Tune into Hell's Kitchen Radio, with John Hell, every Monday night 8-10PM (Pacific), on Radio Valencia (https://radiovalencia.fm) in San Francisco. You can find my playlists and links to the podcasts right here.
Stream HellKatt's Radio Magnificence, HERE! Download HellKatt's Holiday Ho-Down, HERE! Listen into all my shows here, or just scroll down Subscribe to my show, via
My daughter, HellKatt is in the studio with me tonight.
Oh joy of JOYS, my 10 year old daughter, HellKatt joined me in the studio tonight. This is her third visit to the Radio Valencia studios, and quite possibly her best yet! She chose much of the playlist for the show, and yes, it's a bit more mainstream than usual, but so what? I was thinking about this on the ride over with her, and I'll put it to you the way I put it to her: music tastes are like food tastes: when you're young you have very limited desires when it comes to the food you are willing to consume. The same can be said of music. No wonder so many kids LOVE The Beatles! They're easy to consume, like milk chocolate.
But when you grow older your tastes change too. And change they should! Who the heck only wants milk chocolate? I want dark chocolate with salted caramel, dammit!
HellKatt's tastes have always been more complex then many people her own age. Her first solid food was avocado. And at the age of three she was eating entire green onion stalks, from tip to root! No lie. She also prefers milk chocolate.
So it comes as no surprise that she enjoys Alice Cooper almost as much as she loves Paul McCartney...and The Simpsons. I placed a "HK" next to all the songs that she chose. You may be surprised.
What a great night! I hope you enjoy the music, and the banter as much as we did.
If you want to check out the other two shows that the Daughter of John Hell co-hosted with me, follow these two links, here and here.
Lauson is also an amazing (I'm not biased or anything) filmmaker. Check out this stop-motion film she made, here.
Time to fight it out - Stream it HERE! Rock out with your download out - HERE! Listen to all my shows by going HERE! Links to all previous ROCK FIGHTS are below! Subscribe to my shows via iTunes
Too much has been written in the annals of mythology about the many Rock Fights which came before, but no one could have prepared any of us for what was about to come on this holiest of holy Rock Fight nights.
Each hour progresses with guests, amazing live tracks, and brilliant banter that will leave you in stitches, and quite possibly paralyzed from the neck down.
John and Ron are in fine form for much of the evening (I repeat MUCH of the evening), the guest interviews are a perfect addition to what is already an institution in radio land. The music selections, mostly focused on Rock, also feature a Black Metal set, and a wonderful Blues set; taking us from the roots of Rock to wear Rock has certainly come.
In the second hour author Linda Kelly joined us at to talk about the upcoming release of the new edition of her 1995 Grateful Dead-themed book: "Deadheads", just in time for the 50th anniversary of my favorite band.
Sound Engineer John Karr joins us in the third hour to talk about all the many bands he's worked with over the years. John has worked regularly as an engineer in many recording studios around San Francisco, and has worked the sound board at pretty much every club in San Francisco for over 20 years. He's got great stories and has brought along excellent, stellar live recordings from shows where he is manning the board.
Metallica fanzine editor Steffan Chirazi joins us for the fourth hour to play us BLACK (metal) Christmas. You know, an anti-christ/mas thing. All Black Metal, with some road stories. Great road stories. Steff is always ready with some of the best stories from the road. He's been doing it for over 25 years so he knows his stuff.
We're doing a blues set the fifth hour. It makes sense. All live versions you've never heard before. Eric McFadden called in this hour. He's in Albuquerque, New Mexico right now, and shared his history of listening to live music, and his own memories of his favorite bands growing up.
Play the game "Where is Ron". Where oh where could he be throughout the program? Is he on Mic? Is he lost in the mission? How many songs did Ron actually play on Rock Fight 14? Tune in and play along with rest of us.
Finally we close the show the way we opened the show: with a tribute to the late great Joe Cocker. Joe died on Monday at the age of 70 years old. Anyone who's listened my show over the years knows that I am huge fan of Joe Cocker, he's always been an absolute inspiration to my growth as a music fan. The Mad Dogs Englishmen Tour from 1970 is by far the greatest series of shows that I have ever heard in my long tenure of collecting live music. It is my dream and aspiration to one day front of band in much the same manner as Joe Cocker did with that tour. It's an understatement to say that you will be missed, Joe. RIP to a man who taught me more about music than most people I have ever known, personally.
