Let Hell Do The Driving HERE Listen into all my shows here!
Having a chance to play these tunes for you brings great joy to Hell. There’s a lot of blues in the first hour, and the blues always lifts me up! Give your ears a chance to get used to something new. I read another article recently that spoke about how people get set in their musical ways by the age of 32, and most of that music is what they were listening to in high school and immediately after.
I’m about to turn 52, and ten of the tunes I played tonight were new to me over the past six months or so. I mean seriously now. I get that we’re busy. I understand that for many music just runs in the background (I actually don’t understand this at all, but I know not everyone can be as obsessed with music as I am), and I get that life keeps on keepin’ on. I guess that’s why I will always be a strong proponent for the power and magic of non-commercial radio.
It’s DJs, who have the power to program their own shows, that give you a chance to sit back and enjoy the aural ride. Let us do the driving, so to speak. That’s ok. I don’t mind that. As a matter of fact I get really excited about that. Just listen to my mic breaks!
A few notes about this show: Tom Waits is celebrating the 20th anniversary of both “Blood Money” and “Alice”, so you get a taste of that. Some new music from Spain’s Podium, new sounds from Ty Segall and Fantastic Negrito, as well as a premier from local guitarist/producer/engineer Myles Boisen, who will be on my show in two weeks, on Monday, August 22nd. Tune in.
You are also going to want to tune in next Monday, August 13th, 8PM PDST for my guest, rock photographer Jay Blakesberg, who will be in the studio talking up his latest book. I cannot wait for this interview. I have been a fan of Jay’s for many years. Check out his stuff and tune in.
The Radio Valencia studio is looking better each week: new paint job and soundproofing. We’re getting our logo on the awning out front next week! Thanks to our engineering team (aka: JazzNazz) we have the turntables and CD players working better than ever! But we still need you. This is an out-of-pocket venture. Bringing you great programming is our mission, and we can really use your help. Please consider donating to Radio Valencia by going to our PayPal (we are financially sponsored by SF IndieFest) and throwing a few bones our way. Every dime is spent on station needs (rent and equipment mostly). I thank you in advance.
Time now to sit back and enjoy two hours of aural delights.
Dig the Groovy Tunes HERE Listen into all my shows here!
What do you get when your host has one kid on vacation and the other in daycare all day? You get a very well-prepared program, that’s what you get. I normally have a vague idea of how I want my show to go. I listen to music all of the time, so I always know about 25% of the songs I really want to share with you, leading into a show. I bring plenty with me, so it’s all about having the experience of what artist or genre may match up with what I am currently playing (let’s see Spotify really do that well!). This past week I’ve had a lot more time on my hands to listen to a bunch of vinyl that has needed my attention.
I also went to see Melvins last week, with Helms Alee opening. What an inspiring show that was! This program is more loud than normal. You get some fine sludge and doom, but you’re also going to get some fine angular post-punk, psych, jazz, and more. New music from Helms Alee, Othered, and Ty Segall. That’s why you tune in, and I thank you for that. I really do.
Take a look at the playlist below, click the link above to stream, and share with your music-loving friends.
The Radio Valencia studio is looking better each week: new paint job and soundproofing. We’re getting our logo on the awning out front next week! Thanks to our engineering team (aka: JazzNazz) we have the turntables and CD players working better than ever! But we still need you. This is an out-of-pocket venture. Bringing you great programming is our mission, and we can really use your help. Please consider donating to Radio Valencia by going to our PayPal (we are financially sponsored by SF IndieFest) and throwing a few bones our way. Every dime is spent on station needs (rent and equipment mostly). I thank you in advance.
Follow the Leader HERE Listen into all my shows here!
A very inspired show tonight. Maybe it’s the great music I’ve been listening to that I couldn’t wait to share with you? Maybe it’s the fact that I had a lot of time to choose my music before my show? Maybe it was the many people who came in and out of the studio and I really wanted to play some great music for them as well? Whatever the reason, this was a great show to host.
There’s some psychabilly, psychedelia, funk, soul, folk, retro, goth, prog, jazz, classic rock, and even a dirty old one man band!
Hot damn, there’s a lot for everyone here. Try that, Spotify! And you know what, they can’t. Even Shazam gets stumped by some of what I play. That’s what’s so great about non-commercial community radio! You have hosts that know the music, not some algorithm that is programmed to tell you what to like. Do you know that program directors at commercial radio stations are now using Spotify to help them program their stations? Where’s the human touch?
