Hell's Kitchen Radio #571: Que Sera SerHell

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Walking into the studio tonight I was met with at least three blocks of protesters, out in the street making their voices heard in opposition of ICE policies happening right now across the state and across the nation. As of this writing 47 is actively having National Guard and Marines(!!!!) in the streets of Los Angeles putting down peaceful demonstrations, and calling the protestors insurrectionists,  justifying his use of the posse comitatus act, which forbids the president of using active duty military in the streets of our nation.

There goes our democracy.

But you knew that already. 

The hardest part is separating the "truth" from the propaganda. I have a degree in media literacy, and I can tell you this shit is really exhausting to digest. This is one of the main reasons I quit social media. I dropped Facebook in 2020, and Instagram on Inauguration Day 2025. I just can't.

Even listening to NPR (leans left) or reading the NY Times (leans left and omits far too much) is getting unbearable. I often have to read the Guardian UK and al Jazeera to get a better idea of what is happening in our own country.

That being said, I have a platform all my own with Radio Valencia.

We have told our staff that we aren't going to censor their voices, but Radio Valencia doesn't take any political stance as a radio station. Therefore, our hosts need to state their opinions are their own, and not the stance of the station. 

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

I'm hosting former San Francisco Board of Supervisors member John Avalos on my show Monday, June 23rd to talk about the current state of affairs. John always brings good conversation. Tune in.

For tonights show I was training a new RV staffer: Max! Great guy. He's going to be hosting a Black Metal show on Mondays 4-6pm soon. I got him playing some music he brought along (marked below "- Max") and talking with me about music and his own radio history. 

I also went record shopping last week (of course I did), so there's that to look forward to. New music from Frankie and the Witch Fingers, Zig Zags, Chime Oblivion (John Dwyer of OCS side project), Teri Gender Bender (of Le Butcherettes) and too much more jazz, punk, blues, and a tribute to Sly Stone who passed at age 82 Monday morning.

Enjoy and know your rights.

jh

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

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Hate the Police: The Dicks
Goat Cheese: Mudhoney

Fucksake: Frankie and the Witch Fingers
There is the Bomb: Don Cherry

Kiss Her Or Be Her: Chime Oblivion
Fallout: Moon Duo
Beer Drinkin' Woman: Memphis Slim
Hey Hey My My (Into the Black): Neil Young and DEVO

21:32: Cluster
Outsider: Teri Gender Bender
Liquified Organs: Rawhead - Max
Cinnamon Girl (Extended Depression Mix): Type O Negative - Max
Watcher of the Skies: Genesis - Max
In Torment in Hell: Deiside - Max

Crying for Death: Morbid Saint - Max
Laid to Rest: Rotting - Max

At War With Hell: Zig Zags
Killer: Alice Cooper

Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey: Sly and the Family Stone
Runnin' Away: Sly and the Family Stone

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Self Again): Sly and the Family Stone
Que Sera Sera: Sly and the Family Stone

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

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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

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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

Hell's Kitchen Radio #567: Lust for Life: The Solo Adventures of Iggy Pop - Part 2

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So nice I had to do it twice! 

Welcome to part 2 of my Iggy Pop birthday celebration. This week I focus on his incredible solo career. Across 19 solo records since the implosion of The Stooges, James "Iggy Pop" Westerberg continued to reinvent himself and (almost) always stay ahead of the pack. 

I broke this show up into five sets that you can check out below; hitting on all 19 of his solo efforts. A few of these tunes you may have heard before, but I can bet there are a few you haven't and a those will knock you out of your shoes. 

I honestly feel that Iggy is still hitting in all the right ways. Though I love his punk cred, I also love the risks he's taken with his art as he shares other influences, all the while influencing others to take a leap of faith in their own music merriment. 

Check out week one, where it's all Stooges and Stooges-influenced tunes, here.

There's a lot to take in here, so 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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Set 1: Rebirth (1977)
"Sister Midnight" (The Idiot, 1977)
"China Girl" (The Idiot, 1977)
"Lust for Life" (Lust for Life, 1977)
"The Passenger" (Lust for Life, 1977)

Set 2: Chaos and Experimentation (1979–1982)
"Five Foot One" (New Values, 1979)
"I'm Bored" (New Values, 1979)
"I'm A Conservative" (Soldier, 1980)
"Bang Bang" (Party, 1981 — co-written with Ivan Kral)
"Run Like a Villain" (Zombie Birdhouse, 1982)

Set 3: Comeback King (1986–1990)
"Real Wild Child (Wild One)" (Blah-Blah-Blah, 1986)
"Cry for Love" (Blah-Blah-Blah, 1986 — produced with Bowie)
"Cold Metal" (Instinct, 1988)
"Candy" feat. Kate Pierson (Brick by Brick, 1990)

Set 4: The Raw and the Refined (1993–1996)
"Home" (Brick by Brick, 1990)
"Wild America" (American Caesar, 1993)
"Louie Louie" (American Caesar, 1993)
"Look Away" (Naughty Little Doggie, 1996)

Set 4.5: The Raw and the Refined (1999–2003)
"Corruption" (Avenue B, 1999 — a somber, introspective album)
"Mask" (Beat 'em Up, 2001)
"Little Electric Chair" feat. The Stooges (Skull Ring, 2003)

Set 5: The Elder Statesman (2009–Present)
"King of the Dogs" (Préliminaires, 2009 — jazzy and French-tinged)
"Ready to Die" (Ready to Die, 2013 — partial Stooges reunion but marketed solo)
"Gardenia" (Post Pop Depression, 2016 — produced with Josh Homme)
"Frenzy" (Every Loser, 2023 — hard, fast, and furious)

Closing out
"Don't Go Gentle Into That Good Night" (Free, 2019)