On this episode of The J-Card Podcast, we’re joined by writer, musician, and Spare Notes host Jonah Evans to talk about the unexpected overlap between DIY music and the literary world. Jonah shares what he’s learned from writing for Post-Trash, Atwood Magazine, and The Tonearm, and how gatekeeping, publishing, and self-promotion compare across creative fields.
We also dive into his “Jimmy John’s Mixtape”, a lovingly chaotic mix of hardcore, emo, and indie rock classics from bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Texas Is the Reason, and Built to Spill. Finally, we cap it off with a Philly Music Bracket that crowns a surprising champion.
Listen to Spare Notes: https://jonahinthesnow.com/interviews
More on IG: @jonahinthesnow https://www.instagram.com/jonahinthesnow/
The J-Card is presented by Rue Defense Tape Club, a quarterly, mail-order cassette compilation and DIY audio project. Hosted by Alexei Shishkin, 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.
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⏱️ Chapters:
00:00 - Intro to Jonah Evans
01:21 - How Spare Notes Started
06:34 - Comparing Music & Literary Worlds
09:00 - Publishing Writing vs Publishing Music
12:56 - DIY in Literature: Is there a “Bandcamp”?
17:30 - Breaking Into Prestigious Magazines
19:25 - Music as Writing Inspiration
21:19 - Mixtape Intro: “The Jimmy John’s Mixtape”
22:12 - “Head to Wall” by Quicksand
24:08 - “Convenient Parking” by Modest Mouse
28:15 - “Back and to the Left” by Texas Is the Reason
31:35 - “Seven” by Sunny Day Real Estate
34:11 - “Rascuache” by At The Drive-In
38:30 - “Carry the Zero” by Built to Spill
41:55 - “The New Nathan Detroits” by Braid
45:43 - Honorable Mention: “Your New Aesthetic” by Jimmy Eat World
48:16 - Philly Music Bracket
53:34 - Plugs/Outro
