Listen now | In this episode, Matt and Angela explore how punk culture and neurodivergence intersect, highlighting the ways subcultures can serve as a refuge for authenticity and self-discovery.
Ween is the first thing I think of when I hear the phrase "punk country." They have a 1996 record of country songs, and they are also a punk band.
Hole's video of "Violet" was brought to my attention a couple years ago on an autistic group, because of Courtney Love's mannerisms during the video being fairly obviously autistic. (Of course she's on record as saying she's autistic, but this would have made your episode a little longer maybe, if you could have shown a clip, which you probably couldn't due to copyright.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH_rfGBwamc
That Ween album is hilarious. I guess they got real session musicians in Nashville to play with. Although some backed out because the lyrics were too vulgar.
Thanks for your comment! I’m Sami, the content manager for The Autistic Culture Podcast. 😊 Totally agree—Ween’s “12 Golden Country Greats” is such a fascinating mix of punk and country, and its humor and genre-defying chaos feel so autistic-coded!
As for the “Violet” video, you’re absolutely right—Courtney Love’s mannerisms in it are striking and resonate with her being openly autistic. While copyright constraints make it tricky to feature clips, it’s such a powerful example of autistic expression in media. Thanks for sharing the link and your perspective—it’s definitely a great conversation starter!
Do you have any other albums or music videos that feel like they belong in the autistic-coded canon? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Hi! I’m Sami, the content manager for The Autistic Culture Podcast!
Phish is *absolutely* autistic-coded! The fan culture, the improvisation, the deep dives into musical themes—it all screams autistic creativity and hyperfocus. You’ve got me thinking about how their music and community reflect autistic joy and connection.
This could totally be a fun idea for a future episode. Thanks for the suggestion—keep them coming!
Great episode! Definitely resonated with me. Love Hole and so many other punk/hardcore bands. Also love me some Henry Rollins who has mentioned being on the spectrum.
Hi! I’m Sami, the content manager for The Autistic Culture Podcast! 😊
“Fireflies” went triple platinum in my house when I was in middle school, and knowing that Adam Young is a self-identified autistic person makes it even more meaningful. His dreamy, whimsical style and the way he captures sensory experiences in his lyrics feel so deeply connected to autistic expression.
It’s amazing how his music gives us a way to connect and process the world through our own lens. Thanks for bringing this up—Adam’s openness about his autism is such a win for representation in creative spaces!
This was a cool episode. I would have never of really thought of punk as autistic, but with the history, inclusiveness, social commentary, and energy that punk portrays, I get it. I think it also explains a lot about me and my autistic journey. When I was a child, my main interests were insects, amphibians, and geography. However, by late elementary and middle school the masking kicked in, so I moved on to art and music which seemed to be more accepted and "cool". I drifted towards the alternative / punk scene with some of my faves being Jello-Biafra / Dead Kennedys, Ramones, Circle Jerks, and Naked Raygun. Since I was already judged by peers as a little weird, I figured go all in. I mostly just wore band shirts (switching from only wearing shirts with geographic places in elementary school). Later, I moved on to more of the 90's stuff like Sonic Youth, Screaming Trees, Shoegaze bands, and goth (the Cure is still a favorite today). I would not eat lunch so that I could save my lunch money to buy cd's. But transitioning my main SPIN into music was easy since I was brought up with music. My dad collected records and we often went to record stores and conventions together. When I was really young, I mostly just absorbed his music but always preferred the stranger garage / psych rock he had like Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer, the Seeds, early Grateful Dead, and the Beatles (Sgt Pepper and White album). We had a routine on Sundays when my mom went to work to listen to Hendrix albums or side 4 of the White Album, or other bands she thought were too chaotic and "didn't have a beat". Tangent aside, I guess I'm trying to say, that I resonate very much with using loud music full of energy to coregulate. Back then, I didn't realize I was doing it, nor did I know I was autistic.
Also, the flowing water part hit me. One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid was at my Grandma's house where I could float sticks or bark down the side of the road in the gutter during or after a rain storm. That brought me a ridiculous amount of joy that I can still feel today.
I used to listen to my dad's record collection too! Tom Petty, Chicago, The Eagles, The Jackson 5, The Beatles (I loooove The Beatles), Steely Dan, The Mamas & the Papas, John Denver, Elvis Presley (never did care for Elvis). I found Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead on my own in high school. I saw Dead & Co live a few years ago. I've seen RatDog (Bob Weir's band) a couple of times too. ✌🏻
My dad also liked early Chicago, before Peter Cetera mostly took over. He nor I were ever really into Elvis either. I felt lucky to be brought up with so many records and books, even if other areas of my life were not so great. Last night I finally watched Piece by Piece, the Lego movie about Pharrell Williams (who after hearing an interview on Fresh Air and watching this movie, I suspect is autistic). There was a scene where he was listening to a Stevie Wonder record as a kid and just stared at the speakers watching the color come out. Like other musicians he has synesthesia. Music does that to me as well, but I don't think I can quantify the sensation as vividly. However, I think that may have been why I was drawn to psychedelic music long before I ever tried any sort of drug. Speaking of which, that's cool you did get to see Dead & Co. I was lucky to see the Dead in the 1990's in high school and go to the Other Ones Terrapin Station reunion at Alpine Valley in 2002.
