Best J. Cruz Podcasts (2024)

1
The Bay Area Reacts to Trump’s Win 15:30

1h ago15:30

15:30

In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris, most Bay Area voters have reacted with a mix of shock, sadness, and disappointment. Meanwhile, California's leaders have vowed to fight back during Trump’s second term. Today, we hear from voters, community advocates, and elected officials. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f…

1
What Exactly is a "Flop"? (with Brittany Spanos & Chris Stedman) 1:02:04

23m ago1:02:04

1:02:04

Katy Perry's latest album 143 lit the internet ablaze for all the wrong reasons when it dropped earlier this year, mostly because of how wrong it got nearly everything and how hard it underperformed as a result. 143 was a capital-F flop in the classic sense of the term. But what exactly does the moniker "flop" mean when it comes to pop music? What …

1
Behind the Scenes on Election Day 25:35

1h ago25:35

25:35

The last day to vote in the 2024 election has come and gone. We know some California results, like Adam Schiff winning the race for U.S. Senate and Proposition 36 passing. But many votes still need to be counted. Today, we hear from voters, and then take you inside the KQED newsroom on Tuesday night. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphon…

1
Election Season: Navigating Family Dynamics & Building Empathy with Wayne Brown 52:01

2d ago52:01

52:01

Welcome back to the Slice of Empathy podcast! In this episode, we dive deep into the complexities of family dynamics with our special guest, Wayne Brown, a seasoned therapist and educator specializing in individual and family therapy. With his expertise in addressing current and historical traumas and his dedication to supporting gender nonconformi…

1
Why Many Eligible Voters in Jail Can’t Cast a Ballot 18:35

3h ago18:35

18:35

Thousands of people locked up in California jails are eligible to vote, but by Tuesday, most won’t. CalMatters politics reporter Sameea Kamal explains why it's hard to vote from the inside of county jails. Links: KQED voter guide Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesBy KQED

1
Our 2024 Grammy Nomination Predictions: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Chappell Roan & More (Patreon Preview) 10:43

38m ago10:43

10:43

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, America is making it's most critical decision this week: who will be nominated for Grammys! Louie and Russ each share their predictions for which of your favs (and less favs) will get nominated in the Big Four categories ahead of the official announcement this Friday Nov. 8. To hear the …

1
Santa Clara County Is About to Elect Its First Vietnamese American Supervisor 26:51

5h ago26:51

26:51

Santa Clara County is about to elect its first ever Vietnamese American to the Board of Supervisors. In District 2, which includes downtown San Jose and the east side, Madison Nguyen and Betty Duong are vying for a seat that is open for the first time in over a decade. Whoever wins will play a major role in overseeing how the county spends money on…

1
KELIS (with Variety's Steven J. Horowitz) 1:59:11

4d ago1:59:11

1:59:11

Variety’s Steven J. Horowitz returns to Pop Pantheon to unpack the maddeningly underrated Kelis, who spent most of her career ahead of the curve and helped to carve out a new lane for alt-pop stardom in the 2000s. Louie and Steven dig into Kelis' origin story, from meeting The Neptunes as a teenager to her debut, 1999’s futuristic pop fantasia Kale…

1
Breaking Free: Empowering Women to Rise Above Trauma with Dani Runeback 32:33

2h ago32:33

32:33

In this episode of "A Slice of Empathy," we are joined by Dani Runeback, an inspiring woman who has transformed her deepest struggles into a journey of empowerment. Dani shares her powerful story of overcoming abuse, trauma, addiction, OCD, and grief, and how she redefined her life by breaking free from people-pleasing and self-doubt. Today, as the…

1
SF Mayoral Race Update, Hotel Worker Strike, and Oil Industry Campaign Spending in…Belmont? 26:23

1h ago26:23

26:23

In this edition of The Bay’s monthly news roundup, we check in on how we're feeling before the election and get a status update on the San Francisco mayoral race. Then, we dive into the ongoing hotel worker strike in San Francisco and discuss why the oil industry is getting involved in a local election in a city with no refineries. Links: KQED Vote…

1
NYC LIVE SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT! + Lady Gaga Returns plus New Music from Addison Rae and Halsey (Patreon Preview) 14:30

4d ago14:30

14:30

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Louie and Russ are here to fight about Lady Gaga's new single, "Disease", the first offering from her forthcoming album, "LG7". They then dive into Addison Rae's new single "Aquamarine" and ponder Halsey's latest record, The Great Impersonator, which dropped last Friday. To hear the rest…