Enjoy.
jh
PS: It would appear this is actually Rock Fight 13. This is what I get for not going back and actually looking at the most recent show we did. HA!
Hour one:
Something: Joe Cocker (San Francisco, April 26, 1970) - JH
Kick Out The Jams: MC5 (01-01-70 Saginaw, MI) - JH
Guns of Brixton: The Clash (Akron, OH 08-17-82) - JH
Jailhouse Rock/Don't Be Cruel: Elvis Presley (Las Vegas 1969)
Cafe Latte: Limbomaniacs (iBeam - SF 09-01-90)
John The Fisherman: Primus (Haight Street Fair 06-10-90) -JH
Feeling Alright: Joe Cocker (10-19-69 Fillmore West, SF, CA) -JH
Sin City: AC/DC (Oakland, CA 07-21-79) - RD
Hour two:
Songs Remains the Same/Rain Song: Led Zeppelin (01-07-73 - Oxford, England) - JH
Closet Queen: James Gang (07-15-71 Frisa, Holland) - JH
Summertime Blues: Joan Jett (Firemen's Memorial Park, Hempsted NJ, Aug. 8, 1981) - JH
Love Gun: Kiss (Selland Arena, Fresno, California November 27, 1979) - JH
Youth of America: The Melvins (Capitol Theater, Olympia, WA March 9, 2004) - JH
Interview with Linda Kelly
Hour three:
China Cat Sunflower - I Know You Rider: Grateful Dead (Assembly Hall, Umiversity of Illinois,
Champaign-Urbana, IL 73-02-21)
Interview with John Karr - John brought a bunch of recording he made while doing live sound for these bands. He's not certain of the song titles or exact dates. We'll forgive him this one time.
Death Cab For Cutie: Bottom of the Hill, SF, CA 1999
Fucking Champs, Bottom of the Hill, SF, CA 09-13-2000
Rumah Sakit: Bottom of the Hill, SF, CA 03-04-2000
Cosmic Slop: P-Funk, Yoshi's SF, CA 2012
Mastadon, Justice League, SF, CA 2001?
Mirv, Great American Music Hall, SF, CA 12-28-2002
Hour four:
Mermen SF, CA
Interview with Steffan Chirazi
Black Metal Special
In Nomine Satanas/Black Metal: Venom
Gorgorath: Wacken Metal Fest 2012
Confessional Rape: Diecide
Hour five:
Necrolust: Mayhem
Ground: Celtic Frost
Blues set:
Shotgun Blues: Blues Brother (12-31-78 Winterland, SF, CA)
Boom Boom: John Lee Hooker (03-30-85 The Stone, SF, CA)
In Memory of Elizabeth Reed: Allman Brothers Band (07-03-70 Atlanta Pop Fest, Byron, GA)
Blues at Sunrise: Stevie Ray Vaughn and Albert King 12-06-83 CHCN Studios, Hamilton, ON
Interview with Eric McFadden
Hour six:
D's Diner: Eric McFadden, Les Claypool, Paulo Baldi (2007 The Independent, SF, CA)
I'm A Howlin' Wolf: Muddy Waters (11-04-76 Blues & Jazz Festival Geneva, Switzerland)
Trouble No More: Junior Wells and Buddy Guy 12-03-85 Dingwalls, London, England
Waiting For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago: ZZ Top (04-19-80 Grugahalle, Essen, Germany)
I'm Waiting For The Man: Lou Reed (12-26-72 KLIR, Hempstead, NY)
Redondo Beach: Patti Smith (01-30-76 The Roxy, LA, CA)
The Letter: Joe Cocker and The Grease Band (10-19-69 Fillmore West, SF, CA)
Listen to all of my shows here, or just scroll down.
If I've said it once, I've said it a million times: radio is an art form. It's the art of the segue. It's knowing what song to play next to another. I've been at this game for over 25 years, and I still surprise myself from time to time. Tonight was just special moment after another, when I get to remind myself why I love radio so damn much.
Sometimes I'm guilty of playing a preferred artist a bit too much from week to week (see Melvins, Ty Segall), but hey, what can I say, if they made crappy music then I wouldn't play them so often. As for tonight, I went a little deeper into my vault for some artists who haven't come out to play in many a blue moon. We've got your holiday tunes, a few requests, some Americana, garage, proto-punk, and jazz-funk.
There's something for the whole family to enjoy.
jh
Next Monday night, December 22, from 6-midnight, it's
ROCK FIGHT 14!!!
