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

Nevada (also known as Nevadastyles on Instagram) is a hair artist from New York City who has lived a bicoastal lifestyle for the last half decade. For the majority of that time she has lived and worked in both New York City and Los Angeles, but her career as a hair artist has brought her all over the world. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, she joins Nathan for a conversation about why she and other creatives aspire to live bicoastal lifestyles. They begin with a conversation about the pros and cons of New York City and Los Angeles, focusing on key geographic and cultural differences. Nathan then argues that the rise of bicoastal living represents the latest stage in the elite’s drift toward rootlessness and cosmopolitanism, a pattern described by Christopher Lasch in The Revolt of the Elites. The episode concludes with a discussion about whether having roots (and not being bicoastal) is a status symbol and the common traits shared by big city natives. 

Links:

@nevadastyles - Instagram Profile 

https://www.nevadaraffaele.com/

New Data Tool and Research Show Where People Move as Young Adults by 

Nathaniel Hendren, Sonya R. Porter and Ben Sprung-Keyser

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan

The Revolt of the Elites by Christopher Lasch

The messy, viral fight over America's fourth 'major' city by Tessa Mclean

What are the 4 major US cities? The internet can't decide. Vote for your picks by Melina Khan

Artwork:

New York 1971 by Hans-Peter Balfanz

CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Boyle Heights, 1979 by John Humble

Recorded on 11/19/2025

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

Prior episodes of Silent Generation have focused on secular social movements that emerged around the turn of the 20th century. Fraternities technically predate this era, but they occupy a similar niche, and Joseph shares an important connection to them as a former fraternity brother. Why did they first emerge, and why do universities continue to tolerate them on campus? 

This week’s episode of Silent Generation addresses those questions. The boys begin with a survey of the history of fraternities and related groups (social fraternities, professional organizations, secret societies, and fraternal orders). They then discuss commonalities between fraternities, the architectural characteristics of fraternity houses, the prevalence of hazing and hazing deaths, and the 1978 sex comedy Animal House. 

Links:

Fraternity by Alexandra Robins

The Founding of the North-American Fraternity and Sorority System

Fraternity and Sorority

Mies van der Rohe’s Forgotten Frat House Design Is Resurrected and Repurposed by Lauren Moya Ford

The Sorority Quad at Northwestern University by Fran Becque

Join HOTEL KAPPA for PC ‘25! - #RushTok

IN DG WE TRUST: Empowering Community Engagement - #RushTok

Lorax - #Sorority - #RushTok

Mr. Bobinsky Halloween Costume Tik Tok Video

It's Time for Congress to Ban Fraternities—Sororities, Too by Matt Robinson

Here’s how much more money you could make just from joining a frat by Yoni Blumberg

Why Colleges Tolerate Fraternities 

Houses of Horror: Secrets of College Greek Life (2024)

My son was blindfolded, led to the basement and left to die on a couch by Ruth Bashinsky

Animal House (1978)

Gay History of Men’s Fraternities

Image archive of the Theta Chi chapter at Penn State University

Artwork:

Theta Chi of Penn State - Spring 1988 Initiation 

Recorded on 11/5/2025

Full episode available on Patreon:

Links:

Artwork:

Recorded on 10/29/2025

Witch house is a music genre and internet aesthetic that emerged in the late 2000s as bands combined occult imagery and sounds. On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by noting that it was the very first internet aesthetic, with the earliest example being the 2005 blog Runawaytoday. They then talk about common witch house aesthetic elements such as horror, “the woods,” and occult symbols (particularly inverted crosses). The conversation then shifts to music, with a survey of several witch house bands such as SALEM, Pictureplane, CRIM3S, and Crystal Castles. The episode concludes with discussion of witch house’s legacy and what it was trying to express. 