1
How Local Churches Are Becoming Hubs for Climate Solutions 19:17

11d ago19:17

19:17

Black churches in the Bay Area are taking the lead on retrofitting their buildings with clean energy to become ‘resilience hubs’ in the event of a major storm or climate-related event. It’s part of a national movement called Green The Church, an organization merging the Black faith community and environmental justice. Links: Apply to be The Bay's n…

1
Could the Oakland Hills Burn Again? 15:11

5d ago15:11

15:11

The Keller Fire, which ignited last Friday in the Oakland Hills, has been contained after burning 15 acres. It temporarily displaced more than 500 residents and damaged two homes. 33 years ago — almost to the day — a much larger and more catastrophic fire burned through the Oakland Hills, killing 25 people and destroying thousands of buildings. It’…

1
Reacting to Your Unpopular Pop Opinions About Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears & More (with Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul) 1:19:57

11d ago1:19:57

1:19:57

We put out a call for our audience's most unpopular pop opinions: hot takes you have that no one else seems to agree with but you know in your heart to be true. And boy, did we get some! Rolling Stone's Larisha Paul joins Louie and Russ to field unpopular pop opinions about I Am... Sasha Fierce, Charli XCX, Glee Cast Versions, Speak Now, Britney's …

1
SF School Closures Are on Pause – For Now 22:33

7d ago22:33

22:33

A new superintendent is taking the helm of the embattled San Francisco Unified School District as it faces a December deadline to close a $113 million budget deficit. That’s after a series of crises, including a botched process around school closures, led to the resignation of Superintendent Matt Wayne over the weekend. Links: Apply to be The Bay's…

1
Life Updates, Reflecting on Change, Cancer at 28 43:24

8d ago43:24

43:24

Welcome back to the Slice of Empathy podcast! In this special solo episode, our host reflects on the journey of self-discovery and resilience that has defined the last half of her life. After realizing that she's spent as much time on her own in adulthood as she did in an abusive home, she shares her experiences of overcoming trauma and finding hea…

1
Sonoma County's Measure J Could Reshape Farming 22:15

9d ago22:15

22:15

In Sonoma County, no ballot measure has gotten more attention than Measure J. Put on the ballot by animal rights groups, Measure J would ban “Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations” in the county. It would be the first law of its kind in the nation. Supporters say this ban on so-called factory farms is an issue of animal welfare and environmental p…

1
EP: 680- Thuy Interview (uncensored) 33:04

12d ago33:04

33:04

Thuy stopped by The Cruz Show to talk about her new album, family & more. The vibes were all good, check out this fun interview.By REAL 92.3 (KRRL)

1
EP: 679- Clave Especial Interview (uncensored) 19:57

12d ago19:57

19:57

Clave Especial stopped by the Cruz Show to talk about their music and the "Don't Fall in Love" Festival. They also performed a couple of songs in studio. The guys also talked about their come up, college live, playing for no money & so much more. It's a great interview make sure to share!By REAL 92.3 (KRRL)

1
An Evening at San Jose’s Story Road Night Market 19:44

19d ago19:44

19:44

Night markets have exploded in popularity over the past few years in the Bay Area. Many local downtowns and shopping districts have invested in night markets as a way to regain the foot traffic of the pre-pandemic years. In this episode, we go to the Story Road Night Market in San Jose’s Little Saigon neighborhood to eat some delicious food and tal…

1
CHARLI XCX: PT. 3 (with Shaad D'Souza) 1:47:07

18d ago1:47:07

1:47:07

Shaad D’Souza returns to Pop Pantheon for the conclusion of our three-part series on Charli XCX. Shaad and Louie unpack Charli’s 2020 lockdown album, the DIY How I'm Feeling Now, and 2022’s Crash, which ditched the outré experimentation of her PC Music era in favor of open gestures at the pop charts. From there, they discuss Charli’s return to the …

1
Two Big Recall Elections in the East Bay 29:29

14d ago29:29

29:29

Voters in Alameda County and the city of Oakland could recall District Attorney Pamela Price and Mayor Sheng Thao in November. Price and Thao are progressives who some residents blame for issues like crime, homelessness, and drug use. Opponents say the recalls are undemocratic and unfairly target two women of color who took office less than 2 years…

1
pop pantheon and it's about charli xcx's brat remix album featuring reanna cruz (patreon preview) 12:14

16d ago12:14

12:14

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Brat Summer becomes Brat Autumn as Charli XCX drops a completely reimagined version of her blockbuster album from earlier this year, Brat and it's Completely Different but Also Still Brat. Reanna Cruz joins Louie and Russ to break down Charli's latest addition to the Bratoverse and how i…

