Quitting an Agency Job and Becoming a Freelance Filmmaker w/ Vince Alvarado | The J-Card Podcast

Why the Best Radio DJ You've Never Heard of Streams on Twitch w/ KaterFM | The J-Card Podcast

It’s the Season 4 Finale, featuring the one and only KaterFM! Kater is a Twitch streamer, playlist obsessive, and self-described “washed radio DJ” who accidentally built a music community by mishearing a Joyce Manor lyric. In our convo, Kater walked me through how she went from her college radio station to building a thriving, interactive music community across Twitch and IG. We talk about how Twitch is actually a pretty great platform for music discovery, what the transition to livestreaming is like, and what goes into running a channel. And then of course, we have a mixtape full of certified bangers, and a CHICAGO DRAFT to close out the season! More on IG: @katerfm_ https://www.instagram.com/katerfm_ [https://www.instagram.com/katerfm_] The J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Each episode is part music discovery, part oral history, part hangout show. We ask artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other music-minded folks to build us their own personal mixtape and talk about the moments and memories that inspired it. New episodes drop here and wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for watching, and if you liked this one, share it with a friend who also might. Created by Alexei Shishkin Associate Producer: Alivia Stonier Booking: Jamie Halliday 📬 Subscribe: Subscribe now [%%checkout_url%%] 📲 Follow us: IG: https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense [https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense] TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub [https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com [https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com] X: https://x.com/ruedefense [https://x.com/ruedefense] 🤝 Support / Sponsorship: https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA [https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA] 🎶 Submit Music: https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA [https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA] 📩 Contact: hi@tapeclub.biz ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro to Kater 01:20 - Background in Music 02:43 - College Radio Days 06:35 - How Twitch Music Works 09:59 - Growing the Channel 14:34 - Lessons from Streaming 20:26 - Finding New Music 23:09 - Playlist Names & Tony Hawk 27:01 - The Mixtape 28:38 - “I Don’t Think It’s the Right Time for Emojis” by Hot Mulligan 32:07 - “Reservoir” by PUP 35:32 - “Moab” by Tiberius 38:45 - “Jaw Song” by Cigarettes @ Sunset 42:01 - “There Will Be Time” by Mumford & Sons (feat. Baaba Maal) 46:01 - “Forgiveness” by Paramore 49:40 - Honorable Mentions 51:58 - Game: Chicago Draft 1:00:07 - Plugs & Outro This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe [https://tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Building a Creative Partnership (and Friendship) That Survives 14 Time Zones w/ Josaleigh Pollett | The J-Card Podcast

At its core, Josaleigh Pollett’s upcoming album If I Let It Quiet is all about distance. A process that largely revolved around immediacy and spending hours together ruminating over tunes was flipped on its head when Josaleigh’s producer, co-writer, and best friend Jordan Watko moved to Japan. They had to figure out what their creative partnership looked like with 8,000 miles and 14 time zones between them. The answer became a whole album, vast but intimate, built inside a DIY PVC-and-moving-blanket vocal booth, across late-night Ableton sessions, with Paul Simon on repeat at 2am. In our convo, Joseleigh and I went deep on the making of If I Let It Quiet (out July 24th on Audio Antihero), the thriving Salt Lake City DIY scene, the tangled feelings around social media and self-promotion as an indie artist, and Josaleigh’s mixtape — songs by Sparklehorse, Laura Stevenson, Flock of Dimes, Half Waif, and Paul Simon that shaped the record. Enjoy! More on IG: @brosaleigh https://www.instagram.com/brosaleigh [https://www.instagram.com/brosaleigh] The J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Each episode is part music discovery, part oral history, part hangout show. We ask artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other music-minded folks to build us their own personal mixtape and talk about the moments and memories that inspired it. New episodes drop here and wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for watching, and if you liked this one, share it with a friend who also might. Created by Alexei Shishkin Associate Producer: Alivia Stonier Booking: Jamie Halliday 📬 Subscribe: Subscribe now [%%checkout_url%%] 📲 Follow us: IG: https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense [https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense] TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub [https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com [https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com] X: https://x.com/ruedefense [https://x.com/ruedefense] 🤝 Support / Sponsorship: https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA [https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA] 🎶 Submit Music: https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA [https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA] 📩 Contact: hi@tapeclub.biz ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro to Josaleigh Pollett 00:55 - If I Let It Quiet 06:42 - Making Music at a Distance 12:55 - Bringing in Andrew Goldring 19:00 - The Salt Lake City Scene 28:27 - Social Media & The Witness 32:57 - The Blade Runner Question 35:35 - The Mixtape 36:24 - “Piano Fire” by Sparklehorse 40:05 - “Lay Back Arms Out” by Laura Stevenson 43:14 - “Pure Love” by Flock of Dimes 47:36 - “Warm Dark” by lollzing 52:01 - “Figurine” by Half Waif 54:28 - “Peace Like a River” by Paul Simon 1:00:48 - Honorable Mentions 1:02:31 - Game: Play, Pause, Stop 1:10:00 - Plugs & Outro This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe [https://tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Six Songs That Were Lost (Until Now) w/ Darren Hayman | The J-Card Podcast

