What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Music
A podcast that dives deep into discographies - one artist per season. Hosts Adam, Steve, and Lucas go album by album, track by track, exploring how context shapes our experience of music, why fans become obsessed, and what music really is. With three hosts coming from wildly different levels of musical knowledge, expect sharp analysis, wild tangents, hot takes, and more information about the artists (and the hosts) than you ever asked for. Current focus: Björk. Previous seasons featured Manic Street Preachers, Muse, Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Lauryn Hill, R.E.M., and Arctic Monkeys.
Episodes
Homogenic (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss the launch of Channel 5, magical crime, “intelligent” dance music and Homogenic by Björk. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of her third album by looking at how Björk wrote and recorded it, the collaborations she sought to help her, and the goal of creating a cohesive record.They also find time to explore the world around Björk, the experience of the Post tour and
Björk Confuses Wembley Arena
The Big Mates provide a large kind of audio accompaniment for a variety of clips from the Post era of Björk’s career. Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss dolphin noises, Burger King pens, the sartorial instincts of Sporty Spice, vocal gymnastics, and being welcomed to Bangkok whilst watching Björk perform on TV, at festivals, and at her own shows. They also look at some interviews and promotional foota
Post (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss studying, relaxing, chilling, and Post by Björk. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Björk and their track-by-track analysis of her second studio album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art o
Post (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss chance, big band jazz, sampling, and Post by Björk. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Björk and their track-by-track analysis of her second studio album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for ar
Post (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss big batteries, envelopes, headphones , and Post by Björk. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of her second solo album by looking at how Björk wrote and recorded the record, the changes in the team around her, and the thought behind the various styles found on the record.They also find time to explore how Björk reacted to her new found fame and the musical landscape
Björk Shows Us Her Home Studio
The Big Mates provide a special kind of audio accompaniment for a variety of clips from the Debut era of Björk’s career. Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss late night hosts, Cars equivalents, Letterboxd ratings, Glastonbury Festival, the Eurovision movie, the true identity of ancient aliens, and hectic editing whilst watching Björk perform on TV, at festivals, and at her own shows. They also look at s
Debut (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss simulations, sampling, scores, and Debut by Björk. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Björk and conclude their track-by-track analysis of her first studio album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song on the second half of the record in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into
BREAKING MUSE: The Wow! Signal
BONG. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY NEWS BROADCAST. The Big Mates discuss the newly released album The Wow! Signal by Muse. They give their first impressions and pick some standout tracks.Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comGet
Debut (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss Goddesses, beauty, GoldenEye, and Debut by Björk. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Björk and their track-by-track analysis of her first studio album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art o
Debut (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss Mr. Oizo, the Second Summer of Love, Space Jam, and Debut by Björk. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of her first solo album by looking at how Björk wrote and recorded the album, the collaborations she sought to help her, and the thought behind the various styles found on the record.They also find time to explore a brief history of the relationship between the UK
Björk Handles Ants and Spiders and Lizards
The Big Mates provide a special kind of audio accompaniment for a variety of clips from across the career of The Sugarcubes. Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss Icelandic cuisine, currency conversion rates, successful side projects, milk, Top of the Pops, Joan Jett, Netflix podcasts, and MTV programming whilst watching some music videos for the band’s biggest hits, footage of them performing on TV, and
Stick Around for Joy
The Big Mates discuss antique shops, alternative dance music, relatively new sweets, and Stick Around for Joy by The Sugarcubes. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue the prologue of their deep-dive exploration into the music of Björk by talking about the third album by The Sugarcubes.They discuss the details of the band's hiatus, the journey to America to make the album, the incorporation of dance
Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week!
