

What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Arctic Monkeys
Adam Scott Glasspool, Steve Murphy, Lucas Way
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. Currently exploring the discography of Arctic Monkeys. Previous seasons featured Manic Street Preachers, Muse, Billie Eilish, Radiohead, Lauryn Hill, and R.E.M.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 31, 2022 • 2h 19min
Radiohead Live on MTV $2 Bill 2003 Commentary
The Big Mates provide insightful commentary for Radiohead Live on MTV $2 Bill.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the live performance from the Beacon Theatre in New York, as broadcast in Canada on MYV2.Head to YouTube to watch along here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zieMe7ZfDrUOr don't - the episode works fine either way!Our next episode comes out next Monday, November 7th and will feature an exploration of the Radiohead DVD The Most Gigantic Lying Mouth of All Time.You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Oct 23, 2022 • 1h 19min
Hail to the Thief (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss 2Unlimited, Dead Noise, Manic Street Preachers, and Hail to the Thief by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas conclude their track-by-track deep dive into this lengthy album by finishing up their track-by-track exploration and giving their final thoughts on the album as a whole. They 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.Do they experience album fatigue? What will the scores be? Which is the coolest way to support the podcast? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday October 31st and will feature insightful commentary for Radiohead Live at the Beacon Theatre 2003.You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Oct 16, 2022 • 1h 18min
Hail to the Thief (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss witches' fingers, woke biscuits, spooky ghosts, and Hail to the Thief by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the bands sixth album, digging further into their track-by-track analysis, comparing it to other Radiohead albums, music that was around at the time, and weighing it up against their expectations of the band.What will they make of the album? Are Radiohead rated on a different scale to other artists? Is Saving Private Ryan Jaws? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday October 24th and will conclude the deep-dive into Hail to the Thief.You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Oct 9, 2022 • 1h 22min
Hail to the Thief (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss DAWs, doors, snakes and ladders, and Hail to the Thief by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of Radiohead by tackling their sixth album Hail to the Thief. 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 Radiohead's 2002 tour, the Hollywood sessions, sequencing the songs, and how they promoted the album.Who is the thief? Should we hail them? What is Steve's opinion on other countries? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday October 17th and will continue the deep-dive into Hail to the Thief.You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Oct 2, 2022 • 1h 30min
I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings
The Big Mates discuss keyboard shortcuts, haunted attics, South Park, and I Might Be Wrong: Live Recordings by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of Radiohead by examining the band's 2001 live album. They talk about the recording process, how it was released and received, 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 also explore Radiohead's tour in support of Amnesiac, their homecoming show in Oxford, their appearance on the cartoon South Park, and much, much more!How do the songs translate to the live format? How are they making all those sounds? Who might be wrong? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday October 10th and will begin the deep-dive into Hail to the Thief.You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 25, 2022 • 1h 17min
Kid A / Amnesiac in Paris Commentary
The Big Mates provide insightful commentary for Kid A/Amnesiac in Paris.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the live performance as broadcast in France on the channel Canal+.Head to the Radiohead Public Library to watch along here:https://www.radiohead.com/library#amnesiac/2001-04-28-kid-a-amnesiac-in-parisOr don't - the episode works fine either way!You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 18, 2022 • 1h 25min
Amnesiac (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss radio presets, Foghorn Leghorn, gummy bears, and Amnesiac by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the bands fifth album, Amnesiac. They finish up their track-by-track dissection of the record, offer up their final thoughts, and attempt to assign it a score.They also talk about the album in comparison to Kid A, as well as the albums that came before it, and how the album rests within the context of the Radiohead canon. What do the Big Mates ultimately think of Amnesiac? Is the album disrespectful? Can Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors be classed as music? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday September 26th and will feature insightful commentary for Radiohead's performance live on Canal+ in 2001.You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 16, 2022 • 1h 41min
BONUS: Know Your Enemy 2022 (with Dave Eringa)
Adam and Lucas discuss the recent reissue of Know Your Enemy by Manic Street Preachers,a bold reimagining of the 21 year-old album, which has now been split in two, remixed, remastered, and reconsidered. Adam and Lucas are joined by music producer Dave Eringa, who produced the original album and oversaw the remixing process on this re-release. He gives us insight into how the project was conceived, the work undertaken to make it reality, and where it now fits in the Manics canon.You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 11, 2022 • 1h 24min
Amnesiac (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss minotaurs, labyrinths, ziggurats, and Amnesiac by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of Radiohead by tackling their fifth album Amnesiac. 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 album could be perceived as both a sister-album and a "leftovers" album, how accessible the album really is, and how it feels coming off the back of the infamous "left turn," Kid A.Is amnesia real? What time signature is Pyramid Song? Did Thom Yorke invent Twitter? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday September 19th and will continue the deep-dive into Amnesiac.You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show

Sep 4, 2022 • 1h 18min
Talking 'Head with Will Fraser
The Big Mates are joined by Will Fraser (a.k.a. Bloom's Taxonomy) to discuss the Radiophonic Workshop, the videogame Half-Life, Brian Eno, and all things Radiohead.Adam, Steve, Lucas, and Will explore the influence Radiohead has had on will as electronic musician Bloom's Taxonomy, particular the effect of Kid A. They also discuss Will's songwriting process, why he makes music, and share memories from previous projects he did with Adam and Steve.They also find time to discuss Will's Top 10 Radiohead songs!Our next episode is out on Monday September 12th and will feature the beginning of our deep dive into Radiohead's fifth album, Amnesiac.You can find Will's music at https://www.bloomstaxonomymusic.com/.You can now wear your fandom on your (literal) sleeve!What Is Music? now has a RedBubble shop with lots of cool and stupid designs. You can get the designs on basically any product you like, from t-shirts and mugs, to bath mats and jigsaws, via clocks and phone cases! Head to https://whatismusicpod.redbubble.comIf you'd like a different way to donate to usYou can do so at https://ko-fi.com/whatismusicAny donations very gratefully received and go towards our running costs!Join the conversation on:Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatismusicpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/whatismusicpodE-mail: whatismusicpod@gmail.comhttp://whatismusic.buzzsprout.com/Support the show