Ron Donovan and I take over the "airwaves" for six rockin' hours full of blitzkrieg and bop! Ron and I have the nations largest combined collection of live bootleg material, and twice a year we love to share it with you.
We have GUESTS as well, including Steffan Chirazi, the official Metallica fanzine writer/editor for "So What"; John Karr, local sound engineer; bands, and malcontents-a-plenty!
We may even have some special surprise guests and giveaways for you too!
Merry Christmas From The Family: Robert Earl Keen
Late at Night: The Iguanas
Merry Christmas Baby: Otis Redding
We Three Kings: Reverend Horton Heat
Blue Moon Waltz: Jimmy Dale Gilmore
Every Grain of Sand: Emmylou Harris
On The Inside: Eric McFadden
Let's Get Funky: Jack O'Fire
I'm In Your Mind: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
Steps: Meatbodies
Music For A Film 1: Ty Segall
I Don't Give a Fuck Where the Eagles Fly: Moistboyz
CCTV: OBN IIIs
Lonesome Train: Robert Gordon with Link Wray
Shake It Off Parody: Six13
The Next Big Thing: The Dictators
Shut Up And Dance: Pearl Harbor and the Explosions
Shitload of Kissin': New Duncan Imperials
Now I Want to Sniff Some Glue: The Ramones
Who Says?: Richard Hell and the Voidoids
Hey Little Girl: Dead Boys
Prove It: Television
Sinatra Mantra: The Victims Family
This here Best of 2014 show can be streamed right here.
Perhaps downloading the Best of 2014 is BEST for you.
You know, you can listen to all of my shows by going here.
How is it that another year has passed us by? I think there needs to be a study about time, and how it's relative to each individual as they age. Has this been done already? No? Someone really needs to get on this. We need a real Einstein to help us out. I have a theory that as we get older, time goes by faster, mostly because we have too many bills to pay. I could be wrong, but if I had no bills to pay, then time would really slow down.
But I digress.
2014 had a lot of great new music. The garage resurgence peaked my interest, as did the abundance of quality singer-songwriter material and metal in its many variations. I play a little of it all tonight in my BEST OF 2014 show!
Take a look at the playlist below, then get streaming...or downloading...or whatever it is you do to listen to my show.
Tune in Monday, December 22, from 6-midnight for ROCK FIGHT 14!!! Ron Donovan joins me once again for a six hour live bootleg SMACKDOWN of EPIC PROPORTIONS!!! Ron and I have the largest combined live bootleg collection (self-proclaimed) west of East Rutherford, NJ. We play live music, insult each other, and have lots of live guests. We should have prizes too. Who will win? Who knows (me). Tune in and help us decide (that it's me).
Tune into all of my history-making shows, by going here.
Once again John Hell mixes up the musical stew by taking you back to a magical year in musical lore: 1974. It's time for my fourth annual "ANNUAL ANNUAL"! 1974 had a little bit of everything: proto-punk, glam-rock, shoe-gaze, funk, soul, avant-jazz, country, western, country-western, and the beginnings of prog-rock. I've got a taste of it all in the next two hours.
I've thrown in some commercials and movie trailers from the era too. Who knew 1974 was so damn cool? Where were you in 1974? I was four years old by years' end. I was living in Toledo, Ohio with my parents and two older sisters. My dad would play a lot of jazz and blues, while my sisters, who were 10 and 12 at the time, were playing mostly Monkeys and Beatles tunes. My mother was into Helen Reddy. Crazy times. My biggest memories of that time had to do with the snow making it difficult for my father to drive to work in the winter.
If I were an adult in 1974 it would have been totally different. It would have been all about getting my ass up to Detroit, Cleveland, and New York City to catch some amazing sounds. I probably would have been spending a lot of time at CBGBs and Max's Kansas City.
Want to hear previous ANNUAL ANNUAL shows? Just follow the links below.
