Accelerated Culture
2024 WEBBY AWARDS HONOREE FOR BEST INDIE PODCAST! Accelerated Culture: The Rise of Alternative Music in the 80s and Beyond is a walk through an often-ignored bit of music history. We explore how new wave stormed the airwaves in the early 80s and gave way for the rise of alternative music. Find us on the web at AcceleratedCulturePodcast.com. Please note: The music clips included in this podcast fall under the ”Fair Use Doctrine” as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips for purposes of criticism, comment, and news reporting.
2024 WEBBY AWARDS HONOREE FOR BEST INDIE PODCAST! Accelerated Culture: The Rise of Alternative Music in the 80s and Beyond is a walk through an often-ignored bit of music history. We explore how new wave stormed the airwaves in the early 80s and gave way for the rise of alternative music. Find us on the web at AcceleratedCulturePodcast.com. Please note: The music clips included in this podcast fall under the ”Fair Use Doctrine” as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips for purposes of criticism, comment, and news reporting.
Episodes
Saturday Sep 20, 2025
Episode 73: Stereolab’s “Peng!” (1992)
Saturday Sep 20, 2025
Saturday Sep 20, 2025
After the breakup of British indie pop band McCarthy, Tim Gane and Læitia Sadier blazed new trails with avant-pop band Stereolab. Jangly guitars, vintage synths, and mesmerizing female vocals deliver lyrics tackling topics that transcend conventional pop: Surrealism, Situationism, philosophy, French Modernist poetry. Stereolab is the smartest band out there, and “Peng!” is the album where it all began. Scott and Laurie unpack this post-rock/indie classic.
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Saturday Sep 13, 2025
Special Crossover Episode: Who Will Save Generation X with host Zabe
Saturday Sep 13, 2025
Saturday Sep 13, 2025
Greetings, Accelerated Culture vultures! Scott and I need a little more time to finish our next episode. We’ll be back with Episode 73 on Stereolab’s “Peng!” in one week. In the meantime, we’d like to share this episode of our friend Zabe’s podcast, Who Will Save Generation X? It’s a fun trivia game show, and I got to make a guest appearance in the last 15 minutes. So, check it out, and thank you for your patience. We’ll be back in one week! –Laurie
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Who Will Save Generation X
Challenging Stage #16: “Nice Beaver” The Naked Gun (feat. Laurie of “Accelerated Culture Podcast”)
Here is the next episode of our 3rd format of the show that we call: Who Will Save Generation X: Challenging Stage. We have created this mini-game format to meet the needs of those who have asked for it. Give it a listen and let us know what you think on our website "Answering Machine" feature. In the bottom left corner of the website there is a blue microphone icon. Just tap on that and leave us a message. It’s free to use and your voice might be used on an upcoming episode of the show. We want to hear from you no matter what you have to say, but we are looking for YOU to ask us some GenX trivia questions that we can feature on upcoming shows. So, let's hear what you have to say. :)
In this episode of the Challenging Stage we play in round 1 a game called “Second Guessing”, round 2 is our spotlight trivia round on the topic of "The Naked Gun", and we welcome guest-host Laurie of "Accelerated Culture Podcast" (https://acceleratedculturepodcast.com/), to take over the Captain's Chair in round 3 for some trivia questions featuring trivia on the movie "Hackers".
There is something here for everyone that we hope you'll "especially like".
Show Notes
Check out our website: https://www.whowillsavegenx.com/
Saturday Aug 30, 2025
Episode 72: INXS’ “Welcome to Wherever You Are” (1992)
Saturday Aug 30, 2025
Saturday Aug 30, 2025
In this episode, we explore INXS’s bold and underrated 1992 release, “Welcome to Wherever You Are.” Coming off the massive global success of the X Factor tour, the band took a creative left turn, trading glossy arena rock for experimental sounds, orchestral touches, and a rawer edge. From the sultry beauty of “Not Enough Time” to the sweetness of “Beautiful Girl,” we’ll explore how this album captured a band at the peak of their confidence, willing to reinvent themselves while still delivering the hooks that made them international icons.
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Saturday Aug 02, 2025
Episode 71: Stereo MCs’ “Connected” (1992)
Saturday Aug 02, 2025
Saturday Aug 02, 2025
Scott Free and Laurie dig into a record that you may not even know you know. Don’t let the band’s name fool you: the Stereo MCs weren’t just another English hip-hop act. Bringing together elements of funk, soul, rap, and acid jazz, this album is full of dance-floor bangers and chillout-room grooves. A deeply underrated record (and one of Scott’s low-key favorites), “Connected” is far more than its smash-hit title track.