The Big Mates discuss classic cities, CBGB’s, allergies, and Here Today, Tomorrow Next Week! by The Sugarcubes. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue the prologue of their deep-dive exploration into the music of Björk by talking about the second album by The Sugarcubes.They discuss how the band reacted to their early success, how the album was made, the expansion of the line-up, and offer analysis, inte
Life's Too Good
The Big Mates discuss speaking, growling, fasting, and Life's Too Good by The Sugarcubes. Adam, Steve, and Lucas properly begin their deep-dive exploration of Björk by talking about her upbringing, her musical background, the influences she found whilst discovering music, and how she started off her career.They discuss the early days of her creative output, the many projects she engaged with
Season 8 Introduction: Do You All Is Full Of Love Us?
Introducing Season 8 of the What Is Music? podcast, which is called "Do You All Is Full Of Love Us?: A Critical Analysis of the History, Cultural Impact, and Music of Björk".Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their deep-dive exploration of Björk by talking about their experiences with her music, their journeys with her over time, and what they know about her.They also talk about what they valu
We Went to See Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) in 3D at the Cinema
The Big Mates discuss the cats, burgers, popcorn, and the new Billie Eilish film.Adam, Steve, and Lucas met in person for the first time in decades to go and see Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D).They discuss the film, its focus, its direction, the performance, and its use of 3D! Our next episode is out next Monday, May 18th, and will see us begin a brand new season! Joi
Who Is Music?: The Reckoning
The Big Mates look to the future of the podcast by kicking off a tournament to decide the artist covered in a future season of What Is Music?Adam, Steve, and Lucas reveal the participants for the forthcoming competition and set the first round of matches.These head-to-heads will take place daily, starting on Tuesday May 5th. The matches will be voted on by you, our listeners, and will take place
Album Club: U2 - The Joshua Tree
Now on our main feed, we present to you The WIM Album Club, with an episode we released on our Patreon earlier this year.The episode is a classic WIM deep-dive into the album The Joshua Tree by U2 and features all of the usual discussion, analysis, commentary, history, insight, and tangents you've come to expect from the podcast.If you enjoyed this episode, head over to our Patreon to hear mo
Arctic Monkeys Final Thoughts
The Big Mates discuss and conclude their thoughts on Arctic Monkeys and their career. They bring a year-long journey to a close, with thoughts on the sound, story, and attitude of the band, a recap of each of their albums and moods, and a look at their impact and legacy. Thank you all for joining us!Our next episode is out next Monday!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/what
Arctic Monkeys Music Videos
The Big Mates watch all of Arctic Monkeys' music videos in one sitting. You can watch along with us here:www.bilibili.com/video/BV1AiQWBqEkR/Or you can just listen without watching anything - that works too!Or you could make your own playlist - scroll down to see which videos we covered!Our next episode will see us wrap-up and offer final thoughts on the whole 7-album, 22-year career of Arcti
INTRODUCING: Welcome to Twin Peaks
Welcome to Welcome to Twin Peaks: A Twin Peaks Podcast for Beginners.Join Adam and Steve as they put on their investigation trenchcoats, pour a hot steaming cup of coffee, and dive into the world of Twin Peaks.In this first episode they introduce the podcast, the season to come, and their relationship with Twin Peaks and David Lynch. They discuss their knowledge of the show, including its place in
Arctic Monkeys B-Sides (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates mixed bags, S Club Juniors, tracklistings, and A Selection of B-Sides by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their dissection of the career of Arctic Monkeys by looking at a variety of b-sides from across their career.They discuss the writing, rehearsal, and recording of these songs from numerous eras, exploring the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each
Arctic Monkeys B-Sides (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss crows, ravens, flamingoes, and A Selection of B-Sides by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their dissection of the career of Arctic Monkeys by looking at a variety of b-sides from across their career.They discuss the writing, rehearsal, and recording of these songs from numerous eras, exploring the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in
Arctic Monkeys Live at Glastonbury Festival 2023 Commentary
The Big Mates provide pointy and muddy audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys Live at Glastonbury Festival 2023.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2023 headlining performance as broadcast to television, and as witness with Adam's own two eyes. They also talk about how the band toured The Car.Head to YouTube to watch along here: https://archive.org/details/arctic-monkeys-glastonbury-2023Or don&a
The Car (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss Arrested Development, cowboys, J.W. Pepper, and The Car by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and conclude their track-by-track analysis of their seventh studio album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply i