Darren Hayman has been making music since the early ‘90s, first as the frontman of Hefner, then through a sprawling catalog of projects including The French, New Starts, Hayman Watkins Trout and Lee, and Darren Hayman and The Long Parliament. In our conversation we covered his traversal through all those bands, and much more, including seeing Elliott Smith before he was the Elliott Smith. Darren’s mixtape has a specific theme: six of his songs that were either missing, mislabeled, or completely invisible online… recovered and restored by the very same person who booked this episode! Each one has a story, and Darren tells all of them. More on IG: @darren.hayman https://www.instagram.com/darren.hayman [https://www.instagram.com/darren.hayman] The J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Each episode is part music discovery, part oral history, part hangout show. We ask artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other music-minded folks to build us their own personal mixtape and talk about the moments and memories that inspired it. New episodes drop here and wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for watching, and if you liked this one, share it with a friend who also might. Created by Alexei Shishkin Associate Producer: Alivia Stonier Booking: Jamie Halliday 📬 Subscribe: Subscribe now [%%checkout_url%%] 📲 Follow us: IG: https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense [https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense] TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub [https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com [https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com] X: https://x.com/ruedefense [https://x.com/ruedefense] 🤝 Support / Sponsorship: https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA [https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA] 🎶 Submit Music: https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA [https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA] 📩 Contact: hi@tapeclub.biz ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro to Darren Hayman 01:39 - Sleep & Creativity 03:52 - The Origins of Hefner 09:14 - Lo-Fi Across the Ocean 12:17 - Sarah Records & UK Indie 13:07 - Portland & New Bad Things 14:50 - An Elliott Smith Sighting 18:13 - Music Industry Changes 24:18 - Advice for Young Artists 27:39 - The Mixtape 28:51 - “Pull Yourself Together (Didgeridoo Version)” by Hefner 31:48 - “Punk Rock Is Going to Die” by The French 37:53 - “Since She Started to Ride” by Hayman Watkins Trout and Lee 43:43 - “Little Squirrel, Little Arrow” by Darren Hayman 49:02 - “We Are Not Evil” by Darren Hayman and The Long Parliament 53:39 - “Elizabeth the First” by Darren Hayman and The Long Parliament 56:54 - Honorable Mentions 1:01:12 - Game: First and Last 1:06:21 - Plugs & Outro This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe [https://tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Inside Duplication.com, the Company That Makes Everyone's Tapes w/ Rob Feulner | The J-Card Podcast

