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.
Download the Communion HERE! Listen into all my shows here! Subscribe to my show, via
Fucking A Right! Alcohol. God. Devil. Heaven. Hell. Crossroads. Where do you stand? Sometimes when it hits, it hits hard. The music deviner.
There are times when I'll put in some effort to prepare for a show. I'll think about the artists and songs I want to play, and perhaps even the order I want to play them in. Not tonight. Starting with the second set I had an epiphany of sorts. It took us on a journey. Each set flowing into the next. Honestly, I could have kept this up for another few hours, but alas I only have a two hour canvas in which to paint the aural colors to pleasure your ears and your spirit.
And it's all about the spirit on this night. And spirits!
Next Monday I'm considering hosting an all-covers show. Tune in.
Go in pieces.
jh
Hell's Kitchen Radio with John Hell Mondays 8-10PM Radio Valencia in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
End of the World PSA: National Lampoon
Nowadays A Woman's Gotta Hit A Man: Captain Beefheart
Cuban Pete: Desi Arnez
Alcohol: Gogol Bordello
Alcohol: The Kinks
Alcohol: Butthole Surfers
God's Been Drinking: Bernadette Seacrest and Her Yes Men
God's Away on Business: Tom Waits
God: John Lennon
Wake Up The Sun: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
God God God: Nina Simone
A Message From God: National Lampoon
Monkey Gone To Heaven: Pixies
Satan Dub: Lee "Scratch" Perry
Hell: James Brown
Hellhound On My Trail: Robert Johnson
Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find: 2 Pac
Heaven and Hell: Black Sabbath
Spiritual: John Coltrane
Wizard in Black: Electric Wizard
Worship The Devil: Glitter Wizard
Stream a new beginning, HERE! Download the answer to your prayers, HERE! Listen into all my shows here, or just scroll down
For the new year I thought I would take a time out from new music and delve deep into my music library. I have to admit this was one of my favorite shows to host. Certainly my best of the year. HA! Every week my audience appears to grow. Thanks so much for the support, and please keep tuning in every Monday 8-10PM. Be sure to tell music lovers everywhere!
This year I want to focus on interviewing more bands, so if you're in a band or know someone who is, please contact me and let's make this thing happen. I also want to host a special on the history of West African Funk. There's so much beyond Fela that I really want to share with you. I also plan on bringing back an old favorite which dropped by the wayside: Bootleg Blast! This is where I share my latest live show that I've discovered. This will happen in the second hour so stick around. There's a tasty live treat in this broadcast, actually. Later in the year I'm hoping to also resurrect "Rock Fight", where I host a 4+ hour live bootleg battle. My buddy, and legendary sound engineer John Karr will try to best me. Let's see how far he gets. Look for this show sometime this summer.
Finally, it's time once again for my annual "Run for the Lilies" contest, where you dear listener send me the names of 10 famous people you believe will meet their demise by the end of this calendar year. The only rule: you may not participate in how they meet their maker. Please email your list of 10 names by Sunday, January 29 to mrjohnhell@gmail.com
I'll announce the winner of the "Run for the Lilies 2016" on Monday, January 30th. And what a year that was! I'm expecting our winner to possibly have a record number of names on that list. Oy.
Take a look at the playlist below and then click on the links above to stream or download the podcast.
Let's have an excellent 2017. When everything appears to be falling apart go back to the music and hold your loved ones closer than ever before.
Stream the Tribute, HERE! Download the Memories, HERE! Listen into all my shows here, or just scroll down
Will this madness of 2016 never end.
Guitarist and singer/songwriter Eric McFadden and his Queen delphine joined me in the studio Monday night to pay tribute to two greats of the music world who recently passed on to the great beyond.
While I was never a big fan of the way Leonard Cohen phrased his own tunes, I was a huge fan of the many covers of his classics. I believe I first was turned onto the brilliant songwriting of Mr. Cohen through the Joe CockerMad Dogs and Englishmen version of "Bird on a Wire". I was hooked from that moment on the storytelling and eagerly sought out other covers. Easily my favorite cover of his was "Hallelujah" by the late, great Jeff Buckley. "I'm Your Fan" is a great tribute record to Cohen, which was released in 1991, featuring REM, Nick Cave, The Pixies, and John Cale. Check it out!
Leonard Cohen died November 7th of cancer at the age of 82. I appreciate that he was buried in a simple Jewish ceremony next to his parents in Montreal.
The piano player on the Mad Dogs record was none other than my other featured player for the night: Leon Russell. Russell's stride piano playing and exaggerated vocal style helped him stand out from others during his high profile era of the 1970s. Starting with the Mad Dogs record I spent many hours enjoying his early 70s solo efforts. Though he wasn't as often covered as much as Cohen, Russell made a profound impact on many songwriters that followed him. His birthplace, Tulsa, Oklahoma, named a street after him in 2010. He died this past Sunday after a few years of failing health. He was 74.
Listening to music is supposed to be a joy. Even when the artist we love and respect has passed to the great beyond we have their songs to carry us through to our own old age. I've told my friends and family if I ever get to a point where they have to prop me up in a corner just place some headphones on me and place my iPod on shuffle. Losing Cohen and Russell is indeed sad, but it also will lead to a renaissance of their music. Perhaps your favorite band will cover their songs. Maybe, like after Jerry Garcia died, there will be a huge outpouring of new versions of some of their deeper album cuts that you never knew they wrote. From loss comes inspiration. Through grief comes resilience and vision.
