Hell's Kitchen Radio #407: There Is Power In The Union

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This heat is just too much. Plague, fires, and now the heat? What the hell is this about?!?!?! If I believed in God I would think that it's just one huge cosmic joke. And by Wednesday the sky was the color of blood. Where are the frogs?

I wanted to host my annual labor day show, and I was thinking that now with so many office workers working from home, what are they going to do with all of those empty office buildings, like the Salesforce lingham that penetrates the San Francisco sky? I wonder how many homeless people it could house?

And what about all those frontline workers in the grocery stores? Now that we have the world's richest douchebag, Jeff Bezos owning Whole Paycheck, don't you think he can afford to pay them a living wage? I mean, thanks for the banner hanging on the store front telling us how much you care for your workers, but seriously dude, put your money where your mouth is.

And so goes this show. I mix some Labor Day-themed tunes in with few other treats to keep your toes tapping.

Just take a listen to the first daughter, Tiffany Trump (the one Heir Donny-britches forgot he had) singing her autotuned heart out on the dance number "Like A Bird". And then there's our former Attorney General, John Ashcroft, who lost his Missouri governor's bid to a dead guy. True story. He sings a live version of "Let Eagles Soar". To his credit, he didn't need autotune. Watch out Tiffany.

There's some new music from legendary punk vocalist, Alice Bag; something new from the latest acoustic King Buzzo/Trevor Dunn release; new from Japanese power trio Boris, and a whole heap of music that I'm excited to share with you.

I have come to the realization that I have a lot of music. More than I really know what to do with. I guess this is why I host a radio show. I may need two more hours a week though. I'm just getting warmed up after two.

See you this Monday night, 8-10PM (PDST), where I'll be paying tribute to the late, great Toots Hibbert, of Toots and the Maytals, who passed away Saturday, September 11, 2020, from complications with COVID-19. RIP Toots and thanks for the musical memories.

Enjoy,

jh

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

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Take This Job And Shove It: Johnny Paycheck
TV-Glotzer: Nina Hagen
Let Eagles Soar: Attorney General John Ashcroft

Career Opportunities: The Clash
Fried Grease: Greyboy Allstars ft. Fred Wesley
Fire In The Hole: General Patton vs The X-Ecutioners
Old Mary: Dead Weather
I Am A Union Woman: Rosalie Sorrels
Get Back In Line: The Kinks

Gate Crasher: Alice Bag
Like A Bird: Tiffany Trump
Wild Mountain: Itchy-O
San Francisco Bay Blues: Jesse Fuller

I'm Glad I Could Help Out: King Buzzo and Trevor Dunn
Kolbasti: Altin Gün
Rope Burn: Damaged Bug
All Out of Catastrophes: Marissa Nadler

There Is Power In The Union: Utah Phillips
Loveless: Boris
Indian Summer: The Doors
Rolling Thunder/Shoshone Invocation: Mickey Hart

Ace of Spades: Link Wray
Woodstock: Joni Mitchell
Gonna Die With A Hammer In My Hand: The Williamson Brothers and Curry
Working Class Hero: John Lennon

More Than A Paycheck: Sweet Honey In The Rock
Get Behind The Mule: Tom Waits
Mean Old Frisco: John Hammond

Work Song: Nina Simone
What A Wonderful World: Louis Armstrong.

Hell's Kitchen Radio #318: It's Much Too Much

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Is he or isn't he? Apparently he is. Dang. I saw Tom Petty three times in the late 80s and early 90s, including the very first Bridge School benefit in 1986, which is the only one I attended. I also was able to see him with Lenny Kravitz opening (the Let Love Rule tour). Petty always put on such a great show. I gave up going to shows in large venues many years ago, but I always felt that I seeing Petty again would be fun, regardless of the size of the venue.

There are few artists I would see in a large venue today. I would see Neil Young in a large venue if Crazy Horse was backing him. Other than that I prefer a venue ranging from a size 50-1500 people. The more intimate the better.

Speaking of an intimate setting, my bride took me to see Oh Sees (no more "Thee") last week at the Great American Music Hall. Not only was it a brilliant show, it was without a doubt, the loudest show I have ever been to. Even guitarist/lead singer John Dwyer was heard to ask if that show wasn't louder than the previous night's? I'm seeing them again in December at The Chapel. Get your tickets before they sell out.
best venue in SF:

Last night I was lucky enough to catch what has been marked as the "Last Polka" of the great SF punk-polka band, Polkacide, at Bottom of the Hill. After 30+ years they're hanging up their lederhosen. I spent a good 30 minutes in the polkapit. and boy did I feel it. The four original members are grandparent age now, and I'm guessing that having 10 people in the band makes it difficult to make the scene too often. I'm hoping for an annual reunion at the very least.

On a completely unrelated note, my bride Catherine gave birth to our little boy, Bodhi Miles Hell this past Thursday! We couldn't be more excited about this fella coming into our lives. I'll be taking a few weeks off from my show so I can be home with the little fella, fitting him with black t-shirts and guitar picks, and singing to him my favorite Melvis and Grateful Dead tunes. I can't wait to have him and Little Lauson Hell both in the studio with me in the years to come.

