Silent Generation

Freak Folk was a subgenre of folk music popular from the early to late 2000s that emerged after younger indie musicians took inspiration from 1960s psychedelic folk. Initially defying characterization, people started to label their music “Freak Folk” beginning in 2004 after Devendra Banhart curated a compilation CD titled The Golden Apples of the Sun that unintentionally anthologized the subgenre. Most Freak Folk artists rejected the label, but it described a cohesive sound best characterized by childlike vocals, unusual musical instruments, and lo-fi production quality. This week, Nathan is joined by professor and painter Madeline Rupard (from Ep. 84: Rest Stops) to discuss the subgenre in depth. The two begin by tracing Freak Folk’s origins to Vashti Bunyan and Davendra Banhart, detailing how the two collaborated. They then dedicate a large portion of the episode to singer-songwriter and harpist Joanna Newsom, discussing all four of her albums: The Milk-Eyed Mender, Ys, Have One On Me, and Divers. They then briefly cover the work CocoRosie and Animal Collective before concluding the episode with a speculative discussion about why most Freak Folk musicians received Waldorf educations in their youth. Links: Madeline Rupard - Instagram Page https://www.madelinerupard.com/ Joannna Newsom is not on Spotify The Sprout and the Bean by Joann Newsom Bridges & Balloons by Joann Newsom Emily by Joanna Newsom Have One On Me by Joanna Newsom Sapokanikan by Joanna Newsom Terrible Angels by Cocorosie Winters Love by Animal Collective Rejoicing in the Hands by Vashti Bunyan & Davendra Banhart The Golden Apples of the Sun (2004) Devendra Banhart is Not a Freak Freak Folk’s Very Own Pied Piper by Alec Hanley Bemis BiRd-BrAiNs by Tune-Yards - Pitchfork Review Joanna Newsom, the Changeling by Jody Rosen Joanna Newsom interview on Triple J Meeting CocoRosie - Interview with Bianca and Sierra Casady - Talking Records New Film Documents 2004 Devendra Banhart/Joanna Newsom Tour by Tom Breihan The Family Jams (2009) Highest Rated Freak Folk Albums of All Time - Pitchfork Magazine The Sound of Freak Folk Artwork: Harp Inspires Hyperbole by Helgi Valur Recorded on 5/16/2026

Soft Colonial Wanderlust is a Victorian-inspired consumer aesthetic that was popular from the late 1980s to mid 2010s. It consists of black and white photographs, hand-colored photographs, antiquated technology, chinoiserie, japonisme, and general orientalism. Nathan and Breanna detail the aesthetic in this week’s episode of Silent Generation, from its murky origins in ‘60s/‘70s British animation to its eventual identification by CARI in 2017. They discuss how Twee is the “girl version” of Soft Colonial Wanderlust, how hand-colored photographs serve as the foundation for the aesthetic’s color scheme, and how Soft Colonial Wanderlust differentiates itself from Steampunk by eschewing digital technology. Links:Soft Colonial Wanderlust Pinterest Board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/soft-colonial-wanderlust/Soft Colonial Wanderlust CARI PageSoft Colonial Wanderlust Aesthetics Wiki PageWhat is Soft Colonialist Wanderlust? Facebook GroupSoft Colonialist Wanderlust Are.na Pagehttps://anemptyblissbeyondthisworld.neocities.org/CARI/soft-colonialThe surprising evolution of hipsters in the 2000sThe Mysterious Geographic Explorations Of Jasper Morello Artwork:Hendrick's Gin "Escape" Recorded on 01/31/2026

In this important announcement, Joseph shares his plans to leave Silent Generation and Nathan shares his plans to continue it. The podcast will relaunch in two to three months with a new co-host that is familiar to the community. Nathan also shares that he is open to adding other regular contributors, and that a Discord member named Juniper is going to make a commemorative zine for the first iteration of the podcast. Links: Nathan’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathan_knize/ Silent Generation’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/silent.generation/ Recorded on 12/3/2025