Links:

Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/witch-house/ 

witch-house.com

Witch House - Aesthetics Wiki

OG Witch House Spotify Playlist

True Witch House Only Spotify Playlist

Sick by SALEM

Trapdoor by SALEM

Better Off Alone by SALEM

Goth Star by Picturplane

Hyper Real by Picureplane

Salt by CRIM3S

Pumpkin Pumpkin by Zombelle

Runawaytoday (2005)

GODBLESS - Untitled (2008) by Ponyboy

Guest List: Best of 2009 by Tyler Grisham

Got any witch house? Why I'm on the genre-mongers' side | Music by Tom Ewing

https://www.blairwitch.com/ 

Making of The Blair Witch Project— From a $35k Budget to $250 Million Box Office Phenomenon

The surprising evolution of hipsters in the 2000s - Brad Troemel

Alek Morgan’s Facebook page (NVRMND archive)

Witch House Band Iceberg Infographic

Witch House Music History

Lana del Rey/ Jack Donoghue Cook County Penitentiary photo

SALEM: The Midwest's Most Wanted (Documentary)

This is the CRIM3S Biography Tik Tok video

CRIM3S SQUATT RAVE

@Rourotfan

Rou Rot and Alice Glass

MTV CRIBS: pictureplane gives a tour of Rhinoceropolis

shout out to male producer female lead witch house duos Reddit post

Witch House: The Ghostly Genre of The Music Industry by Clara C. Steemer

Which house for witch house? Pictureplane’s goth beats are taking flight by P. J. Nutting

Witch House: An Intro To The Microgenre That Influenced Everyone From Tyler, The Creator To ASAP Rocky by Kyle Garb

The Occult Genre Known As "Witch House" - Pad Chennington

Whatever happened to witch house? by Al Horner

Artwork:

Mexico City’s Dark Electronic Music Project Ritualz Releases Dual Video Premiere for “Nothing” and “Testify” by Alice Teeple

Recorded on 10/22/2025

The United States once had the best public transportation system in the world. Private companies built subway, elevated, interurban, trolley, and long distance train lines with passenger service in mind. But as the automobile rose in popularity, ridership declined, and the country’s transit systems eventually became publicly run.

But what made privately owned rail during that era so great, and what does modern private passenger service look like? On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by detailing some of the things that were better about the Chicago ‘L’ 100 years ago: more stations, more express service, and better frequency. They then talk about Brightline and JR Railways before examining how those companies invest in real estate to increase profits. The episode concludes with a discussion about privately owned freight rail and how Class I railroads are poorly managed. 

Links:

The Lost Subways of North America by Jake Berman 

New York Subway Operator Life 1980s vs 90s vs Today

chicago-l.org

Ridership Reports - Performance metrics - CTA

Why Chicago's Express Train Isn't Really Express - Car Free Keith

Car 553

First new private rail passenger service in over 100 years by Terry Spencer and Daniel Kozin

Killer Train by Brittany Wallman, Aaron Leibowitz and Shradha Dinesh

Killer Train Podcast

Brightline rolls out expanded services from Orlando to Miami by Jaclyn Harold

High Speed Rail in Florida and the History of Brightline - Alan Fisher

Brightline West

Las Vegas doesn't have a purpose anymore as the designated area for American vices

How Japan Builds Suburbs That Don't Suck - Car Free Keith

Why Japanese Railways Win - Wendover Productions

Japan Kept A Train Running For Years Just For One Girl, The Inspiring Story Will Move You by Nikhil Pandey

Should Amtrak be Privatized? by Car Free Keith

Katrina: Come Hell or High Water

Freight Rail Overview - US Department of Transportation

How America's Largest Railroads are Ruining our Supply Chains - Alan Fisher

US rail companies grant paid sick days after public pressure in win for unions by Steven Greenhouse

Artwork:

Jamaica Ave El

Recorded on 10/12/2025

Full episode available on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/SilentGeneration

“Civil servants” are employees of the municipal, state, or federal government. Within cities they often live in far-flung areas that are colloquially referred to as “police neighborhoods" or “firefighter neighborhoods.” The tendency of civil servants to live amongst each other has caused them to develop a distinct set of customs and norms that can be described as “civil servant culture.”