Wow, crazy. I was living in northern Wisconsin at the time, but grew up in northern Illinois so I went to several shows there. Including the weekend where Stevie Ray Vaughn died there.
Ugh, I can only imagine. Things were bad enough back then. I can't handle the big venues and multi-day shows anymore due to many reasons, but excessive cops and drink prices don't help.
Hank Williams III is absolutely country punk, aka Cowpunk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowpunk). And yes, he is of those country Hanks. Looks just like his grandpa.
I loved this episode! Music is one of my long-standing special interests. Punk isn't my top genre, but I appreciate the aesthetic. One of my friends idolized Courtney Love and was a big fan of Hole back in the day. I had no idea Courtney was diagnosed autistic, but I suppose I'm not surprised. Of course, we all listened to Nirvana at the time. Blind Melon is my favorite band of the era, I still keep that self-titled album in the rotation today! Their lead singer, Shannon Hoon, died tragically back when I was still in high school, the year after Kurt Cobain died. Those were rough times for grunge music fans.
The concept of shutting up the inner narrator! 🤯 I can certainly catch a moment of this when vibing at a concert, the bass vibrating my whole body. Also, being in/around water. My brain can be so peaceful when I'm gliding through a backwater in a kayak. Otherwise ... non-stop multiple channels of chatter, music, short films, etc.
Great discussion of intersectionality in punk. Lots to think about!
Johnny Rotten's story mentioned he has a "hunchback", which my brain immediately free associated to Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden. And omg The Secret Garden is autistic af! Actually, broadly-nd and disabled af. I'd love to hear a discussion on the show!
The original novel by Burnett was one of the books I read over and over again as a kid. Later on as a high school theater kid (loved the musicals episode btw!) I fell in love with the musical when our local community theater did a production. I still love the soundtrack, so brilliant!
This is my first comment on Substack. Long-time listener here. Hope you enjoyed this essay-length response. 😝
Ween is the first thing I think of when I hear the phrase "punk country." They have a 1996 record of country songs, and they are also a punk band.
Hole's video of "Violet" was brought to my attention a couple years ago on an autistic group, because of Courtney Love's mannerisms during the video being fairly obviously autistic. (Of course she's on record as saying she's autistic, but this would have made your episode a little longer maybe, if you could have shown a clip, which you probably couldn't due to copyright.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH_rfGBwamc
That Ween album is hilarious. I guess they got real session musicians in Nashville to play with. Although some backed out because the lyrics were too vulgar.
Thanks for your comment! I’m Sami, the content manager for The Autistic Culture Podcast. 😊 Totally agree—Ween’s “12 Golden Country Greats” is such a fascinating mix of punk and country, and its humor and genre-defying chaos feel so autistic-coded!
As for the “Violet” video, you’re absolutely right—Courtney Love’s mannerisms in it are striking and resonate with her being openly autistic. While copyright constraints make it tricky to feature clips, it’s such a powerful example of autistic expression in media. Thanks for sharing the link and your perspective—it’s definitely a great conversation starter!
Do you have any other albums or music videos that feel like they belong in the autistic-coded canon? We'd love to hear your thoughts!
Just about everything Kate Bush has done, for one.
I thought of another music-themed idea for a podcast episode. Phish is autistic! Trust me, at least some of them are. 😂
Hi! I’m Sami, the content manager for The Autistic Culture Podcast!
Phish is *absolutely* autistic-coded! The fan culture, the improvisation, the deep dives into musical themes—it all screams autistic creativity and hyperfocus. You’ve got me thinking about how their music and community reflect autistic joy and connection.
This could totally be a fun idea for a future episode. Thanks for the suggestion—keep them coming!
Great episode! Definitely resonated with me. Love Hole and so many other punk/hardcore bands. Also love me some Henry Rollins who has mentioned being on the spectrum.
While we're on the music train, yall know that Adam Young, better known as Owl City (y'know, Fireflies?), is a self-identified Autistic, right?
Hi! I’m Sami, the content manager for The Autistic Culture Podcast! 😊
“Fireflies” went triple platinum in my house when I was in middle school, and knowing that Adam Young is a self-identified autistic person makes it even more meaningful. His dreamy, whimsical style and the way he captures sensory experiences in his lyrics feel so deeply connected to autistic expression.
It’s amazing how his music gives us a way to connect and process the world through our own lens. Thanks for bringing this up—Adam’s openness about his autism is such a win for representation in creative spaces!