Rumble: Link Wray
Earache My Eye: Alice Bowie
Hey Joe: Patti Smith
Sweet Jane: Lou Reed
Devil Gate Drive: Suzi Quatro
***Texas Chainsaw Massacre***
Back of a Car: Big Star
Chatterbox: New York Dolls
***Burger King Commercial***
100,000 Years: Kiss
Rock On: David Essex
Don't Eat the Yellow Snow/Nanook Rubs It/St. Alfonso/Father O'Blivion: Frank Zappa
Be Thankful For What You've Got: William DeVaughn
The Bottle: Gil Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson
Don't Call Her No Tramp: Betty Davis
***Blazing Saddles Trailer***
Kung Fu: Curtis Mayfield
Rated X: Miles Davis
Loose Lucy: Grateful Dead
Revolution Blues: Neil Young
Diamonds on my Windshield: Tom Waits
Rebel Music (3 O'clock Roadblock): Bob Marley and the Wailers
Don't Go Near the Water: Johnny Cash
Heaven or Hell: Waylon Jennings
Angel From Montgomery: Bonnie Raitt
Boots/Numb Erone: The Residents
Mitternacht: Kraftwerk
Are you smelling what Hell's cooking? Stream this show. Download homemade stew of culinary delight, here. Or perhaps you wish to listen to all of my shows? Good choice. Go HERE!
For the longest time I've been considering a name change for my show. I think my show has been called "A Season in Hell" for about 10 years. It's a good name. It's done me good. No complaints, but I just think it's played out. I've put a lot of thought into changing it. It needs to convey the myriad of sounds that emerge from my show every week. I always think of my show as something like a stew: lots of tastes, simmering together in the pot for two hours, waiting to be consumed by a hungry table, of impatient toddlers. So tonight, I unveil a rebirth of sorts, a show name which conveys the depth of the many tastes my show offers week after delicious week. I hope you enjoy it too.
I give you Hell's Kitchen, with John Hell
Eric McFadden joined me during the second hour in the studio. His fabulous lady, Super D was along for the ride. Eric will be playing at the Starry Plough in Berkeley this Saturday night, for his birthday. Come on down and rock out!
We talked about the true meaning of "TV Eye", and the many, many names for the Golden Triangle. There's lots of great new music, some classics, and some music that's new to you.
Be friendly and stream this show. Download an aural friendship bracelet...er, show, here. Or perhaps you wish to listen to all of my shows? Good choice. Go HERE!
One of my closest compatriots, Eric Wilcox is in the studio with me tonight. Eric and I have taught together for the past eleven years, and go to a lot of Melvins shows together. Most of our lunch breaks are spent not talking about school, but talking about he new record we just purchased.
Like myself, Eric shares a wide spectrum of musical tastes. Tonight on the show we run the gamut. There's metal, there's rocksteady, just look at the playlist below. The banter is pretty funny too. You should just listen to the whole show and enjoy the hell out of it.
By the Time I Get to Arizona: Public Enemy vs. Tijuana Brass
Pink: Boris and Merzbow
Common People: Leonard Nimoy
A Chronology for Survival: Neurosis
Brazil: Frank Sinatra
Flesh: Ken Nordine
Primitive: The Cramps
Repo Man: Iggy Pop
Welcome to the Dust War: Fear
Rags and Bones: Nomeansno
Piss Pisstopherson: The Melvins
Rock Steady Train: Evan and Jerry with Carib Beats
Give Me Loving: The Black Brothers
Bye Bye Bye: Clarendonians
Throw Me Corn: Larry and Alvin
Jamaican Farewell: Three Stoned Men
Broken Vows: Pentagram
Frazetta: Wizard Rifle
By Sanity Denied: Hot Fog
Hate Worldwide: Slayer
Blazer: Zig Zags
Where Dead Angels Lie: Dissection
Coup de Grace: Motorhead
Love Canal: Flipper
Get loud and stream this ROCK show. Download this bucket if joyous aural pleasures here. Or perhaps you wish to listen to all of my shows? Good choice. Go HERE!
Another one of those nights where I have no guests, so the objective is how can I take a two hour empty canvas and paint and aural picture that will leave the listener in awe of what is and what can be? I think I did a pretty good job. You be the judge.
My first set of features Swedish sister duo First Aid Kit, whom I'm going to see live Thursday night at the Fox theater in Oakland. My wife is very excited about the show. My third set features some rocksteady along with a rare Lee Perry release from 1976. There is a new Pink Floyd record out, so I've decided to play some Pink Floyd, Except it's not what you think it is. Because really, who wants to hear new Pink Floyd?
Monday night is also the 45th anniversary of the release of Live Dead by the Grateful Dead. Instead of playing something off of that record, I've decided to play something from one of the shows featured on that record.
My second to last set of the evening was by far my favorite, because it features some bands that I've really been into lately, In the punk/garage rock genre: Meatbodies (whom I'm seeing this Saturday night at Bottom of the Hill), Fuzz (Ty Segall's louder than normal side project), and OBNIIIs from Austin, who will be playing Brick and Mortar the day after Thanksgiving. See you there.