The Car (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss textual mishaps, DVD technology, Waluigi, and The Car by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's seventh and most recent album by talking about orchestras, pandemics, and how they entered the studio to record a guitar-based rock album. They discuss the writing, rehearsal, and recording of what became The Car, explore the overall themes
Arctic Monkeys Live at the Royal Albert Hall
The Big Mates discuss the Turkish barber experience, winter camping, live documents, and Live at the Royal Albert Hall by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the band's career by examining their one and only live album!What do we make of this album? What do we make of live albums in general? What is munge? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next epi
Arctic Monkeys Live at Les Nuits de Fourvière 2018 Commentary
The Big Mates provide brisk and unwieldy audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys Live at Les Nuits de Fourvière 2018.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2018 concert and talk about how Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino divided opinion upon release. Head to YouTube to watch along here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9_DFJsNu_0Or don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!Our next epi
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss moon firsts, flesh worlds, word symmetry, and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and conclude their track-by-track analysis of their sixth album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, fr
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss automobile mishaps, instagram tacos, virtual reality, and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their dissection of the band's sixth album by talking about the musicians involved in creating it, a change in the credits, how much of the creative weight landed on Alex Turner's shoulders. They discuss the recording of th
Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss Cameron, Kubrick, Fellini, and Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's seixth album by talking about pianos, conspiracy theories, the desire to make a different kind of album, and how Alex overcame writer's block. They discuss the writing and initial recording of the album, explore the overal
Critical Thinking (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss longevity, cake, Paddington, and Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers.Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their very first season, Manic Street Preachers, in order to dissect and explore the band's fifteenth and most recent album, Critical Thinking. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analy
BREAKING NEWS: Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night
The Big Mates recieve BREAKING NEWS. Adam, Steve, and Lucas take the truth and make it fluid whilst giving their first reactions to the new song by Arctic Monkeys.Released on January 22nd as a single from the forthcoming charity album Help(2) in aid of War Child, Opening Night is a new/old/reworked/fresh song by the band and was released amidst rumours that it would be the final song released by
Critical Thinking (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss teachers, single edits, smart motorways, and Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers.Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their very first season, Manic Street Preachers, in order to dissect and explore the band's fifteenth and most recent album, Critical Thinking. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and of
Album Club: Sigur Ros - Takk...
Now on our main feed, we present to you The WIM Album Club, with an episode we released on our Patreon last year.The episode is a classic WIM deep-dive into the album Takk... by Sigur Ros and features all of the usual discussion, analysis, commentary, history, insight, and tangents you've come to expect from the podcast.If you enjoyed this episode, head over to our Patreon to hear more episod
BONUS: Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
Ladies and gentlemen...We present to you, an episode from our Patreon! If you liked this, you can find plenty more like it by heading to https://www.patreon.com/whatismusicpod and signing up today! Free trials are available now for a limited time only!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: http
Bigma''s
It is once again a time for reflection, rejoicing, and sharing. Lucas remembers the time he got an N64 from Santa, Steve shares his plans for a festive family get together, and Adam battles his darkest Christmas yet. We will return in the New Year!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: https://
We Went to See Radiohead
The Big Mates take a break from the current season to discuss the recent tour undertaken by Radiohead, some of the context surrounding it, and their own experiences of seeing them live at the O2 in London.Our next episode is out next Monday December 15th!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/whatismusicpod.bsky.socialThreads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpodInstagram: h
The Last Shadow Puppets 2016 Tour Commentary
