“Rockabilly” is a portmanteau of the words “rock” and “hillbilly” that originally described a subgenre of rock and roll music in the 1950s. This week’s episode of Silent Generation focuses on the rockabilly subculture: a modern interpretation of rockabilly that combines 1950s nostalgia with alternative staples like hair dye, piercings, and tattoos. Nathan and Sebastien start out by discussing traditional rockabilly music that was popularized by the likes of Elvis Presley, Janis Martin, and Wanda Jackson. The two then theorize why people are drawn to the rockabilly subculture and identify what characteristics they share. They then detail rockabilly fashion before concluding with a discussion about rockabilly values and whether or not those values still feel transgressive.

Links:

Rockabillies Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/rockabillies/

The Best of Rockabilly Playlist

Bang Bang by Janis Martin

Fujiyama Mama by Wanda Jackson

Rockabilly - Aesthetics Wiki Page

Rockabilly resurgence: A rocking revival in the 90s by 034zakia.bessaa2008

What Is Rockabilly Style? Everything You Wanted To Know by Bonnie

It's a Rockabilly World (2016)

Guys Episode 37 - Rockabilly Guys with Brace Belden

Reviving the 1950s - Exploring Tokyo’s Rockabilly Culture by Melanie Gelo

Nothing to Worry About by Peter Bjorn and John

Viva Las Vegas

VLV 25 Car Show

LisaTV @ the Rockabilly Convention

Rockabilly Duo: Your Scene Sucks

Child of Rockabilly Couple Constantly Wondering What the Fuck Is Going On by Keith Buckley

Drake Bell Made a Rockabilly Album?

r/Rockabilly

Is Rockabilly alive and well or is it a dying culture?

”Rockabilly” on Google Trends

Ep. 68: Historical Dressing & Reenactment

Artwork:

Rockabilly women, featuring Sailor Jassie

Recorded on 3/23/2026

Art Deco is an art and design style relevant from the 1920s to 1930s that is best characterized by its use of metallic colors, geometric patterns, futuristic forms, and references to ancient civilizations. It is the most celebrated of all of the design styles that can be grouped under Interwar Modernism, but what makes it so popular? On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien begin by charting Art Deco’s emergence in France to its eventual dissemination at the 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris. They then detail two Art Deco skyscrapers (the Carbide & Carbon Building and the Guardian Building) before delving into a conversation about Art Deco and American identity. The episode rounds out with an analysis of Art Deco in three pieces of media: Bioshock (2007), Nightmare Alley (2021), and Metropolis (1927).

Links:

Art Deco Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/silentgeneration/art-deco/

Art Deco of the 20s and 30s by Bevis Hillier (1968)

Art Deco Architecture: Everything You Need to Know as the Style Turns 100 by By Katherine McLaughlin and Elizabeth Stamp

Art Deco: Everything You Wanted to Know

Ep. 110: Consumer Aesthetics Research Podcast w/ Evan Collins

A History - Vienna Secession

Secession Building

Stoclet Palace

Carbide and Carbon Building

The History of The Guardian Building: An Art Deco Landmark

Lobby murals at Buffalo City Hall

Sen̓áḵw

Bioshock (2007)

Nightmare Alley (2021)

Metropolis (1927)

North & Pulaski

Artwork:

The "Spirit of Light" sculpture on the Niagara Mohawk Building in Syracuse, NY

Recorded on 3/16/2026

On this week’s episode of Silent Generation, Nathan and Sebastien explore the early development of skyscrapers in Chicago, beginning with the construction of the Home Insurance Building in 1885. They note that nine early Chicago skyscrapers have been nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Site status and examine two in depth: the Monadnock Building and the Auditorium Building. The episode also traces the life of Louis Sullivan, whose tripartite theory shaped skyscraper design for generations. Finally, they examine several early skyscrapers in Sebastien’s hometown of Buffalo, New York (the Guaranty Building, the Ellicott Square Building, and the Dun Building) before debating the extent to which skyscrapers are monuments to capital.

Links:

Skyscraper | Encyclopedia Britannica

Early Chicago Skyscrapers (UNESCO)

The Monadnock’s original Egyptian Revival facade

The Chicago Auditorium, an Architectural Pride

Center for New Deal Studies

The World's Tallest buildings in 1930

It looks like a fairy tale city, perhaps the Emerald City or smth like that [Historical photo of the Chicago Loop]

Artwork:

Guaranty Building, 1895 Church and Pearl Streets, Buffalo (NY, USA). Dankmar Adler et Louis Sullivan, architectes. © Wayne Andrews / Esto

Recorded on 3/2/2026