This was a cool episode. I would have never of really thought of punk as autistic, but with the history, inclusiveness, social commentary, and energy that punk portrays, I get it. I think it also explains a lot about me and my autistic journey. When I was a child, my main interests were insects, amphibians, and geography. However, by late elementary and middle school the masking kicked in, so I moved on to art and music which seemed to be more accepted and "cool". I drifted towards the alternative / punk scene with some of my faves being Jello-Biafra / Dead Kennedys, Ramones, Circle Jerks, and Naked Raygun. Since I was already judged by peers as a little weird, I figured go all in. I mostly just wore band shirts (switching from only wearing shirts with geographic places in elementary school). Later, I moved on to more of the 90's stuff like Sonic Youth, Screaming Trees, Shoegaze bands, and goth (the Cure is still a favorite today). I would not eat lunch so that I could save my lunch money to buy cd's. But transitioning my main SPIN into music was easy since I was brought up with music. My dad collected records and we often went to record stores and conventions together. When I was really young, I mostly just absorbed his music but always preferred the stranger garage / psych rock he had like Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer, the Seeds, early Grateful Dead, and the Beatles (Sgt Pepper and White album). We had a routine on Sundays when my mom went to work to listen to Hendrix albums or side 4 of the White Album, or other bands she thought were too chaotic and "didn't have a beat". Tangent aside, I guess I'm trying to say, that I resonate very much with using loud music full of energy to coregulate. Back then, I didn't realize I was doing it, nor did I know I was autistic.
Also, the flowing water part hit me. One of my favorite things to do when I was a kid was at my Grandma's house where I could float sticks or bark down the side of the road in the gutter during or after a rain storm. That brought me a ridiculous amount of joy that I can still feel today.
I used to listen to my dad's record collection too! Tom Petty, Chicago, The Eagles, The Jackson 5, The Beatles (I loooove The Beatles), Steely Dan, The Mamas & the Papas, John Denver, Elvis Presley (never did care for Elvis). I found Jimi Hendrix and The Grateful Dead on my own in high school. I saw Dead & Co live a few years ago. I've seen RatDog (Bob Weir's band) a couple of times too. ✌🏻
My dad also liked early Chicago, before Peter Cetera mostly took over. He nor I were ever really into Elvis either. I felt lucky to be brought up with so many records and books, even if other areas of my life were not so great. Last night I finally watched Piece by Piece, the Lego movie about Pharrell Williams (who after hearing an interview on Fresh Air and watching this movie, I suspect is autistic). There was a scene where he was listening to a Stevie Wonder record as a kid and just stared at the speakers watching the color come out. Like other musicians he has synesthesia. Music does that to me as well, but I don't think I can quantify the sensation as vividly. However, I think that may have been why I was drawn to psychedelic music long before I ever tried any sort of drug. Speaking of which, that's cool you did get to see Dead & Co. I was lucky to see the Dead in the 1990's in high school and go to the Other Ones Terrapin Station reunion at Alpine Valley in 2002.
Alpine Valley is where I saw Dead & Co!
Wow, crazy. I was living in northern Wisconsin at the time, but grew up in northern Illinois so I went to several shows there. Including the weekend where Stevie Ray Vaughn died there.
Wow! Some history there.
I live less than an hour from the venue, but the cops and $25 drinks make it a lot less fun than it used to be. 😆
Ugh, I can only imagine. Things were bad enough back then. I can't handle the big venues and multi-day shows anymore due to many reasons, but excessive cops and drink prices don't help.
Hank Williams III is absolutely country punk, aka Cowpunk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowpunk). And yes, he is of those country Hanks. Looks just like his grandpa.
I loved this episode! Music is one of my long-standing special interests. Punk isn't my top genre, but I appreciate the aesthetic. One of my friends idolized Courtney Love and was a big fan of Hole back in the day. I had no idea Courtney was diagnosed autistic, but I suppose I'm not surprised. Of course, we all listened to Nirvana at the time. Blind Melon is my favorite band of the era, I still keep that self-titled album in the rotation today! Their lead singer, Shannon Hoon, died tragically back when I was still in high school, the year after Kurt Cobain died. Those were rough times for grunge music fans.
The concept of shutting up the inner narrator! 🤯 I can certainly catch a moment of this when vibing at a concert, the bass vibrating my whole body. Also, being in/around water. My brain can be so peaceful when I'm gliding through a backwater in a kayak. Otherwise ... non-stop multiple channels of chatter, music, short films, etc.
Great discussion of intersectionality in punk. Lots to think about!
Johnny Rotten's story mentioned he has a "hunchback", which my brain immediately free associated to Archibald Craven in The Secret Garden. And omg The Secret Garden is autistic af! Actually, broadly-nd and disabled af. I'd love to hear a discussion on the show!
The original novel by Burnett was one of the books I read over and over again as a kid. Later on as a high school theater kid (loved the musicals episode btw!) I fell in love with the musical when our local community theater did a production. I still love the soundtrack, so brilliant!
This is my first comment on Substack. Long-time listener here. Hope you enjoyed this essay-length response. 😝
I 100% loved this essay length comment! Hey! Ho! Let’s Go!