Rob Feulner is the Marketing Coordinator at Duplication.com, the cassette and CD duplication company that’s been a cornerstone of underground music culture since 1989. In this conversation, Rob takes us inside the world of cassette duplication, from the massive tape-loading machines, to the team of artists and technicians who keep the operation running. We talk about the Montreal underground scene that shaped his taste, how vaporwave couldn’t have happened without the cassette renaissance, and what it’s like to spend your workdays pulling random tapes out of a box and listening to them cold. Dream job, am I right? More on IG: @duplication.ca https://www.instagram.com/duplication.ca [https://www.instagram.com/duplication.ca] @bleunuitvideo https://www.instagram.com/bleunuitvideo [https://www.instagram.com/bleunuitvideo] The J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Each episode is part music discovery, part oral history, part hangout show. We ask artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other music-minded folks to build us their own personal mixtape and talk about the moments and memories that inspired it. New episodes drop here and wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for watching, and if you liked this one, share it with a friend who also might. Created by Alexei Shishkin Associate Producer: Alivia Stonier Booking: Jamie Halliday 📬 Subscribe: Subscribe now [%%checkout_url%%] 📲 Follow us: IG: https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense [https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense] TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub [https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com [https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com] X: https://x.com/ruedefense [https://x.com/ruedefense] 🤝 Support / Sponsorship: https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA [https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA] 🎶 Submit Music: https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA [https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA] 📩 Contact: hi@tapeclub.biz ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro to Rob Feulner 01:06 - How Rob Got the Job 03:46 - Montreal Cassette Scene 07:59 - The Production Ecosystem 12:15 - Life of a Cassette 18:40 - The Duplication Team 22:12 - Rob’s Art Practice 24:17 - Notable Projects 28:54 - The Mixtape 29:28 - “Side A” by Dead Bush 34:34 - “Death Row” by Lil Noid 37:20 - “ΛVΘN™ NiteMare Liquid Mascara (feat. 회사AUTO)” by Nmesh 43:01 - “Lamentation Fragrant Repel” by New Mexican Stargazers 46:31 - “Outside” by The Dead C 50:25 - “Through the Bindbole Wood” by Hole Dweller 52:47 - Honorable Mentions 54:35 - Game: Call and Response 1:00:27 - Plugs & Outro This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe [https://tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

How to Make an Album That Sounds Like Nothing Else w/ Jeff Jakobs | The J-Card Podcast

Jeff Jakobs is a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter who put out his beautiful album Lorem Ipsum last fall. We missed the first wave of press, but Jeff was kind enough to join us to talk about how he assembled an incredibly talented group of players for the album (including folks who’ve worked with Big Thief, Andrew Bird, and more), how the recording experiences compared to his earlier work, The Milkbarn Sessions. We also get into Jeff’s background in comedy, the overlap between comedy and music, and how he found his vocal coach, Joy. And of course there’s his mixtape, a genuine journey across centuries (no exaggeration). I believe one of his picks sets the record for oldest song featured on The J-Card! More on IG: @mrjeffjakobs https://www.instagram.com/mrjeffjakobs [https://www.instagram.com/mrjeffjakobs] The J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Each episode is part music discovery, part oral history, part hangout show. We ask artists, musicians, filmmakers, and other music-minded folks to build us their own personal mixtape and talk about the moments and memories that inspired it. New episodes drop here and wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for watching, and if you liked this one, share it with a friend who also might. Created by Alexei Shishkin Associate Producer: Alivia Stonier Booking: Jamie Halliday 📬 Subscribe: Subscribe now [%%checkout_url%%] 📲 Follow us: IG: https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense [https://www.instagram.com/ruedefense] TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub [https://tiktok.com/@tapeclub] Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com [https://bsky.app/profile/tapeclub.substack.com] X: https://x.com/ruedefense [https://x.com/ruedefense] 🤝 Support / Sponsorship: https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA [https://forms.gle/8L4o4yLvX5fQnpAXA] 🎶 Submit Music: https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA [https://forms.gle/Mc7En6K8Tb2BbgxJA] 📩 Contact: hi@tapeclub.biz ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 - Intro to Jeff Jakobs 00:49 - Lorem Ipsum: The Album 07:39 - Milk Barn vs Lorem Ipsum 13:15 - Theater & Comedy Life 17:45 - Working with a Vocal Coach 22:03 - Making Music Videos 25:28 - The Mixtape 26:46 - “Everything Happens to Me” by Chet Baker 30:19 - “Visions of Johanna” by Bob Dylan 34:44 - “Je n’en connais pas la fin” by Jeff Buckley 41:09 - “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody” by Weyes Blood 44:13 - “Hat and Beard” by Eric Dolphy 47:43 - “Great Mass in C minor” by Mozart 52:55 - Honorable Mention: Mayhem 57:19 - Game: Showdown 1:04:32 - Plugs & Outro This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe [https://tapeclub.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]