Check out the playlist below. There's a live Tom Petty tribute, new music from Ty Segall and Oh Sees, as well as Boris. Lots of great live treats in there as well.

Enjoy.

jh

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

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Porno: Limbomaniacs
Pan: Ty Segall

Plastic Plant: Thee Oh Sees (September 28, 2017 Great American Music Hall, SF, CA)
Jack the Ripper: Link Wray

Young, Gifted and Black: Aretha Franklin
Radebe: Johnny Dyani
Dead Flowers: Townes Van Zandt
Rise Up With Fists: Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins

American Girl: Tom Petty (April 23, 1977 The Record Plant, Sausalito, CA)
Even the Losers/The Waiting/So You Want To Be A Rock and Roll Star: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Bob Dylan (June 26, 1986 HHH Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN)
Something in the Air: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Keys to the Castle: Thee Oh Sees
Dystopia-Vanishing Point: Boris

Ride Into the Sun: The Velvet Underground
My Favorite Things: John Coltrane (October 26, 1963 Tivoli Koncertsal, Copenhagen)

I Loved Another Woman: Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac (June 9, 1968, Carousel Ballroom, SF, CA)

When Prince died I shared this video everywhere. Now that Petty has left us I think it bares reposting.

Hell's Kitchen #200: Give Myself A Pat On The Back

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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!

See you on the radio!

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

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I'll Ze: The J.B.'s
Jakey: Big John Patton

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

Rain King: Sonic Youth

Hell's Kitchen #198: 1974 ANNUAL ANNUAL

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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.

1971
1972
1973

NEXT MONDAY NIGHT, DECEMBER 8 IS MY BEST OF 2014!!!

This was a great show. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed bringing it to you. See you next week.

Enjoy.

jh

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

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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

Baby's On Fire: Eno/Cale

A Season in Hell #109: John Hell Wins the Pennant!

I'm 3-0 in broadcasting when the Giants win something big! Yay me! And yay to the San Francisco Giants for sweeping the highly favored (for some unknown reason) Detroit Tigers.

I just got back from a great weekend in Portland, Oregon. This town is like San Francisco North, but the people are all really friendly...and white. Where are all the people of color at? I mean really, this is one white town.

I was also expecting a lot more Portlandia-like experiences. I was a bit disappointed. Where the quirkiness? Where are Fred and Carrie? I did drink my fair share of local beers though. So tasty. I recommend you hit up Bailey's Tap Room. They have 20 of the finest west coast micro-breweries on tap. That was a joyous night, I tell you.

We also spent quite a few hours at the nations largest independently owned book sore, Powell's. It's  city block large. DAMN! So many books. It heavenly and a bit overwhelming at the same time.

Being a music junkie I had to hit up the local record stores. I was happy to find Jackpot records and there ever so fine collection of new and used vinyl. I can buy pretty much everything I've ever wanted at Aquarius and Amoeba. The great thing about visiting music towns is the opportunity to find local music that I cannot find at home. My trip was fortuitous. I found this ripping LP from a Portland band, Wizard Rifle. Damn, they are loud. LOVE IT! I played them tonight, so be listening for them. I also found a double 10" of a 2012 Ty Segall Band release, "Slaughterhouse", which I've never heard of, nor seen. Thanks Portland, and thanks to Jackpot Records, a local Portland record label and store.

And the rain. Did I mention the rain? It rained a lot. A lot. Really, a lot.

I played a few songs in tribute to Hurricane Sandy, because I could. I did not play anything in the memory of a longtime friend and collaborator, Paul Addis, who chose to take his life last Saturday night by jumping in front of a BART train in SF. I'll save that for when I have my head better wrapped around it.

If you would care to stream this championship broadcast, click here.
If you dare to download this MVP performance, click here.
If you choose to do the right thing and listen to every one of these masterful recordings, then click here, or scroll down.

Enjoy

jh

Do It: Rollins Band
Lonesome Train: Robert Gordon w/Link Wray
Stormy Weather: Jimmy Luxury

???: The Hooded Fang
Rebel Without a Pause: Public Enemy
General Hospital/Blue Flowers: Dr. Octogon

Diddy Wha: Ty Segall Band
Save Yourself: Hemi
Let's Get Funky: Jack O'Fire

Tears Won't Soften Steel: Wizard Rifle
Akuma No Kuma: Boris and Sunn)))
White Light/White Heat: Lou Reed

Shame Shame Shame: Bryan Ferry
Soul Rebel: Bob Marley
Water No Get Enemy: Fela Kuti

Down, Down, Down: Tom Waits
Desert Blues: Leon Redbone
The Fat Lady of Limbourg: Brian Eno

Hey Hey My My: Neil Young and Crazy Horse (Hollywood Bowl 10-17-12)
Stormy Monday: Allman Brothers Band (Fillmore East, February, 1971) - Going out to our friends and family surviving the ravages of Hurricane Sandy and the Frankenstorm!