I close out the show with a bluesy/psychobilly/psychedelic set.
There is a good mix of new music music that's new to you. Check out the set list below, And enjoy.
Let art be your guide and stream this show. Download this exhibition into your portfolio here. Or perhaps you wish to listen to all of my shows? Good choice. Go HERE!
It's rare that I have two guests in one night but tonight that's what it's all about. Long time listeners of my show know that I always enjoy supporting local artists, So tonight two local artists! In the first hour Julie Anderson of Altered Barbie is back once again to talk about the all Barbie exhibition happening at Shotwell 50 Gallery located at of all places 50 Shotwell in the Mission. If you haven't seen this you're really missing out. Just picture it, hundreds of Barbie dolls all altered for your perverse delight. It's truly a wonder of nature. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday noon to 7 PM, And Sundays noon to 5 PM. There is a poetry reading Thursday night and the closing gala is a week from Saturday, November 15th. Click on the link for more details.
Many of you may be aware that I used to MC Power Tool Drag Races at Ace Junkyard here in San Francisco. What you may not be aware of is that the landlord pulled the rug out from under Bill "The Junkman" Kennedy and closed the junkyard a few short years ago. Bill was a long time facilitator of the underground art scene here in the city, and Ace was the prime location for artists such as SRL, Life-Size Mouse Trap, Cyclecide, Seemen, and other metal obscurists to obtain those hard-to-find pieces which made their creations come to life. In the studio tonight filmmaker Yasi Mak talking about her documentary: Ace in the Hole, about Ace Junkyard and Bill "The Junkman" Kennedy. Bill is in the studio as well, telling great stories about his years at Ace. There is a Kickstarter campaign that ends today at 3PM to raise money to support the film. Please consider donating.
Channel Zero: Public Enemy
Wild and Free: Curtis Mayfield
Interview with Julie Anderson of Altered Barbie
Since You've Been Gone: James Brown
Interview with Julie Anderson of Altered Barbie
Lesson One: Stone Cold Boners
By Any Means Necessary: Steinski
The Art of Getting Jumped: Steinski
Watermelon Man: Herbie Hancock
Sunflower: East New York Ensemble de Music
Interview with Yasi Mak and Bill "The Junkman" Kennedy
Darkest Light: Lafayette Afro-Rock Band
Hands of Time: Perfect Circle
Rastaman Chant/Conquering Lion: Bob Marley (April 30, 1976 - Beacon Theater, NYC)
Feeling Alright: Joe Cocker (October 19, 1969 - Fillmore West, SF, CA)
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry: Leon Russell (February 5, 1971 - Baarn, The Netherlands)
Listen into all my shows here! Subscribe to my show, via
Crap, I did it again. Or I didn't do it again. Right. I didn't. Dang. Here I sit in March 2022 taking a look back at a show I did in October 2014 trying to figure out something witty to say to you about this here show, and all I can offer is...dang. At lease the playlist looks fun!
Enjoy.
jh
Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
They Call it Stormy Monday (live): John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
Theme From An Imaginary Western: Jack Bruce
Apostrophe': Frank Zappa
Politician: Cream
Africa: Sun Ra
Onions Make the Milk Taste Bad: The Melvins
March of the Lor: The Sword
Red Bath: Boss Hog
Runnin' On Fumes: Obniii's
White Light/White Heat: Lou Reed
Like and Hurricane: Roxy Music
Heaven Knows: First Aid Kit
(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction: Manfred Mann
Tobacco Road: War with Eric Burdon
Not Fade Away/Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad: Grateful Dead (October 18, 1974 Winterland Ballroom, SF, CA)
By The Time I Get To Arizona: Public Enemy vs Herb Alpert
Front My Cock: Prince vs. The Who
I Left My Heart In San Francisco: Tony Bennett
Happy Boy: Beat Farmers
Stream this hellishness, HERE! Download your destiny, HERE! Listen into all my shows here, or just scroll down
Baron Scott Levkoff makes his second appearance on A Season in Hell, talking up his Spooktacular upcoming show: Mr. Nobody's Spookeasy.
If there is one holiday show to see, it's this one. I'm not kidding, this guy has put in way too much of his life into this performance, and it pays off in spades. Spooky, thrilling, spades!