1
Close All Tabs: The Evolution of Online Campaigning 39:45

17d ago39:45

39:45

Online campaigning has changed dramatically since the early days of dial-up modems. In a new miniseries from KQED called Close All Tabs, internet culture journalist Morgan Sung takes us on a trip down digital memory lane to understand how internet culture is influencing this year’s election. Links: Listen to Close All Tabs on KQED's Political Break…

1
$100 Million Is Coming to Deep East Oakland 21:41

20d ago21:41

21:41

Deep East Oakland used to be a thriving community with movie theaters and bowling alleys. But the crack cocaine epidemic and decades of disinvestment hit the community hard. Now, a $100 million philanthropic investment is coming to this part of Oakland, and people from the community will decide how to use it. Reporter Olivia Cruz Mayeda joins us to…

1
CHARLI XCX: PT. 2 (with Pitchfork's Anna Gaca) 1:50:42

25d ago1:50:42

1:50:42

Senior Editor at Pitchfork Anna Gaca returns to Pop Pantheon for the second in our three-part series on Charli XCX. Anna and Louie look back on Charli’s early link-ups with "hyperpop" innovator Sophie, starting with 2016’s Vroom Vroom EP, which began Charli's pivot from an also-ran on the pop charts into the genre’s savviest alternative auteur. Fro…

1
EP: 678- Victoria Monet Interview (uncensored) 30:16

23d ago30:16

30:16

Victoria Monet stopped by the Cruz Show & talked in depth about her deluxe album + she talked about her previous job, Kaytranada, her sexy side & what her kid does when she sings to her.By REAL 92.3 (KRRL)

1
EP: 677- DaBaby Interview (uncensored) 33:14

23d ago33:14

33:14

The Cruz Show welcomed back DaBaby and he talked about his new new mix tape WTF is this a mixtape. He talked about getting his confidence from his mom + his growth in the music industry, his family & so much more. DaBaby also sang a little bit of Alicia Keys & talked about the importance of mental health…

1
Folie à Deux is Bad. What's Next for Lady Gaga's Acting Career? (with Variety's Daniel D'addario) (Patreon Preview) 9:22

21d ago9:22

9:22

In a preview of this week's Pop Pantheon: All Access episode, Lady Gaga turned heads with her debut film role, her Oscar-nominated turn in 2018's A Star is Born, and many thought she might defy history and become the rare pop diva who successfully pivots to Hollywood. But since then, her track record has been spotty at best. Despite her performance…

1
Explaining Ranked Choice Voting 23:25

1M ago23:25

23:25

Some Bay Area cities like Oakland and San Francisco use a system known as ranked choice voting in the November election. Ranked choice voting is also used in Alaska and Maine and dozens of other American cities. Today, KQED Political Breakdown host Scott Shafer speaks with Lisa Bryant, professor of political science at California State University, …

1
'It's Been a Year. This Must End.' 12:59

30d ago12:59

12:59

One year ago, Hamas killed more than 1,200 people in an attack on Israel and took at least 250 hostages. In response, Israel’s bombardment and invasion of Gaza has killed more than 41,500 Palestinians and displaced millions. This conflict has sparked huge reactions all over the world, especially here in California. Today, we hear from four local re…

1
Beyond the Heartbreak: Anonymous Andrew's Path to Recovery 47:34

1M ago47:34

47:34

In this heartfelt episode of A Slice of Empathy, we sit down with Anonymous Andrew, a man whose life journey has been shaped by the challenges of bipolar disorder and alcoholism. Andrew shares his candid story of a tumultuous three-year relationship that nearly broke him, revealing how betrayal led him into a deep spiral of depression. Andrew opens…

1
Prop. 36: Increase Penalties for Certain Theft and Drug Crimes 30:01

1M ago30:01

30:01

10 years ago, Californians passed Prop. 47, which reclassified certain petty theft and drug possession crimes as misdemeanors instead of felonies. At the time, it was part of an effort to reduce prison overcrowding and promote alternatives to incarceration. Supporters of Prop. 36 say that it's time to roll back parts of that ballot measure in order…

1
EP: 676 - Akon Interview (uncensored) 33:22

29d ago33:22

33:22

Legendary artist Akon stopped by the Cruz Show to talk about new music & tour + introduced us to his new artists Sheesh. He also told us good stories about Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga & more. He also dropped some gems on investing in AfricaBy REAL 92.3 (KRRL)

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J. Cruz Podcasts

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