Radio Valencia brings the human touch in spades!
The Radio Valencia studio is looking better each week: new paint job and soundproofing. We’re getting our logo on the awning out front next week! Thanks to our engineering team (aka: JazzNazz) we have the turntables and CD players working better than ever! But we still need you. This is an out-of-pocket venture. Bringing you great programming is our mission, and we can really use your help. Please consider donating to Radio Valencia by going to our PayPal (we are financially sponsored by SF IndieFest) and throwing a few bones our way. Every dime is spent on station needs (rent and equipment mostly). I thank you in advance.
Question the Hype HERE! Listen into all my shows here!
Wow, this radio thing is kinda fun. Since I attended Mosswood Meltdown, July 2nd and 3rd, I decided to take last week off. Did you miss me? What do you mean no?
Taking a week off means that I have even more new music to share with you this week!
If you tune in regularly, then you know my show is all over the place. I play what moves me, hoping it moves you too. New music from Podium, Shannon Shaw, and Ty Segall. There’s a lot that’s new to you, including a Neil Young Archives release, “Toast” from 2001. I also had tickets to give away for an upcoming Bottom of the Hill show. I played music from the three acts performing that night.
Tune in regularly for your chance to win tickets to local shows.
The Radio Valencia studio is looking better each week: new paint job and soundproofing. And now we have our equipment in tip-top shape. But we still need you. This is an out-of-pocket venture. Bringing you great programming is our mission, and we can really use your help. Please consider donating to Radio Valencia by going to our PayPal (we are financially sponsored by SF IndieFest) and throwing a few bones our way. Every dime is spent on station needs (rent and equipment mostly). I thank you in advance.
Now, go check out the playlist below, click on the link above and enjoy the show.
Question the Authority HERE! Listen into all my shows here!
Standing in the newly painted Radio Valencia studio really fills me with pride, and inspires me to put on a quality show for you all. That’s not saying the other weeks were phoned in, it just feels like I walked into a brand new studio and I’m really jazzed about it.
Radio Valencia is a collection of jocks who have come together to play our favorite music for you. Some of us have been at this radio game a few decades now. RV has been going strong-ish since 2010. Having a storefront location this last year has been a huge boon for us, and we’re now in a position to make the most of it; hence the facelift. Big thanks to the Tuesday night crew, Culturefest’s Lilly and Joe. These two really went all out. When I walked in Monday night I could have sworn the studio was actually bigger than before!
Sunday Streets on Valencia is July 10th. If you’re in the area drop by and check out the studio. We’re at 3227 22nd Street, between Mission and Valencia, next door to Make Out Room.
Tonight’s show had a lot of emotion throughout it. New music from Emily Clark and Fanstastic Negrito. There’s a 45th anniversary expanded edition Bob Marley, and a build up to this weekend’s Mosswood Meltdown in the second hour. And George Carlin speaks about a timely issue beyond the grave.
How do I pack so much in? You’ll just have to tune in Monday’s 8-10PM PDST and find out.
Download The Guidebook HERE! Listen into all my shows here!
I don’t know what got into me but whatever it was I just had to get it out during this show. It’s almost exclusively from the golden era of psych and rock and roll from the late 60s until about 1974. And it’s a mix of European, Middle Eastern, and Latin American bands. Thee Oh Sees and Dungen are both in there so you can hear their influences. This was such a fun show to put together, I think you’ll enjoy each tune.
I’m guessing you haven’t heard of most of these bands. I talk them up between sets, so if you’re looking for any info, listen up! It’s a safe bet I haven’t played 85% of these artists on my show, ever. And I’m talking since my start in 1988. OK, maybe 75%. Oh wait, 65%?
I also gave tickets away to another epic upcoming show at the Bottom of the Hill in SF. If you live in the Bay Area and you want to go see a show, you should be tuned into Radio Valencia regularly. Many of our shows have tickets to give to you! Or you! Or maybe even you!
Download The Droids You’ve Been Look For HERE! Listen into all my shows here!
Following that live Black Sabbath from 1970 I played during my Live Bootleg Bonanza, I just had to keep the feeling moving. This show is mostly loud and in your gut, with a couple of tunes in there to let you catch your breath.
Check out new music from The Bobby Lees ( I love this band), Ty Segall (you already know how I feel about him), Iggy Pop (the greatest love of all), Kikagaku Moyo (they’re coming back to the Bay!!!), and Le Butcherettes (when will Teri Genderbender return???).