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by discussing whether civil servants constitute their own subculture or social class. They then talk about the symbols they use to identify one another such as thin line flags, punisher symbols, and regional accents. They then survey the areas that civil servants tend to cluster in Chicago (Beverly/ Mt. Greenwood, Garfield Ridge/ Clearing, and Norwood Park/ O’Hare) and NYC (Staten Island, Breezy Point), before concluding with a discussion on the differences between public facing and administrative civil servants.

Links:

Residency Requirements for City Employees by Connie M Hager

Mayoral challenger outlines plan to ease police staffing shortage by Fran Spielman

The thin blue line: The history behind the controversial police emblem by David Hernandez

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

Thin Line Flags Infographic

First Responder American Flag, 3 x 5 Feet

Man walking to every CPD station to raise awareness for police mental health

The Punisher Skull - 99% Invisible 

Italian cop in NYC

Infographic: Where Cubs and White Sox Fans Live

City Active Employees: Map and Census Data

Hey Jackass’s 2025 homicide map

"Cop neighborhoods" in NYC?

Why is there no outrage over the Breezy Point Cooperative?

Burn After Reading (2008)

Toward a Theory of Street-Level Bureaucracy by Michael Lipsky 

Bangladeshis Build Careers in New York Traffic by Jodi Kantor

How Stereotypes of the Irish Evolved From ‘Criminals’ to Cops by Livia Gershon 

Cops Rarely Pull Over Drivers In Their Own Neighborhoods, Data Shows. Motorists In Black Neighborhoods Aren’t So Lucky by Pascal Sabin

Chicago’s first firefighters entrance exam since 2014 draws diverse pool, but rules have changed by Fran Spielman

Artwork:

ThrowbackThursday: Weekly Garbage Service - Eltham District Historical Society

Recorded on 10/5/2025

In 2017 a new uniform emerged for men employed by the financial industry: fleece/ puffer vests, dress shirts, slacks, and dress shoes. The unadorned look was first documented by the Instagram account Midtownuniform, and it became the signature outfit of “finance bros.” Finance bros are the latest “corporate subculture” to come out of Wall Street, but they are far less fashionable than previous corporate subcultures like Yuppies. 

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan begin by delineating the elements of finance bro fashion before speculating where trends in casualization might lead things. They then note that “quants” (quantitative analysts) have even lower professional standards for their appearance. Amongst other things they discuss how finance bro fashion began to bleed into politics in the 2020s, how finance bros fueled the “bowl slop” trend in fast casual dining, and how the vulgarity of Finance Bros was depicted on Succession. 

Links:

Four lads in jeans meme

Artwork:

Recorded on 9/22/2025

Full episode available on Patreon:

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Joseph and Nathan talk about father figures in their personal lives and in society more broadly. The episode opens with a discussion of familiar archetypes such as coaches, scout leaders, teachers, and bosses. The boys also note that children sometimes latch onto “parasocial father figures” like Mr. Rogers and Hank Hill in the absence of real-life ones. They then share observations about “daddy issues” (the negative traits that emerge in the absence of father figures) before deliberating whether daddy issues and mommy issues can arise independently of one another. 

Links:

"Friendly Guy in a Pub" starter pack meme

Sweet middle aged vietnamese ladies calling their customers handsome boy meme

Various memes about the lunch lady calling you sugar

Look Me In The Eyes (Air Jordan ad)

The Joy of Six: US athletes' pushy parents by Les Carpenter

The Slap (2011)

Japanese adult adoption

Best of Jenelle & Barbara (Part 1) | Teen Mom 2

The Jenelle Evans Dating Timeline - A Visual Guide

Big Brother Big Sisters of America - History That Spans More Than A Century

The Making of a Misogynist: How Andrew Tate inherited his father's toxic beliefs by Claudia Cockerell

Artwork:

Recorded on 9/14/2025