Great Green Gobs of Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts: Penn Jillette
King Sandbox: Mudhoney
The House on the Hill: The Mummies
Ain't Talkin' About Love: Minutemen
Interview with Baron Scott Levkoff
Powerhouse: Raymond Scott
Interview with Baron Scott Levkoff
There They Go Go Go: Carl Stalling
Salt Peanuts: Charlie Parker
Interview with Baron Scott Levkoff
And The Address: Deep Purple
Lost in My World: Dug Dugs
Beijo Exagerado/Todo Mundo Pastou: Os Mutantes
Familj: Dungen
The Bunk Up: The Melvins
Hey: Butthole Surfers
Southern California: Flipper
Police Story: Black Flag
Seasick: Free Kitten
Coup de Grace: Motorhead
Secret Phantasies of the Dragon Sun: Hot Fog
Adhere: Black Monolith
Be my buddy and stream this show on your awesome device! Download this show and I'll be your bestest friend, EVAR! Or perhaps you wish to listen to all of my shows? Good choice. Go HERE!
...so sayeth the lord...or something like that.
A show with no guests, is like going on a long ride with your best friend. Best friend being you. Aw shucks. We like the same movies. We like the same bands. We both like long walks on the beach, and pina colada's, and getting tossed like a salad.
Some new artists to start the night, and fine mix of genres throughout the set. Something for every one of my dear, close friends.
You're going to want to stream this live band into your soul. Trust me, download this band onto some device...NOW! Or perhaps you wish to listen to all of my shows? Good choice. Go HERE!
I absolutely love interviewing bands. I've been interviewing band since my earliest days and radio in the late 1980s. And tonight I was most honored to have not only a super talented and original band, but a very entertaining and vocal interview as well. Royal Jelly Jive joined me in the studio, to talk up their new self-titled release as well as the record release party that just passed.
This six piece gypsy jazz, soul influenced menagerie, With solid and sultry female vocals, and horns to boot, Royal Jelly Jive are a sextet to watch out for. See them soon and a small venue, because it won't take long before they are hitting the big time.
The rest of the program highlighted some Hardly Strictly Bluegrass artists, some Bay Area soul/funk/punk from the 90s, and some classic hip-hop and rap, along with a few fun covers to boot.
Take charge and be large, in the land of the lost.
H.M.S. Soulbay: Royal Jelly Jive
Indian George: Royal Jelly Jive
Dream Like A Child: Royal Jelly Jive
Come On Over (Turn Me On): Isobel Campbell/Mark Lanegan
Ice Cold Water: Ray Condo
Whiskey Bottle: Uncle Tupelo
Tonight I Think I'm Gonna Go Downtown: Jimmy Dale Gilmore
Lonely Girls: Lucinda Williams
Clementine: Elliot Smith
Chapter 24: Pink Floyd
A Sound of Transition: Julie Andrews?
The Kicking Machine: The Melvins
Here Come the Bastards: Primus
Who Stole the Soul: Public Enemy
Get it Together: Beastie Boys
Valley of the Dolls: Uncle Acid
Bad Girl: New York Dolls
Elevation: Television
Sunshine of your Love: Ella Fitzgerald
Stream yourself to thin, here!
Download brilliance, here!
Listen to all of my motivational tapes, here, or just scroll down.
It's my birthday, so I get to do what I want. And what do I want to do? Well of course, I want to play music for you. I'm getting kind of guy. There are no gifts that I wish to receive any more in my life. Perhaps the gift of music. Always, and forever, It will be music. Music soothes the soul. Music lifts us to the highest high. Music is sexy.
My show is full of so many artists that I love and genres that I enjoy. There's something for everyone. Unless you like house music. There's no house music. So I guess if that's all that you enjoy, house music, then there isn't anything here for you to enjoy. My most humble and gracious apologies.
Birthday: The Beatles
Bales of Cocaine: Reverend Horton Heat
Son of Santa: Mojo Nixon
Mudride: Mudhoney
70s Blues: Betty Davis
Get Up Off Of Me: James Brown
My Automobile: Parliament
I've Been Long To Stop Now: Otis Redding
Drown in my own Tears: Ray Charles
Done Somebody Wrong: Allman Brothers Band
Will Not Be Your Fool: David Bromberg
Tall Man, Skinny Lady: Ty Segall
Matolo: Mario Migliardi
Tommy in 7 Minutes: Various
16 Shells From a Thirty-Ought Six: Tom Waits
Youth of America: Melvins
16 Tons: Tom Jones
Rikbiel: John Zorn's Masada (September 6, 2014 Village Vanguard, NYC)
War/Trouble: Bob Marley (June 24, 1976 Exeter Club, London)
The Weeping Song: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (with Mark Lanegan): July 7, 2014 Warfield Theater, SF, CA
Stream yourself to thin, here!