The Big Mates provide legal but audacious audio commentary for a selection of videos of The Last Shadow Puppets on tour in 2016.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the band's onstage personas, how seriously to take their antics, and the evolution of Alex Turner as a performer. Head to YouTube to watch along with the playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRzMZT2JmJ1Ff80yJnWEqlv3gbyfbPMa
Everything You've Come to Expect
The Big Mates discuss trilogy theory, cider flavours, the accidental discovery of stereo audio, and Everything You've Come to Expect by The Last Shadow Puppets. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by stepping outside of it in order to examine the second album of the side project Alex Turner formed with Miles Kane.They discuss how the project came
Belladonna of Sadness
The Big Mates discuss Mike Wozniak, Paul F. Tompkins, Mike Wazowski, and Belladonna of Sadness by Alexandra Savior. Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss how Alexandra Savior got started in music, the writing and recording process of her debut album, and they take a look at some of the songs from it. They explore the overall themes and sound, and talk about the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and con
Arctic Monkeys Live at PinkPop 2014 Commentary
The Big Mates provide planted and curious audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys Live at PinkPop 2014.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2014 concert and talk about the AM tour in general.Head to YouTube to watch along here: https://youtu.be/esAIGJnKg88?si=r6RU3sCc1TLYsi8lOr don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!Our next episode comes out Monday November 17th!Join the conversatio
AM (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss Angus Murray, Faces of the Cube, Roomuss, and AM by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and conclude their track-by-track analysis of their fifth album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and an
AM (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss Drake, Black Sabbath, dancing through lasers to steal an egg, and AM by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and their track-by-track analysis of their blockbuster fifth album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being d
AM (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss the Olympics, Thunderbirds, The Lone Ranger, and AM by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's fifth album by talking about haircuts, jackets, the transitional period the band found themselves in, and how they entered the studio to record an 'experimental' album. They discuss the writing, rehearsal, and recording of the album
Arctic Monkeys Live at Rock En Seine 2011 Commentary
The Big Mates provide strange and pointless audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys Live at Rock En Seine 2011.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2011 concert and talk about the Suck It and See tour in general, including what is a transitional period for the band!Head to YouTube to watch along here: https://youtu.be/AmCOx5igI3Y?si=TKhLLQiMBqSG5JOyOr don't watch along - the episode works fine eith
Suck It and See (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss Back to the Future, safety advice, Nuggets, and Suck It and See by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and conclude their track-by-track analysis of their fourth album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply i
Suck It and See (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss Lucky Number Slevin, lyrical simplicity, Record Store Day, and Suck It and See by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by diving into the band's fourth studio album.They discuss the writing and recording of the record, explore the overall themes and sound, and begin their track-by-track analysis, exploring the
Submarine
The Big Mates discuss utilisation, Facebook, soundchecks, and Submarine by Alex Turner. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by briefly stepping outside of it in order to examine the only solo release from Alex Turner - the soundtrack to Submarine.They discuss how the project came together, the writing and recording of the EP, and they explore the overa
Recording Humbug with Alain Johannes
Adam sits down with Alain Johannes to discuss the recording of Humbug by Arctic Monkeys. Alain was the engineer working with the band, Josh Homme, and James Ford during the sessions for Humbug and in this episode he reveals the work that went into those sessions. Adam and Alain talk about the creative process, catching ideas, the role of engineering in music, the production of Humbug, and how th
Arctic Monkeys Live at Liquid Room, Tokyo 2009 Commentary
The Big Mates provide wayward and explosionary audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys Live at Liquid Room, Tokyo 2009.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2009 concert and talk about the Humbug tour in general!Head to YouTube to watch along here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQqNc8u1vuE&tOr don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!Our next episode comes out Monday September 15t
Humbug (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss third albums, dinosaurs, jingles, and Humbug by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and conclude their track-by-track analysis of their third album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analys