At this writing Mose Allison has passed away at the age of 89. I can't host enough shows to pay tribute to all the musical greats who we have lost this somber year.
Take heart my friends, and hold each other closer. We're going to need all the good love and strength we can muster.
Girl From North Country: Leon Russell (02-05-1971 - Baarn, NL)
The Partisan: Leonard Cohen
Bird on a Wire: Joe Cocker
This Masquerade: Leon Russell
Hummingbird: B.B. King
Dream a Little Dream of Me: Cass Elliott
Chelsea Hotel No 2: Lana Del Rey
A Song for You: Donny Hathaway
Everybody Knows: Leonard Cohen
Who By Fire: Coil
Avalanche: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Alcatraz: Nazareth
Back to the Island: Toots and the Maytals
First We Take Manhattan: REM
Roll Away the Stone: Leon Russell (11-20-70 Fillmore East, NYC)
I Can't Forget: Pixies
The Partisan: Eric McFadden
Delta Lady: Joe Cocker
Hallelujah: Jeff Buckley
As I said above the Joe Cocker Mad Dog and Englishmen tour and record made a profound impact on me as a youth. Luckily for us YouTube has much of the film to share. Below features a rather fun version of Space Captain. Sing along with all the "oohs" and "ahs".
Rock out hard to the stream, HERE! Jam out on this download , HERE! Listen into all my shows here, or just scroll down Subscribe to my show, via
As much as I enjoy interviewing bands, I really enjoy bringing my musician friends into the studio to guest DJ. So it just makes sense that guitar slinger, Eric McFadden guest DJd with me Monday night, and to KICK OUT THE JAMS!!! Eric and I are serious brothers-from-another-mother. When it comes to music we could jam/talk/listen-to/scream at/jump up and down to, and generally appreciate whatever you throw our way. It's kind of ridiculous.
And two hours was not near enough time. The music is awesome, the banter is SICK. This is by far one of my most favorite shows, EVER!
Eric posted a video to his Instagram account of us rocking out. You can see it here.
I know you're going to enjoy this one. Please share with music fans everywhere.
To listen to all of my shows, click here, or just scroll down.
I have a very large music collection. Too large some might say. But I'm a DJ, so shut up. Anyway, a lot of people give me CDs, asking them to play their band. I don't keep those, usually. Mostly, those go to the radio station. Others give me mix CDs, saying that I'll just love their mix. I often re-gift those. Often, but not always, and NEVER from my dear friend, and brother-from-another-mother, Mikl Em. His mixes are always thoughtful and irreverent. Yes, I know what that word means. Like I said, brother-from-another-mother.
As I was considering what to play for tonight's show, I found a mix CD he made for me a few years back, titled "Songs about God". I gave it a listen a realized, HEY, I can make a show out of this. I have lots of music about God. Not all of these songs are the most respectful, but then again my name is John Hell.
So tonight I bring you my own personal torment. I think you'll enjoy it. it was fun to put together.
Enjoy.
jh
A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
No Depression: Uncle Tupelo
Bukowski: Modest Mouse
The Weeping Song: Nick Cave
God's Away on Business: Tom Waits
Christian Brothers: Elliot Smith
It Ain't Necessarily So: Aretha Franklin
Jesus Walking on Water: Violent Femmes
I Saw the Light: The The
They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore: Kinky Friedman
Christ for President: Billy Bragg and Wilco
Everybody Wants to go to Heaven: Love and Rockets
Monkey Goes to Heaven: Pixies
Ode to Scientology: The Evangenitals
Judgement Day: Jack O'Fire
Sermon on the Mount: William S. Burroughs
Give Thanks and Praises: Bob Marley
Jesus Fever: Kurt Vile
Sweet and Sour Jesus: Supersuckers
New Improved Testament: White Noise Radio Theater
Religion: PIL
The Insect God: Monks of Doom
Presence of the Lord: Blind Faith
So It Is Written: Savage Republic
Your Own Personal Jesus: Johnny Cash
Touch My Evil: Lydia Lunch
Not of this God: Slayer
I Saw the Light: Hank Williams
It isn't that often that I get a true bona fide new deal style media mogul in the studio with me. So you can imagine my excitement when I was able to welcome in Mark Glaser, executive editor of PBS MediaShift and Idea Lab into the studio to talk all things media and music. Before Mark was with PBS he was an editor and music reviewer for College Music Journal (CMJ). He is credited with helping break the seminal Americana band Uncle Tupelo. He even showed me where they thank him on there No Depression CD. That's one lucky dude right there.
Mark brought some music share and I'm sure you'll enjoy it, Just like I enjoyed him coming in tonight. Conversation is fresh, music is funky, and as always Radio Valencia is your place for new sound.
To stream our ideas into your lab, click here.
To download this media masterpiece into your earholes, click here.
To listen to all of my media dominance, click here, or just scroll down.
Enjoy.
jh
A Season in Hell with John Hell
Mondays 8-10PM
Radio Valencia, 87.9FM in SF http://radiovalencia.fm
