/Shelley/Miller (EP - 2026)

Heroin: Burnt Ones (The Velvet Underground  by Castle Face Records and Friends - 2012)

Wasps From Samoa: Surprise Privilege (7" - 2026)
Gimme Danger: Iggy and the Stooges (Raw Power - 1973)
Voodoo Dolly: Siouxsie and the Banshees (The Peel Sessions - 1979)

Parchman Farm: Mercury Rev (with Carise Van Houton): Delta Sweete Revisited - 2019)

Can You Imagine Nothing: Kikagaku Moyo (S/T - 2013)
The Way We Were: Wild Man Fisher and Mark Mothersbaugh)

Hell's Kitchen Radio #611: Bang The Bay!

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How is it I just can come to getting these shows up any sooner than almost a week after broadcast these days? What the ever loving fuck?!?!?!?

Could it be I'm short on bandwidth? 

Ummmmm, I don't know. 

Full time teacher, heading into the final weeks of the school year, where I need to get my seniors across the line, produce an annual show for 1400 in attendance; grade essays, final draft for the final exams, run student elections, raise an eight year old, guide a 21 year old, co-produce a few live shows this summer, help run a community radio station. 

Yeah, I don't know.

The best part about my show last Monday, atcually there were a few great things; was hosting musician and sound engineer Chris Greacen from Elegant Trash. He brought some incredible live tracks with him and lively conversation. And to top it off we share the same birthday!!! Chris was in talking up the Bang The Bay series of shows that happen at the Mabuhay Gardens, Ivy Room, and Point Emery. Check them out when they come to your town.

It was not like looking in a mirror, but you know. 

And then the Common Sense Advisory Committee showed up! 

It was like putting on your favorite sweater. Full disclosure: I don't wear sweaters, but if I did you know I'd be wearing this group all day every day. Katrina, Daniel, Ignacio and Molly showed up (don't even ask where John was....HA!!!) to be my live studio audience. They are distracting in all the ways I truly appreciate being distracted. It's like a game of test the DJ. Can they distract me enough for there to be dead air? Tune in and find out.

I'm hilarious...and delirious. Seriously, I have no bandwidth. 

Great music throughout the night. Live music from recent Mabuhay Gardens shows as recorded by my guest, Chris. New release from local faves, False Flag. I also have new music from Sprints and Primitive Ring.

Daniel brought some classic treats from Filth and Skip Spence, as well as a huge surprise for me, which I'll bring in this Monday night. 

OK, I'm falling down now, so you go ahead and click that link at the top and listen to two hours of the best music you didn't know you needed.

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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Do It: Rollins Band (Do It - 1987)
City Kids: Pink Fairies (Kings of Oblivion - 1973)

Interview with Chris Greacen

G20 - > Solar Van Saturdays: Elegant Trash (Live at Fab Mab - 03/11/2026)

Interview with Chris Greacen

Fresno: Lost Cosmos (Live at Fab Mab - 03/11/2026)

Interview with Chris Greacen

Clencher (Live at Fab Mab - 02/11/2026)

Swtichcrooks (Live at Fab Mab - 03/11/2026)

Interview with Chris Greacen

Sleepers A.D. (Live at Fab Mab - 04/08/2026)
Don't Hide Your Hate: Filth (7" - 1978)

In Frisco: Pop-o_Pies (7" - 1993)

Little Hands: Skip Spence (Oar - 1968)

Never Gonna Be: False Flag (7" - 2026)

Moth Tongue: Crystal Fairy (S/T - 2017)

I Wanna Lose: LA Witch (Play with Fire - 2020)

Coming Alive: Sprints (All That is Over - 2026)

Empires Falling: Black Angels (Wilderness of Mirrors 2022)

Ouroboros: GOAT (s/t - 2025)

TV City: Primitive Ring (7" - 2026)

Swampland: The Scientists (A Place Called Bad - 2016)

Bottle Up and Go: The Monkeywrench (S/T - 1992)

Victoria: The Kinks (Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) - 1969)

Hell's Kitchen Radio #610: Everything Is Fine-ish

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Well, it's just you and little ol' me, until Daniel comes by. Daniel is always welcome to come by. So are you! Why don't you write?

Anyway, I didn't have anyone scheduled to come by Monday night. This is first in a while, where I have no guests. I have Lee Hoffman of Elegant Trash coming by next Monday night, May 11, to talk about his Punk the Bay shows he's promoting Wednesday nights at the FabMab. 

On this show I was just feeling good sharing some new music I picked up in the past few weeks: Clown Alley, Sprints, Bill Orcutt, The Freak Accident, Alice Bag, OSees, Surprise Privilege, White Fence, Hawkwind, FUZZ, Reatards, Flipper, Deviants...

You know what, most of this show is music I bought over the past month or so. 

I may have a problem. I bought two records today that are certain to get played here soon enough. And why not? 

I was at a memorial for Robert "Doc" Pelzel, of KFJC, on Saturday. A good 100 family, friends, and current and former station staff were present. It was a real pleasure to see these fine folks and share stories about Doc.

Doc was the station advisor, who officially worked for Foothill Junior College, where KFJC is located. He was a true advocate for the station, and kept the institution administration off our backs, and made sure we received our budget every year. He came to KFJC in 1979, following a stint at KALX in Berkeley. I arrived at KFJC in 1989.

Doc encouraged us all to be as weird as we wanted to be. Take risks. He was similar to my dad, who used to say "there's no reward without risk". I learned what it meant to take my dream of being a radio DJ, and push it to the ultimate limit. I co-produced a nationwide broadcast at over 20 stations, from SXSW in 1994 because of Doc. I co-founded Radio Free Burning Man, also in 1994, because of Doc. 