Humbug (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss engineering, confectionery, ego mechanics, and Humbug by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys and their track-by-track analysis of their third album. They explore the composition, tone, lyrics, meaning, and context for each song in turn - all from three differing perspectives, from being deeply into music and analys
Humbug (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss adventures, break ups, expectations, and Humbug by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by diving into the band's divisive, murky, and spooky third album.They discuss the writing and recording of the album, explore the overall themes and sound, and (barely) begin their track-by-track analysis, exploring the com
The Age of the Understatement
The Big Mates discuss Burt Bacharach, The Zombies, David Bowie, Scott Walker, Belle & Sebastian, Serge Gainsbourg, The Electric Prunes, Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, John Barry, Ennio Morricone, Astrud Gilberto, Mel Torme, The Sonics, and The Age of the Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their exploration of the career of Arctic Monkeys by briefly
Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo Commentary
The Big Mates provide exciting and vital audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys at the Apollo.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the 2007 concert as released on DVD in 2008 and talk about the Favourite Worst Nightmare tour in general!Grab those official DVDs to watch along!Or don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!Our next episode comes out Monday August 11th and will see us explore T
Favourite Worst Nightmare (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss CM Punk, Ennio Morricone, Tommy Lee Jones, and Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue and conclude their discussion of the band's second album, providing analysis and opinion as they finish up their track-by-track exploration.They discuss the final tracks of the album and then offer up their thoughts and feelings on the album as a wh
Favourite Worst Nightmare (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss Robot Wars, bingo, innuendo, and Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their discussion of the band's second album, going track-by-track to provide analysis and opinion.They talk about rhythmic expansion, holiday word games, pedal steel guitar, crazy parties, face coverings, tense relationships, and break ups as they explore the com
Favourite Worst Nightmare (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss Avril Lavigne, Stewie Griffin, Duran Duran, and Favourite Worst Nightmare by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's follow up to the hugely successful debut by talking about awards ceremonies, the mounting pressure they must have felt, and the attitude going into the creation of the record. They discuss the writing, rehearsal, and rec
Arctic Monkeys Live at Reading Festival 2006 Commentary
The Big Mates provide insightful and tangential audio commentary for Arctic Monkeys live Reading Festival 2006. Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the concert as broadcast on BBC television and radio, and then lovingly stitched together by YouTuber Alex Turner (not that one). They also discuss Reading Festival in general, the festival landscape at the time, and Lucas' attendance at this very sh
Who the F*ck Are Arctic Monkeys?
The Big Mates discuss The 1975, My Chemical Romance, Klaxons, and Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys? by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep-dive into the career of Arctic Monkeys by exploring what happened in the immediate aftermath of their hugrly successful debut album.They discuss the EP Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?, exploring each track in turn and offering analysis, o
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss Shane Meadows, Stephen Graham, Paddy Considine, and Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue and conclude their discussion of the band's debut album, providing analysis and opinion as they finish up their track-by-track exploration.They discuss the final tracks of the album and then offer up their thoughts
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss Peter Buck, train love, traditional policemen, and Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their discussion of the band's debut album, going track-by-track to provide analysis and opinion.They also find time to talk about the origins of the post-punk revival scene, the NME's influence on the music sc
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss concept albums, Chris Tarrant, the alt. rock pipeline, and Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's debut album by looking at the writing and recording process, the people who helped them make it, and the musical landscape at the time.They also find time to talk about the band&a
Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys
The Big Mates discuss bouncers, poets, rappers, and Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys. Adam, Steve, and Lucas properly begin their deep-dive exploration of Arctic Monkeys by talking about the people that make up the band, the various musical influences they brought with them, the city they grew up in, and the formation of the band itself.They discuss the early days of the band, their gigs and demo
Season 7 Introduction: Do U Wanna Know?