Download brilliance, here!
Listen to all of my motivational tapes, here, or just scroll down.
Down in Front brought their amazingness (yes, that's a word) into the studio tonight. It was a mutual admiration society show tonight. I can assure you that we kept it clean-ish. They do spank me near the end of the interview though. I earned it, I can tell you that. Their stories are great, and their music is fresh and fun. You really do need to see them live though, to fully appreciate them in their full story-telling glory.
They're playing at Hotel Utah on Tuesday night, for their CD release party. Come on down. I'll be there. It's going to be a great show!
Second hour is mostly new music, and very guitar-driven. I'm sure you'll enjoying rockin' out as much as I did. I gave tickets away to see the Ferocious Few. Too late for you though. I give tickets away most weeks. Tune in and win!
Stream this show for quality interview skills, here. Download this show for a how-to in kick ass DJ skillz. Enjoy all of my shows by scrolling down, or just click here.
It's always a pleasure to host local bands, and this week we have a serious contender for future-massively-awesome-band-of-Amerika award, Everyone is Dirty. Lead singer, Sivan, dropped by to talk up the band, and play us some tunes from their latest release, Dying is Fun.
Second hour is a mix bag, and a whole lot of fun. Take a look at the playlist and click on the links above to stream or download the show.
It's labor day, and I'm laboring for you! Be grateful, dammit!
Enjoy.
jh
A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Get Dub-stylie by streaming this show right here. Download this thick, dripping Dub-stick right here. Listen to all of my eclectic shows by clicking here, or just scroll down.
International artists, and Dub is on the turntables for tonight. Burning Man is a wash, so listen in and get DUB with it.
On Saturday night Radio Valencia broadcast live from Bottom of the Hill, for the annual Strummerville New Music Foundation benefit. So many great and talented musicians performing the music of Joe Strummer and The Clash. You can hear that show by going here. Most impressive was Eric McFadden's performance of Bankrobber, done in dub style. So when I was considering what to play for you tonight, and staring as I often do at my music collection for hours on end, it hit me like a brick that I should be doing a show of Dub for you.
The last half hour of the show reaches out towards other international sounds. This is a great show to either sit back and get truly deep into, or even to have on in the background while you're moving around the house, or taking a seriously deep bong hit. Either way, I think you'll really enjoy what I've created for you tonight.
Take a look at the playlist, And click the links above to stream or download this fabulous show.
Enjoy.
jh
A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Check out all of my shows by going here, or just scroll down.
Sometimes I just need to play a bunch of stuff that I haven't heard in a while. And I also keep buying records, so I have to share those with you too. That's pretty much what you have here: a collection of music that I haven't heard in a while, and new stuff. Some of it's loud, there's some bluegrass thrown in, psychedelia, metal, Americana, gypsy-punk; you name it, it's in there. Some of the segues are priceless. The art of radio at its finest.
Check out all of my shows by going here, or just scroll down.
Happy 4th anniversary to Radio Valencia today!!! It's all about tragi-comedy tonight. And what a day to celebrate. I should be writing about how exciting it is to be celebrating four awesome years, and what is certainly the best "radio" station in San Francisco, and one of the finest in the Bay Area, but this day will be forever connected with the passing of a talent among great talents, Robin Williams.
Instead of waxing poetic about what a great cultural loss, and preaching about the need to open our hearts to those experiencing depression, I'm going to let my show speak for itself. Every set has some live stand up from the late Mr. Williams. I'm sure you'll agree he was a master of his craft, and we won't see another like him in our lifetime.
His passing does remind me of this old "joke" however:
In the year 1806, a well-dressed man in his twenties visited a doctor
who was renowned throughout London for being able to treat what nowadays
we'd call depression, but back then was called melancholia.
The
patient explained that he felt overcome by a terrible sadness, that he
didn't want to get up in the morning. He could not see any point in his
existence.
"With your condition I would normally prescribe a course of my patent
powders," said the doctor, "but it so happens that I have recently come
across something which will alleviate your condition much more quickly.
"You must," he continued, "go to the Covent Garden theatre to see the
pantomime, Harlequin and Mother Goose. This is the happiest thing I have
ever seen performed on a stage, tears of laugher ran down my face. Why,
sir, I can almost guarantee that watching Grimaldi the clown will cure
you completely!"