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SUBSCRIBE ON PATREON FOR ADS-FREE LISTENING AND SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT! If you like what we do at Accelerated Culture Podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for only $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/AcceleratedCulturePodcast
Saturday Jul 19, 2025
Episode 70: Shakespears Sister’s “Hormonally Yours” (1992)
Saturday Jul 19, 2025
Saturday Jul 19, 2025
This week we give the Accelerated Culture treatment to “Hormonally Yours,” the 1992 genre-bending gem by Shakespears Sister. In this track-by-track exploration, we dive into the theatrical pop, gothic glam, and bittersweet balladry that define Siobhan Fahey and Marcella Detroit’s second album. From the cosmic melancholy of “Stay” to the sly humor of “Are We in Love Yet,” we unpack the record’s dramatic flair, lush production, and unapologetically weird charm, proving once again that the ’90s had room for the bold and the beautifully strange.
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SUBSCRIBE ON PATREON FOR ADS-FREE LISTENING AND SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT! If you like what we do at Accelerated Culture Podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for only $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/AcceleratedCulturePodcast
Saturday Jul 05, 2025
Episode 69: The Beastie Boys’ “Check Your Head” (1992) part two
Saturday Jul 05, 2025
Saturday Jul 05, 2025
In part two of our deep dive into “Check Your Head,” the Accelerated Culture crew picks up where we left off, wading deeper into the Beastie Boys’ fuzzed-out soundscape of punk riffs, jazz breaks, and rhymes about everything from pop culture ephemera to spiritual awakening. We break down the tunes that make this double LP more than just a 90s alt-rap classic—it’s a cultural time capsule. Join us as we celebrate the joyfully chaotic genius of a band that refused to be boxed in.
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SUBSCRIBE ON PATREON FOR ADS-FREE LISTENING AND SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT! If you like what we do at Accelerated Culture Podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for only $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/AcceleratedCulturePodcast
Saturday Jun 21, 2025
Episode 68: The Beastie Boys’ “Check Your Head” (1992) part one
Saturday Jun 21, 2025
Saturday Jun 21, 2025
The Accelerated Culture team dives into 1992 with an album so ambitious, so varied, so way out, that it’ll take two episodes to do it justice: The Beastie Boys’ “Check Your Head.” After topping the charts with their debut LP and blowing minds with their sophomore effort, Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock spent three years returning to their punk rock roots, jamming on a funky tip, and just plain goofing. The result is one of Scott Free’s favorites: a sprawling, groovy, raw, riotously fun sonic adventure that pushed the boundaries of both hip-hop and alternative. Word.
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SUBSCRIBE ON PATREON FOR ADS-FREE LISTENING AND SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT! If you like what we do at Accelerated Culture Podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for only $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/AcceleratedCulturePodcast
Saturday Jun 07, 2025
Saturday Jun 07, 2025
Set a course for The Ocean Blue: Laurie and Scott Free interview singer/guitarist/songwriter David Schelzel & drummer Peter Anderson, and explore the band’s sophomore effort, “Cerulean.” It’s the final album deep-dive of 1991, and it be well worth the wait. Yarr.
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SUBSCRIBE ON PATREON FOR ADS-FREE LISTENING AND SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT! If you like what we do at Accelerated Culture Podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for only $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/AcceleratedCulturePodcast
Saturday May 24, 2025
Episode 66: ...And the Rest (1991)
Saturday May 24, 2025
Saturday May 24, 2025
Well, 1991 is finally drawing to a close. “But what about [insert that one band/album/song here]?!! You can’t talk about 1991 and not talk about that!” Fair enough. Laurie and Scott get into the other ones: 10 of the year’s most underrated, overlooked…and one or two they loved but just didn’t feel like doing a whole episode on. It’s a wild ride.
If you like the music featured in this episode, be sure to listen to our complete Episode 66 playlist on Spotify.
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SUBSCRIBE ON PATREON FOR ADS-FREE LISTENING AND SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT! If you like what we do at Accelerated Culture Podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for only $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/AcceleratedCulturePodcast
Saturday May 10, 2025
Episode 65: Fishbone’s “The Reality of My Surroundings” (1991)
Saturday May 10, 2025
Saturday May 10, 2025
What do you get when you mix funk, ska, soul, punk, old-school rhythm & blues, and a heaping helping of chaos? Laurie and Scott find out as they get into Fishbone’s would-be breakout album, “The Reality of My Surroundings.” This ambitious (if uneven) offering from the L.A. combo takes on social issues using top-notch musicianship, frenetic energy, and a quirky sense of humor: the result is like nothing else.
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SUBSCRIBE ON PATREON FOR ADS-FREE LISTENING AND SPECIAL BONUS CONTENT! If you like what we do at Accelerated Culture Podcast, please consider supporting us on Patreon for only $5 a month: https://www.patreon.com/AcceleratedCulturePodcast