Introducing Season 7 of the What Is Music? podcast, which is called "Do U Wanna Know?: A Critical Analysis of the History, Cultural Impact, and Music of Arctic Monkeys".Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their deep-dive exploration of Arctic Monkeys by talking about their experiences with the band's music, their journeys with them over time, and what they know about the band.They also tal
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss call signs, the attraction of screens, easter eggs, and HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish.Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their third season and explore Eilish's third studio album, released in 2024. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the albums, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing
The WIM Album Club: Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
For the first time on our main feed, we present to you The WIM Album Club, with an episode we released on our Patreon last December. The episode is a classic WIM deep-dive into the album What's Going On by Marvin Gaye and features all of the usual discussion, analysis, commentary, history, insight, and tangents you've come to expect from the podcast.If you enjoyed this episode, head over
HIT ME HARD AND SOFT (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss Spirited Away, underwater photography, deer vocalisations, and HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish.Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their third season and explore Eilish's third studio album, released in 2024. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the albums, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three di
Wall of Eyes / Cutouts
The Big Mates discuss ticket buying, secret agents, time signatures, and two albums by The Smile.Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their fourth season in order to catch up with the extra-curricular activities of members of Radiohead. As the band released two albums within a year, the Big Mates talk about Wall of Eyes and Cutouts all in one episode!They talk about the writing and reco
R.E.M. Final Thoughts
The Big Mates discuss and conclude their thoughts on R.E.M. and their career. They bring an 18-month journey to a close, with thoughts on the sound, story, and attitude of the band, a recap of each of their albums and moods, and a look at their impact and legacy. It's a long finale to a long season! Thank you all for joining us!Is it era or era? Do Nirvana sound like the Spice Girls? What is
R.E.M. Music Videos
The Big Mates watch all of R.E.M.'s music videos in one sitting. Or a lot of them, at least!You can watch along with us here:https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1BTocYjExC/Or you can just listen without watching anything - that works too!Or you could make your own playlist - scroll down to see which videos we covered!Our next episode will see us wrap-up and offer final thoughts on the whole 15-a
Managing R.E.M. with Bertis Downs
Adam talks to Bertis Downs, long-time legal advisor and manager of R.E.M. They talk about the formation of his musical tastes, his background in law, and meeting the band in the early days of their career. They also discuss what he saw in R.E.M., how he learned the job as he was doing it, how to manage a band with a clear vision of their own, how to pick singles, life after the band, and much more
R.E.M. B-Sides
The Big Mates discuss face food, William S. Burroughs, obscure Arctic Monkeys singles, and a selection of b-sides by R.E.M..Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss some b-sides and rarities from across the band's career, discussing the content and recording process. Which songs have been included? How do you use a Scrub Daddy? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday
Behind the Scenes of R.E.M. with Ethan Kaplan
Adam welcomes back Ethan Kaplan, this time to discuss his work with the band during the process of Accelerate and Collapse Into Now.They talk about album promotion in the 21st Century, embracing emerging technology, the advent of social media, and the studio process for the last few R.E.M. albums. Our next episode is out on Monday April 7th!Join the conversation on:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profil
R.E.M. 1997 - 2011
The Big Mates take a brief pause to discuss ratings, rankings, audience demands, and the career of R.E.M. from 1997 - 2011.Adam, Steve, and Lucas talk about their feelings so far on the band, having now covered the five records that encompass the second half of their career at Warner Bros. They place each album previously covered into the context of this era, they return to each album with more ex
The End of R.E.M.
The Big Mates discuss addictive games, compilations, goodbyes, and the last few months of R.E.M.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by looking at how the band ended their long and storied career.Starting with a quick commentary, they watch the final full-band performance from R.E.M. in Hansa Studios, Berlin and then discuss how the band announc
Playing in R.E.M. with Scott McCaughey
Adam and Steve chat with Scott McCaughey to discuss the 17 years he spent playing in R.E.M. as an additional musican.They talk to Scott about his long and productive relationship with Peter Buck, how he joined the band at the height of their fame, and what it was like to jump in on a staidum tour.They also talk about the process of recording albums like New Adventures in Hi-Fi and Accelerate, the
Collapse Into Now (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss reality television, etymology, Austin Powers, and Collapse Into Now by R.E.M.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by concluding their analysis of the band's fifteenth and final studio album, released in 2008. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, op
Collapse Into Now (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss endings, the 20th century, Moose Juice, and Collapse Into Now by R.E.M.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by starting their analysis of the band's fifteenth and final studio album, released in 2011. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions,
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