I feel you feelin’ me, so we’ve got that goin’ on, which is good.
In the meantime, sit back relax, open your mind, and get ready to be punched in the earholes the way you like it.
Tune in each Monday, 8-10PM PDST. I always have tickets to give away to a local show. You really need to get out more often.
Download The Three-Eyed Fish Fry HERE! Listen into all my shows here!
I was thrilled to host Steve DePace of Flipper, once again, in the Radio Valencia studio recently. This time he brought along with him Brendan Earley of the legendary SF art/punk band The Mutants. They were in to talk up the Great American Music Hall show, Thursday, May 26 in celebration of the latest installation at the Tenderloin Museum: Sounds of the Tenderloin.
These two have quite a few stories to share. I even surprised them both with a few classic, out of print 45s. You can hear all of this by clicking on the link above. See the playlist below.
I just saw Mudhoney recently, so opening this particular show with an Angry Samoans cover sounded perfect. This show is good and loud. New music from The Bobby Lees, Dumb Numbers (featuring Melvins), Willie Nelson, and Boris. Reissues from The Clash and The Fall.
Download The Directive HERE! Listen into all my shows here!
How many ways am I supposed to say it, you do not get nearly enough good music in your diet. I want you to promise that if I drop off the face of this Earth, that you are going to commit to listening to quality music on the daily. And you need to mix it up. You can’t just stay with the same genre, you know? My suggestion, when you go record shopping and you purchase three or more records make at least one from a genre you aren’t used to. Trust me, it’s a great way to build your collection while broadening your horizons.
I know that my international collection was built in this way. And I never would have discovered the richness of African Funk if I didn’t stick to this method. And one artist leads to another, and one unheard of genre leads to another. My dad always said there’s no reward in life without risk. I have always taken that to heart, in ways I’m not ready to discuss on this blog. I can attest to the fact that taking a risk on music is always a good thing. Except that hair metal band, Cinderella. There was no redeeming qualities in that band, none. Winger either. Nope. Sorry. None.
As for this show right here, I think the sets speak for themselves. I was in a real dance mood in the first few sets; really funky. If you haven’t heard Mdou Moctar, then you haven’t heard one of the all-time greatest guitarist there is, alive or dead. Seriously, he’s up there with Hendrix and Van Halen. There’s new music from Japan’s Kikagaku Moyo, who are on their final tour right now. A show I cannot attend because I’m going to be in Yosemite. Lucky me. I gave tickets away in the second hour to Diane Coffee. You really need to check them out. The entire lineup is in the last half hour.
Lots of new music for you that isn’t much of a risk. Perhaps I need to get a bit more edgy next week? Tune in.
Download The Ooey Gooey HERE! Listen into all my shows here!
Oh wow that was really fun. There are those nights when everything just clicks. This was one of those nights. The tunes, the transitions, the mic breaks, and almost 100% of the equipment worked better than expected. That’s saying something.
I’ve been doing this a long time, and others prepare their sets down to the minute, choosing just the right tracks days before their show, and it really shows. I’ve never been that way. Never. I bring a heap load of music with me, mostly vinyl, but I do have a small CD case I’ll reload every so often, and then there’s my external HD, loaded with my latest digital acquisitions. BTW, when I buy a new record, I love getting both the vinyl and the digital download. What a world we live in!
Lots of new music tonight, featuring Ty Segall, Kikagaku Moyo, The Bobby Lees, Dogbowl (thanks Jim!), Willie Nelson, Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder, and Boris. There’s some Jazz, Punk, Blues, “Gospel”, Psychedelic, Proto-Punk, British Prog, and much more.
Let’s see your local commercial radio station even come close to what you get on Radio Valencia.
Hello – Hi: Ty Segall Girlfriend: Death Valley Girls
Dancing Blue: Kikagaku Moyo Venus in Furs: Velvet Underground TV Eye: The Stooges
Hollywood Junkyard: The Bobby Lees Original Faubus Fables: Charles Mingus
I See The Light/What’s His Name: Scott H. Biram On My Own: Dogbowl with Jim F
We’re Not Happy (Til You’re Not Happy): Willie Nelson Diggin’ My Potatoes: Sonny Terry
The Midnight Special: Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder Tombstone Shadow: Creedence Clearwater Revival Master of the Universe: Hawkwind New Potato Caboose: Grateful Dead
Frontier Glitch: Strike Anywhere Frail Bray: Western Addiction Summer Trip: Decent Criminal Give Me The Cure; Fugazi