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 #606: False Punks In Heaven...Sorta

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I anticipated a fun time on Monday night, but nothing could have prepared me for this multi-generational celebration of the local music scene. As I had been publicizing over the past week, I had drummer/artist Prairie Prince of The Tubes coming in, along with his bestie, author/screenwriter/director/producer/band manager Edwin Heaven. They were coming in to promote their Thursday night program at the Mabuhay Gardens, which is also featuring a live set from local rockers and all-around tastemakers False Flag.

This show on Thursday night is free, by the way. And it's 21+. Be warned.

What I wasn't totally prepared for were all the special guests. And Monday night was truly special. 

My Prom Committee team of Katrina and Daniel from the FabMab were in the studio, as well as our latest RV staffer Jasper, who is slated to take over Saturdays 4-6pm in the upcoming weeks. You are all going to love her!

And then comes False Flag! Pretty and Strong Sims came to hang out, along with drummer Monroe. And they brought a brand new song with them, that really kicked the crap out of me...figuratively. Get your head outta the gutter. 

It was full, and very rambunctious house, with Daniel teaching both Jasper and Strong how to use a yo-yo, Edwin attending to his Yorkie, Tulip; Prairie trying not to allow the jetlag get to him after returning from a show in NYC, and Katrina circling the room capturing it all for prosperity.  

After my interview with Prairie about his new album, Colours and Passions, and my talk with Edwin about his new memoir "The Night I Got David Bowie Laid Sorta", Strong and Pretty sat in to talk about the state of the music scene in San Francisco, and to share the aforementioned track "Never Gonna Be". Katrina and I are in agreement that this band is bound for stardom, and need to get their music onto a soundtrack, pronto.

There is so much fun conversation and music on this show, that I may need to loop it throughout the rest of this week. 

Fun things are afoot at Radio Valencia, and in this incredible scene that three generations of music-related folk all agreed with on Monday night.

See you at the show...any show. Every show!

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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Whitey On The Moon: Gil Scott-Heron (Small Talk at 125th and Lennox - 1970)
Moonage Daydream: David Bowie (The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust - 1972)
Flesh: Ken Nordine (Colors - 1966)
Dear God: XTC (Skylarking - 1987)

Interview with Prairie Prince

Flesh Terror: Prairie Prince (Colours and Passions - 2026)

Interview with Prairie Prince (Colours and Passions - 2026)

Orange Joy: Prairie Prince (Colours and Passions - 2026)
White Punks on Dope: The Tubes (The Tubes - 1977)

Interview with Edwin Heaven

WWIII: The Nuns (The Nuns - 1980)
Down on the Street: Iggy and the Stooges (Fun House - 1970

Interview with Edwin Heaven

(I Saw You) Shine: Flipper (Generic - 1982)

Interview with Edwin and Prairie

The American in Me: Avengers (s/t - 1983)
Suicide Child: The Nuns (The Nuns - 1980)

Never Gonna Be: False Flag (unreleased - 2026)

Radio Valencia Celebrates 50 Years of Punk In San Francisco

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Leading up to our epc co-presents at the fabled Mabuhay Gardens and On Broadway I hosted a rare Friday night special with two up and coming bands: False Flag and Bitchfit. Both bands played the evening showcase on Saturday night, upstairs at the On Broadway in support of Flipper and Friends and the 50th anniversary celebration of punk in San Francisco and the opening of the Fab Mab.

False Flag features sisters Pretty Sims (bass/vocals), Strong Sims (guitar/vocals) and Bayden Tubelle (drums). The will assault all manners of pretense once the curtain drops and they will not let up until they've been dragged from the stage, cables wrapped around their limbs like a junkie waiting for just one more aural fix. Lyrics born of urban decay and blight from a male-dominated culture, False Flag aren't just re-writing what the many-facetted  genre of punk looks like in 2026, they honestly don't care what you think about them. They don't do this for you. They do what every band that has ever been worth their weight has done: they do it for themselves, and you should thank your lucky stars they let you be along for the ride.

We played some songs and talked about music, their band, the record store I Hate Records that Pretty is also running (like they aren't busy enough), and setting the story straight on what exactly happened on that BART train.

Following False Flag the young start ups, Bitchfit from Oakland came through. They opened the show on Saturday night, and even though they don't have anything released yet, their reputation of fierce females on this scene proceeded itself. Full of charisma, confidence and hardcore ethos, Talulah (drums) and Ailish (bass/vocals) talked about bringing topics like body positivity, human rights politics and what we should be angry about today!

Witnessing both bands on stage Saturday night was a treat. The torch is firmly placed in the fists of both of these bands.

The image at the top is the poster created by the one and only Richie Goodtimes for the event. Thanks Richie. 

Check out the interviews here, along with music from False Flag and a bunch of other punks I love.

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Glorious: Polkacide

Party!: The Mutants

Interview with False Flag

How To Ruin Your Life: False Flag

Ha Ha Ha: Flipper
California Uber Alles: Dead Kennedys

Interview with False Flag

Corpus Christi: Avengers

One Man War: False Flag

Interview with False Flag

The Midnight Show: The Freak Accident
Fascists Eat Donuts: Pop-O-Pies

Boris: Melvins

Business on Parade: MDC
The Shah Sleeps in Lee Harvey's Grave: Butthole Surfers

Put A Little Love In Your Heart: Circle Jerks

Police Truck: Dead Kennedys

Interview with Bitch Fit

Midnight Creep: The Darts

Hellfudge: Lard

Interview with Bitch Fit

Keith Moon: Mike Krol

Frock Block: OSees

X Offender: Blondie

Nothing In This World Stop Me Thinking About That Girl: The Kinks
What A Wonderful World: Louis Armstrong

My posts are never written using AI of any kind. This shitty writing is mine and mine alone.