Hundreds of incredible DJs have gone through the KFJC doors, and each of us benefitted from having Doc there, giving us an infinitely long, transparent leash, where we were encouraged to freak the scene in the way that non-commercial radio is supposed to do. 

The listeners benefitted from hearing music that never would have reached their ears if it weren't for the DJs given the freedom to do so. 

Bands wouldn't have sent us the music they were inspired to play if we didn't have the DJs excited to play the next new sound. 

As a teacher I understand that we teach infinity. We never know where our teaching ends. It's safe to say that Doc advised us to infinity. We play music for you that you take and pass on. Maybe you started a band because of what we played? And some of us went on to start other radio stations, paying it forward!

I think Doc is proud. I know he is, because were told one of the last things he said was that he was sad that he couldn't keep engaging in all this fun.

We'll pay the fun forward, Doc. Always pay it forward.

Thanks for taking a risk on all of us. 

Enjoy and please share.

jh

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

Follow me on Blue Sky
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Mars for the Rich: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard (Infest the Rats Nest - 2019)
In The Cartoon: Clown Alley (Circus of Chaos - 1986)

I Hunt You Pray: LA Witch (DOGGOD - 2025)
I'm Your Man: Mark Growden (Saint Judas - 2010)

Decepticon: Sprints (7" - 2026)
Captain Crunch: MF Doom/Czarface (Czarface meets Metalface - 2018)
Slap That Bass: The Middlebury College Dissapated-Eight - 1984)
Destroy The Handicapped: Fang (Land Shark - 1982)

Hot Head: Orcutt/Shelley/Miller (7" - 2026)
The Midnight Show: The Freak Accident (The Midnight Show - 2026)
Gluttony: Alice Bag (Decline of Western Civilization - 1980)

Joro: OSees (Cara Maluco - 2026)
Wasteman: Surprise Privilege (Feed Me - 2025
Trailer Trash: MV and EE (Fuzzweed - 2013)

Reflections in a Shop Window on Polk: White Fence (Orange - 2026)
Lost Jonnie: Hawkwind (Hall of the Mountain Grill - 1974)

21st Century Schizoid Man: FUZZ (FUZZ's Fourth Dream)
Tonight I'll Come: Reatards (Grown Up, Fucked Up - 1999)
I Saw You Shine: Flipper (Generic - 1982)
Garbage: Deviants (Ptooff! - 1968)
Internal Dialogue: False Flag (Gun Time - 2025)

New Self: The Bobby Lees (New Self - 2026)
Not of this World: Zig Zags (Deadbeat at Dawn - 2025)
Dan Folgerberg: Michael Mills
San Francisco: John Lee Hooker (The Big Soul of... - 1963)

I Heard It On The X: ZZ Top (Fandango - 1975)
Radio Moscow: Kent State (Rodney on the ROQ - 1982)

Hell's Kitchen Radio #609: Mitch Polzak Moseys On In To The Show

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When I prepare for an interview with a musician, it's mostly based on their music that I craft the questions. I want to know where the ideas for the stories came from. I want to know how they crafted the song, where the melody came from. Then I start to dig. I need to know their influences, musical and otherwise. 

This is when it gets fun. 

Tell me where you grew up. What was the first music that caught your attention? Who in your life do you credit with turning you on to the music that helped define your own journey? 

Once in a blue moon do I interview someone I've only met a few times but feel a quick kinship with.

Mitch Polzak is one of these people. I've seen Mitch play at the Ivy Room in Albany a few times, and once on his home court in Port Costa, where he once was mayor. 

Mitch will look you right in the eyes when he's playing, and you know he's playing just for you. And he is! He told me this himself last Monday when he was my guest. I told him that he had to guest DJ with me, and he did not disappoint! He brought 33 LPs along with him and everything that aired on Monday night was his choosing, except for my opening set and the single Mitch Polzak tune that I pulled out, and it's thanks to his delightful partner, Amanda, that "Sugrarfoot Rag" was chosen.

We caught each other saying "you too?!?!" a lot during the show, and a lot of laughter throughout. The

music ranges from delta blues, bluegrass, folk, Bakersfield Country, train songs, trucker songs, and honky tonk. 

What a magnificent night this was. 

I hope you take the time to listen into the music and enjoy our banter. Better yet, please take yourself and a loved one out to see Mitch perform live. You'll find Mitch was looking for you all along.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

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

Follow me on Blue Sky
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Honky Tonk Blues: Hank Williams
Wham Bam: Buck Owens
It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels: Kitty Wells
Cannon Ball: Merle Travis

Watch My Fingers: Lightning Hopkins
Cumberland Gap: Flatt and Scruggs
Ballad of 40 Dollars: Tom T Hall
Road Runner: Blackie Forestier

Sugarfoot Rag: Mitch Polzak
Sad Hour: Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown
Randall Collins: Norman Blake
The Longer You Wait: Merle Haggard

Let The Good Times Roll: Buck Owens
Nitro Express: Redd Simpson
Bucking Mule (Piano): Uncle John Patterson
Tombstone Every Mile: Dick Curless
Caffein, Nicotine, Benzedrine: Gary Stewart
For A Few Dollars More: Ennio Morricone

Cause of it All: Howlin' Wolf
I Got Love If You Want It: Slim Harpo
Fire On The Strings: Joe Maphis
Stone Walls and Steel Bars: Jimmy Martin and Ralph Stanley

This Time: Waylon Jennings
Rain: Charlie Feathers
Alabama Jubilee: Roy Clark

Graystone Chapel: Johnny Cash