Adult contemporary is a radio format and marketing category originally created by Billboard magazine. It has encompassed many genres, starting with easy listening in the 1960s. What could be considered adult contemporary changed over the decades as genres like rock and roll and electronic music grew older, and older listeners found their sounds more palatable. But what does “adult contemporary” mean, and why do the songs that get grouped into the category appeal to adults so much? This week’s episode of Silent Generation focuses on adult contemporary music in the 1990s and 2000s. Joseph and Nathan begin by outlining the history of the radio format before discussing the common features of adult contemporary songs. They then review the music of U2, Vanessa Carlton, The Verve, Zero 7, Ivy, and After. The episode concludes with a discussion of what happened to adult contemporary, focusing on why the radio format no longer has a distinct sound. Links: Adult Contemporary Spotify Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/… Adult Contemporary Music Guide: What Is Adult Contemporary? The Adult Contemporary Billboard Chart When Rock Bands Become Adult Contemporary (part 1) by Eduard Banulescu 90s Adult Contemporary - Totally 80s and 90s Recall Clocks by Coldplay Beautiful Day by U2 A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve Destiny by Zero 7 Disappointed by Ivy Deep Diving by After Most craziest American Idol contestant ever, Mary Roach U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere The Story of 'A Thousand Miles' by Vanessa Carlton White Chicks (2004) - A Thousand Miles Terry Crews Scene The greatest songwriting theft of all time - David Hartly Ivy Talks Making the Seminal Y2K Dreampop LP ‘Long Distance’ by Myke Dodge Weiskopf Meet After, the L.A. Duo Making Y2k-Inspired Pop That Feels Like Right Now by Jeff Ihaza You’re deep diving - @aftertheband Gen X Soft Club - CARI page List of Billboard Adult Contemporary number ones of 2025 Adult Contemporary 100 week of 11/09/2025 Where Have All the Adult Contemporary Artists Gone? - Daniel Montoya Jr. Artwork: U2 at the Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, Summer 2000 Recorded on 11/12/2025

Full episode available on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration The field of cryptozoology emerged in the mid-20th century as people began to investigate sightings of mysterious creatures like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster using pseudoscientific methods. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by theorizing that cryptozoology emerged as a way for the United States and other Anglosphere countries to generate their own folklore. They delineate why it is a primarily American phenomenon, pointing to the country's huge swaths of undeveloped land. They then discuss several famous cryptids such as Bigfoot, Mothman, the Michigan Dogman, the Flatwoods Monster, the Loch Ness Monster, and Thunderbirds. They conclude with a discussion of how paranormal media “slopified” cable television in the early 2010s, and how the rise of AI has made photo and video evidence of cryptids even less believable. Links:What is a cryptid?CryptomundoThe Cryptid Zoo: Satyrs (or Fauns) in CryptozoologyOn the Track of Unknown Animals by Bernard Heuvelmans The Discovery of the Okapi, Part 1Backwoods HorrorThe Maryland Snallygaster: Devil of Racist Politics by Jake SeboeThe racist roots of Maryland’s mythical Snallygaster monster by Julie Scharper Patterson-Gimlin Film HD 60fpsThe Mothman Prophecies by John A. Keel The Mothman Revisited - Unsolved MysteriesEpisode 14: Chicago Tales - Otherworld podcastEp. 113: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 1 - Otherworld podcastEp. 114: The Michigan Dogman Pt. 2 - Otherworld podcast#70: Flatwoods Monster - Cryptonauts podcastFlatwoods Monster - Cryptid WikiThe Flatwoods MonsterThe Cryptid Collector’s TrioScooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster (2004)Thunderbird - Cryptid WikiMonsterQuest (2007-2010)Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real (2004)The Truth is out there” the Alan Champagne Morro Bay Disappearance by Katya Cengel Artwork:unknown Recorded on 10/29/2025