Today, we’re doing something ambitious and maybe a little bit stupid, but hopefully the right kind of stupid.

We’re rejecting the algorithm. No clips for the feeds. No farming for engagement. Because social media is antisocial.

Tom wrote a book about the Chapel Hill music scene in the ‘90s. Before discoverability tools and doomscrolling. Before music became something you listen to by yourself. Back when people listened together, and told their friends.

After all, word of mouth is the OG algorithm. So that’s how we’re gonna do it.

It’ll be slower, but it’ll be better.

So go tell your friends, and come on up to the house.

~~~NEWS!~~~

We’ll be having our first virtual hangout next week for all paid subscribers and Patreon supporters — speaking of which:

THIS IS THE LINK TO OUR PATREON
1st 100 people get Founder status for $4/month for life.

You might be wondering what the difference will be between Patreon and Substack.
Here’s the breakdown:

Paid supporters of either will get access to ad-free episodes and epilogues.

For the Patreon folks, there will be more bonus video content, as well as access to a private Discord, which we will be launching as soon as the first 100 people sign up.

On Substack, there will be more written work (essays and supplements), some of which will be behind a paywall, as well as access to a paid-subscriber chat, which will go online once we reach 100 sign-ups there.

The world is full of people asking for your money. Anyone who supports this show with actual dollars will have our undying gratitude, and we’ll do everything we can to return the love.

Highlights:

The algorithm is killing us. We have the data.

Social media melts attention and connection

How and why Jordan got into podcasting

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History proved millions of people will listen to 4-hour deep dives, despite the TikTok-ification of everything

How do we produce stuff that earns thoughtful attention without marketing it on platforms that absolutely ravage attention

How posting on socials violates the creative instinct

If you build your platform on social media, you don’t get to leave

David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water”: we’re all actively worshiping something—the passive viewing sneakily changes our personalities

Tom’s book (A Really Strange and Wonderful Time) about the Chapel Hill music scene in the 90s became a manifesto for “scenius”—Brian Eno’s term for the genius of community, not individual artists

We used to listen to music publicly, with friends, talk about it

Now music is private, instantly available, and we listen alone

The Great Deceleration: we’re trying to build something that encourages depth over virality, connection over “engagement” (whatever the hell that is)

We can’t fail. We’re already on the path.

First 100 Patreon supporters get Founding Member status at $4/month for life

If we can grow successfully without bowing to the algorithmic feeds, it’ll chart a path for other creators

Complete transparency and monthly updates (at least) on the numbers, tracking the OG algorithm of word of mouth

If we’re not giving you what you want, tell us

If we ARE giving you what you want, tell your friends

And in the epilogue…

Once again, here's a link to our freshly-minted Patreon.

And a reminder that the first 100 supporters will get Founder status for $4/month, forever.

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