"Ah, but doctor," said the man sadly, "I am Grimaldi the clown."
It feels as though you said to yourself "I've done all I can do, and it
still isn't enough. When are you people going to start being happy?
Forget it, I'm done.".
Enjoy.
jh
A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Check out all of my shows by going here, or just scroll down.
It's all about 7 inches tonight. 45s people! Traditionally the 45 RPM single was the hallmark of the bands current release. It was the song they wanted to feature. Unless of course you were The Beatles, whose American label: Capitol Records, would take the 14 song LP they released in Europe, take two songs off and release those as singles on their own. Record labels suck!
Over time, bands who only had a few songs to share would press them on 45. There were even ads in the back of magazines in the 1960s and 1970s that would turn you into a recording star. All you had to do was send a cassette of your song to them and they would press it on 45! There are some real winners there. And when I say "winners" I'm sure you realize how subjective that term is.
In my own youth, we had dozens of 45s in the homestead. I relate this story during the second hour of the broadcast. It was New Years 1974 I believe, and my father was late coming home from work. We were living in Toledo, Ohio, my birthplace, and my father owned a small jewelry store, Phillips Jewelers, that also sold trinkets along with fine jewelery. As he was locking up to come home and take my very patient mother out for a New Years celebration, he stopped into the store next to his own, to wish a Happy New Year to the owner of the shop that sold billiard tables, and jukeboxes.
The story goes, the owner asked my dad to come in and have a drink to celebrate the new year. My father obliged. Many drinks, and a few hours later, may father realizes that he's very late, and needs to get home. He also realizes that he better not go home empty handed.
Meanwhile my mother is dressed and ready to go out to celebrate. I'm about 4 years old at the time. My sisters are 10 and 11 years old. I'm certain we had a babysitter there too. My father is late. Very late. Mother is not pleased.
Here comes dad.
Mom opens the door. There stands my father, looking much the worse for wear. He beacons "I bought a BIG record player", and proceeds to fall flat on his face.
My father told his friend to throw a bunch of 45s into a jukebox and follow him home. It was mostly the hits of the day: R&B, Soul, Rock, and many, many Dr. Demento-type favorites, some of which I played on the show tonight.
Whatever happened to that jukebox? It lived in four of our homes, between New Years 74/75 and 1979. It even lived in my bedroom in Greensboro, North Carolina for a year, because that's the only place it would fit. It scared the hell out of me at night; it looked to me like a robot. It was huge.
But I played that thing all of the time. Every record on the machine became my friend. I understood growing up what it meant to be a "hit". Perhaps that's why I've stayed so far away from commercial radio. I think it made me allergic to hit singles! Wow, that's a serious revelation I've just had.
So tonight it's all about the "hits"! How many of these do you recall? There are some real doozies on this playlist. Listen to the podcast. I tell some fun stories, including the one you just read about. Thanks dad, for going out for that drink...or three. I'm sure it really pissed my mother off, but unbeknownst to you, that night had a profound effect upon my life.
Enjoy.
jh
A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
Earache My Eye: Alice Bowie
Mary Mary: Run DMC
Unknown Museum Stomp: Phantom Surfers
I've Been Everywhere: Hank Snow
Why Can't We Live Together: Timmy Thomas
Along Came Jones: The Coasters
People Get Ready: The Chambers Brothers
Can I Get A Witness: Rod Stewart
Ruby Tuesday: The Rolling Stones
I Need You: The Kinks
The Kids Are Alright: The Who
Immigrant Song: Led Zeppelin
Peter Gunn Theme: Art of Noise
Going Back to Cali: LL Cool J
Rise Above: Black Flag
Kick Out The Jams: MC5
You Got It: Mudhoney
Gary Gilmore's Eyes: The Adverts
Major Tom (German): Peter Schilling
Fantastic Voyage: David Bowie
Me and My Arrow: Harry Nilsson
Glad All Over: The Dave Clark Five
Interplanet Janet: Man or Astroman?
Please, Please, Please: James Brown
Rubber Biscuit: Chips
My Ding-a-Ling: Chuck Berry
Shaving Cream: Benny Bill
Fish Heads: Barnes and Barnes
The Curly Shuffle: Jump 'N The Saddle
Lumberjack Song: Monty Python
Smoke Two Joints: The Toyes
17 Days: Prince
Down On The Corner: Creedence Clearwater Revival
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