What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Music – Details, episodes & analysis

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=r6RU3sCc1TLYsi8l

Or don't watch along - the episode works fine either way!

Our next episode comes out Monday November 17th!

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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 analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!

They also look at the legacy of the album, the success of the album, and how some of these songs became the most listened-to songs ever. 

What do we think of the album? How do you count on your fingers? Is Nicky Wire the most influential musician of all time? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out next week, Monday November 10th!

Join the conversation on:
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E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
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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 analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!

What do we think of the album? What makes a song memorable? What came first, the chicken or the dickhead? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out next week, Monday September 8th!

Join the conversation on:
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Threads: https://www.threads.net/@whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including our album club and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

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The Big Mates provide insightful and inspiring audio commentary for R.E.M. Live at Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ, in June 1984.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the live performance (and a whole host of other, completely unrelated things) as broadcast on MTV.  It was filmed as part of a series on rock influences - this one focusing on folk rock. It features special guest appearances and R.E.M. preview some new material!

Head to YouTube to watch along:
https://youtu.be/JulR2TPAUfA?si=MuAJHLC3wUgzGSCv
Or don't - the episode works fine either way!

Our next episode comes out Monday January 29th and we'll be talking about the making of Murmur and Reckoning with producer Don Dixon!

Join the conversation on:
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E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

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The Big Mates discuss time travel, big diving, line dancing, and Reckoning by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by continuing and concluding their track-by-track analysis on the band's second album, released in 1984.

They talk about R.E.M. going "full country," recording songs as in-jokes, and provide some more thrilling entries into the Water Watch series, before figuring out what they think of the album as a whole, how it was received at the time, and the legacy it holds in today's musical landscape.

They also talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

How does Reckoning stack up against the debut? What kind of font does Michael Stipe sing in? Could our Dads physically lift us? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday January 22nd and will see us provide insightful commentary for R.E.M. live at the Capitol Theatre in Passaic on June 9th 1984.

Join the conversation on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

Check out our merch!
https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com
Donate to our podcast!
https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic

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Support the show

The Big Mates discuss foot injuries, binaural recording, the joy of knowing Jesus, and Reckoning by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by starting their track-by-track analysis on the band's second album, released in 1984. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They touch on how the varying estimates of studio time, how the songs are structured, and they try to again define what it is that Adam likes about the band.

They also piece together the meanings of the songs, discuss whether or not they matter within the context of the whole record, and make comparisons to Murmur.

Do the band avoid "difficult second album syndrome?" What does betwixt mean? Did you mean barber coat? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday January 15th and will conclude our track-by-track analysis of Reckoning.

Join the conversation on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

Check out our merch!
https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com
Donate to our podcast!
https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic

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Support the show

The Big Mates get festive.

Join us for another Christmas of mostly the same stuff as the previous ones. Are you ready for Christmas? What's your favourite Christmas? What are your favourite Christmas songs? Is Die Hard having a Christmas movies?

It's all here, and it's all the same! Some games, a round of guess the intro, and some mentions of the holiday season!

We'll be having a little break over the holiday period - we return on Monday January 8th, and we'll begin our deep-dive into the second R.E.M. album, Reckoning!

Join the conversation on:
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

Check out our merch!
https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com
Donate to our podcast!
https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic

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Support the show

The Big Mates discuss head shapes, nostalgia, the sequel to Gladiator, and Murmur by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas conclude their track-by-track analysis on R.E.M.'s debut album, released in 1983. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They touch on the events surrounding the album's release, the critical reaction of the time, and how we view the legacy of a record called "one of the greatest debut albums of all time" in today's musical landscape.

How does the album work as a whole? How does it come across in modern times? What is 'twee'? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is our Xmas Special, out on Monday December 18th!

Join the conversation on:
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

Check out our merch!
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Donate to our podcast!
https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic

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Support the show

The Big Mates discuss niche British TV theme tunes, inherent emotion, time signatures, and Murmur by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their track-by-track analysis on R.E.M.'s debut album, released in 1983. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They touch on indecipherable lyrics, late evening football games, nostalgia, and the mechanics of songwriting.

What is a Moral Kiosk? Does Talk About the Passion sound like Hans Zimmer? What crimes are good? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday December 11th and will conclude our track-by-track analysis of Murmur.

Join the conversation on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

Our Sponsor this week is Unfold. Find out more at www.cristinabonnet.com

Check out our merch!
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Donate to our podcast!
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Support the show

The Big Mates discuss small waveforms, portmanteaus, Muse, and Murmur by R.E.M.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by starting their track-by-track analysis on the band's debut album, released in 1983. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis, opinions, and thoughts from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into analysis and music, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between.

They touch on how the band found their producers in Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, their decision to sound like a different band, how the band write their songs, and the legacy of Radio Free Europe.

They do this whilst also giving their thoughts and opinions on the album as a whole, the first couple of tracks, and how they see this fitting into the band's discography going forward.

How did the band evolve from their EP? How far into the album will we get? Can anyone make out the lyrics? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out on Monday December 4th and will continue our track-by-track analysis of Murmur.

Join the conversation on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpod
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpod
E-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.com

Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and receive up to two new episodes of our various shows every week (including shows about Manic Street Preachers and monthly themed playlists!), ad-free archives of What Is Music?, and access to our Patron-only Discord server for even more music (and non-music) discussion!

Support our show when starting your own podcast!
By signing up to Buzzsprout with this link: https://www.buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=780379

Our Sponsor this week is Unfold. Find out more at www.cristinabonnet.com

Check out our merch!
https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.com
Donate to our podcast!
https://ko-fi.com/whatismusic

http://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/

Support the show