Hell's Kitchen Radio #600: Freaky Mutant Crime

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What a delight it was celebrating my 600th show on Radio Valencia by hosting four musicians who helped shape the punk history in San Francisco. 

Who would have thought when I started my road in radio in the late 80s, that I would grow up to hosts legends of a music scene that was too young to enjoy when it was at its height, but came to love it deeply?

I have always followed my bliss. Music has always been my bliss. I'm not much of a fanboy...Ok, maybe for Ty Segall, but other than that I just really enjoy being around music and musicians, for the love of the art. I like talking music. I love reading about music. My favorite books about music are when the artist is talking about making the art. Keith Richard's book "Life" does this well.

37 years in radio (yikes!) has honored me with seeing some incredible live music, interviewing countless bands, and getting to know some of the finest people to grace a stage. I'm living the life! Monday night I was lucky to host four people who have made their mark on the San Francisco music scene, and will be doing so once again this coming Saturday at the newly reopened Mabuhay Gardens and On Broadway in North Beach.

Fritz and Brendan from The Mutants, Henry Rosenthal (Hank Rank) of Crime, and Ralph Spight of The Freak Accident spent the evening with me telling tales of the heyday of punk in the city, and the venue that sparked the magic. Music from these bands and other bands of the day are sprinkled throughout, all in preparation for a great night at the FabMab and On Broadway.

I am honored to be co-producing this show with Steve DePace of Flipper. Radio Valencia is co-presenting and will be spinning music throughout the night. And I'm your MC!!!

Tickets are almost gone for these two events, so please follow the links embedded in the posters to grab yours before they're gone.

Tune in Friday 8-10PM Pacific for a special on the upcoming live shows, featuring Steve DePace of Flipper, and members of BitchFit and False Flag.

Here's to 600 more shows on Radio Valencia!!!

jh

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

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The Catholics Are Attacking: Pop-O-Pies (The White EP - 1982)

Car Crash: Avengers (ST - 1983)

Wild: The Nuns (S/T - 1980)

White Punks on Dope: The Tubes (S/T - 1975)

B-Side: Sleepers (7" - 1980)
Plastic TV Land on Acid: Pope Paul Pot

San Francisco's Doomed: Crime (San Francisco's Doomed - 1978)
Rock 'N' Enemy No. 1: Crime (San Francisco's Doomed - 1978)

Murder By Guitar: Crime (Murder By Guitar 1976 - 1980)

Party!: The Mutants (Curse of the Easily Amused - Recorded in 1979, Released in 2026)
New Drug (Version 2): The Mutants ( Fun Terminal - 1979)

Noises and Numbers: The Mutants (Curse of the Easily Amused - Recorded in 1979, Released in 2026)

Fairytales: The Freak Accident (The Midnight Show - 2026)

Cat Bird Seat: The Freak Accident (The Midnight Show - 2026)

Hell's Kitchen Radio #472: Bringing On The KnightressM1

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Tonight was a really special show. I was lucky enough to have Bay Area metal violinist Emily Palen of KnightressM1 on the program talking up her latest collaboration: Othered, as well as new KnightressM1 material.

I first witnesses the prowess that is Miss Emily Palen, when she graced the stage supporting Eric McFadden at Ivy Room back in 2019. Her mastery of the violin is evident, and how she shows this mastery in on entirely different level than any violinist I've ever seen. I was mesmerized. 

Starting on the violin at the age of four, Emily dedicated herself to the instrument, K-12 and into college at the University of Michigan. Following the path of classical music is a strenuous commitment and Emily took some time off to reflect on her musical future. Finding herself living in the Bay Area, Emily took this opportunity to also change the direction of her music, choosing to break out of the confines that Classical keeps you in, and found musicians to jam with. Over time she found herself attracted to Metal (not too surprising considering many excellent Metal musicians have a penchant for Classical), and adding some effects to her violin, along with some powerful lyrics centered on her own life's journey and the world she sees around her, created the dynamic superhero that is KnightressM1.

Emily can tell the story much better than I. She was with me for most of the night sharing new music from her collaboration with Henry Austin Lannan, aka: H.A.L. under the Othered title, as well as new KnightressM1 and music from the 2020 release: "Dreams and Devastations". 

Othered will have a rare performance at Eli's Mile High in Oakland on Friday, April 15th.  

Enjoy and please share.

jh

Radio Valencia is a self-funded endeavor. If you are enjoying our shows, I'd like to ask you to donate a few dollars our way. This link will take you to our PayPal, which is hosted by SFIndyMedia, our non-profit benefactor. All donations go to Radio Valencia. Thank you in advance.

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

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Follow Radio Valencia on Twitter
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The 7th Terror: FUZZ
Sentient Oona: Oh Sees

Interview with Emily Palen

Planets on the Rise: Othered
War: Othered

Interview with Emily Palen

Polarity Integrate: KnightressM1
Lost In The Shipwreck Of My Heart: KnightressM1

Interview with Emily Palen

Dead Americans: Othered
Deaf As A Lullaby: KnightressM1

Interview with Emily Palen

Die In Vain: KnightressM1

Sonic Titan: Sleep
In Every Dream Home A Heartache: Roxy Music

Photos by Shena van Spronsen