Hell's Kitchen Radio #570: Sue Carpenter of KBLT

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I really enjoy interviewing people. Maybe that's why I love running a radio station, it allows me to talk to interesting people. It inspires me to hear about the incredible and creative work that people are doing. Honestly, we have no excuses not to get up and make stuff happen.

Tonight I had the pleasure to interview KBLT founder and documentarian Sue Carpenter, and walk down memory lane talking about the legendary LA-based pirate radio station she started until the FCC came knocking and took all her equipment away (I know all too well about this from my days at San Francisco Liberation Radio).

I had to do my best not to shout out "ME TOO" with her stories about the challenges of starting and running a pirate radio station.

From Sue's Indiegogo campaign:

After running a radio station out of her apartment, Sue Carpenter became a full-time journalist, working at the L.A. Times, Spectrum News and KPCC. People who appear in the film include Sue, Brandon Jay (Lutefisk), Jay Babcock (Arthur Magazine), artist Camille Rose Garcia, filmmaker Wing Ko, music industry vets Chris Carey and Miwa Okumura, KBLT engineer Chris Wagganer, writer Carolyn Kellogg and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine.

Did Keith Morris (Circle Jerks) really bring his friends, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to play at KBLT? Yes, that happened.

Sue's journey is well worth your time checking out. She wrote a book about it in 2004, and now she has a documentary she produced and is taking on the film fest rounds, including this Saturday night at the Roxie Theater, which is being co-presented by Radio Valencia

Tickets here:

https://sfdocfest2025.eventive.org/schedule/680bb8af6ef367664b267cfe

Give a a listen to this interview and tell me you aren't inspired to go start your own radio station as the fascists take over.

I'll see you at the show and then in the gulag.

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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Ain't Talkin' 'bout Love: Minutemen
Moral Majority: Circle Jerks
Wasted: Black Flag

Interview with Sue Carpenter of KBLT and "40 Watts from Nowhere"

Lexicon Devil: Germs

Interview with Sue Carpenter

Sisters of the Moon: Death Valley Girls

Hangman: WAND

Evil Gypsy/Soloman's Theme: Sleep

Shining: Ty Segall

The Woodsman: Shannon and the Clams

Fascists Eat Donuts: Pop-O-Pies

Empty Chairs: A/Lpaca

SOL07: Wooden Shjips

La Trippance: Population II

Lucky: Alice Dynamite

Linda Blair '84: Redd Kross

I Hunt You Pray: LA Witch

Pray Till You Sweat: The Flesh Eaters

Hell's Kitchen Radio #569: Not A Natural Man

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Nothing special tonight, just truly amazing music that you must hear and share and devour with ever sense of your being! 

That being said, there's a mix of some truly old and some brand-spankin'-new! This was one of those nights when I have a lot of new music I'm just dying to share with all of you, but there are some ear worms from days gone by that I just need to get out.

New music from LA Witch, Death Valley Girls, and Altin Gun. There's some classic James Brown, Led Zeppelin (and the song they initially ripped off from Memphis Minnie), some Beastie Boys (and a couple originals they "borrowed" their samples from. 

As always, there's something here for practically everyone. Take a look at the playlist below, click on the link above and enjoy.

This coming Monday night I'm excited to interview community radio founder and filmmaker Sue Carpenter, whose new documentary 40 Watts from Nowhere, about her low watt LA community radio station KBLT is showing at the SF Documentary Film Festival, which Radio Valencia is co-presenting. 

Tune in and go see that show!

Enjoy and please share.

jh

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

Follow me on Blue Sky
Follow Radio Valencia on Facebook
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God Don't Work (Like A Natural Man): Scott H Biram
I Like Porn: Melvins

I'm Sick of You: James Williamson (ft. Mario Cuomo)

Dream Dream Big in the Sky: Marisa Nadler

Hot and Nasty: Black Oak Arkansas

Funky Drummer: James Brown

Shadrach: Beastie Boys

When the Levee Breaks: Memphis Mimmie

When the Levee Breaks: Led Zeppelin

Oh So Close, Yet So Far: Shannon and the Clams

Doggod: LA Witch

Girlfriend Is Better: Talking Heads

Leylim Ley: Altin Gun

Wanted Dead or Alive: The Rogues (Kim Fowley comp)

Astrology: Kim Fowley

Sadie Sorceress: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard

Empire: Frankie and the Witch Fingers

Fire and Brimstone: Death Valley Girls

Lay Down Your Weary Head (Bob Dylan): Barbara Manning

Mama Nature Said: Thin Lizzy

Young Man Blues: The Who (London 1971)

Casey Jones: Garcia and Grisman

Congo Call: Prince Lasha Quintet ft. Sonny Simmons

San Francisco Blues: Molly Tuttle with Dan Tyminski

Good Night Sleep Tight: Lawrence Welk 

Hell's Kitchen Radio #568: I Should Not Be Doing That

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Oooh, you really need to listen to this show. Some of my finest segues. Radio truly is the art of the segue. 

That being said, I took much of the first hour celebrating the birth of the Godfather of Soul. (If I have to tell you who that is, we are really going to have a problem here). I can pretty much guarantee you haven't heard these tunes before, unless I played them here on my show...which it's quite possible I have.

Following that opening I've got some sweet treats for you on Cinco de Mayo, including new music from LA Witch, Death Valley Girls, and Amyl and the Sniffers, and oh so many stories to tell.

And where else can you hear MDC followed up with Ella Fitzgerald? Actually I can name a lot of stations that will probably do that for you. I have memories of playing Megadeth and Tony Bennett back-to-back when I was on KFJC.

I also took a moment to pay tribute to Dave Thomas (not that Dave Thomas) of Pere Ubu, who passed away last week. He also was the co-founder of the Cleveland proto-punk band Rocket From the Tombs. They reunited in 2003 for a few local shows. I threw the classic "Sonic Reducer" (also covered by Dead Boys, a few of whom were former Rocket From the Tombs members), but originally recorded by RFtT.

Alright, get to it already. Check out the Set of the Night. 

Enjoy and please share.

jh

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

Follow me on Blue Sky
Follow Radio Valencia on Facebook
Follow Radio Valencia on Instagram

Sex Machine Part 1 and 2: James Brown

Give It Up Or Turn It Loose (remix): James Brown
The Grunt: The JBs ft. Bootsy and Phelps Collins

The Wedge (demo): Bootsy and the JBs
Inner City Blues: Grover Washington Jr.
Polk Salad Annie: Tony Joe White

***Set of the Night***
Icicle: LA Witch
Sisters of the Moon: Death Valley Girls
Your Time Is Gonna Come: Led Zeppelin
Mannish Boy: Muddy Waters

Sugar Man: Sixto Rodriguez (for Rudolpho)
Sun Arises: Rolf Harris
Frisco Beaver: GOAT

The Modern Dance: Pere Ubu
Sonic Reducer: Rocket From the Tombs (June 03, 2003 Cleveland, OH Reunion Show)
Glorious: Polkacide
John Wayne Was A Nazi: MDC
Mack the Knife: Ella Fitzgerald

U Should Not Be Doing That: Amyl and the Sniffers
Earthen Gate: FUZZ

Sail Away: Neil Young
What A Wonderful World: Louis Armstrong