

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

Jul 31, 2022 • 1h 46min
Kid A (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss upside-down ducks, left turns, electronic music, and Kid A by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of Radiohead by tackling their highly divisive fourth album Kid A. 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 forced themselves to create music differently, the influences they were taking on board at the time, and the huge pressure that comes with following up an album often described as one of the "greatest of all time."They also find time to discuss the nascent days of Napster, Radiohead's "big tent" tour, and they listen to the scariest song they've yet to encounter!How do you follow enourmous success? Is this album as drastically different as it's made out to be? How do you pronounce 'preface?' Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday August 8th and will continue the deep-dive into Kid A.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

Jul 24, 2022 • 1h 5min
Promoting Radiohead with Caffy St. Luce
Adam sits down with music promoter, writer, and PR manager Caffy St. Luce to discuss her work with Radiohead, Hall or Nothing, and the state of music PR today.There's also some time for Manic Street Preachers chat whilst they explore Caffy's first impressions of Radiohead, how they promoted The Bends and OK Computer, and how they both fit into, and rejected Britpop. Caffy is still doing some amazing things with music, and we think you should check out the following links:The Zine UK: https://linktr.ee/thezineuk Rocklands ArtBeat: https://www.facebook.com/artbeat.stars/The social media tags #FertileEnvironment and #NewerWave.Our next episode is out on Monday August 1st, and will begin our coverage of Radiohead's fourth album, Kid A.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

Jul 17, 2022 • 2h 6min
Radiohead Live at Hammerstein Ballroom 1997 Commentary
The Big Mates provide insightful commentary for Radiohead Live at Hammerstein Ballroom.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the show as filmed for MTV Live at the 10 Spot. They also find time to discuss their expectations for Kid A, play an OK Computer based game, and Lucas finally recounts the terrifying tale of the time he ate mold.Head to the Radiohead Public Library to watch along here:https://www.radiohead.com/library#okc/1997-12-19-live-at-the-10-spotOr 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

Jul 10, 2022 • 2h 10min
Meeting People Is Easy
The Big Mates discuss tree-based logic questions, art vs. commerce, Half-Life, and Meeting People Is Easy, a film about Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas remain in the OK Computer era and dissect and explore the film directed by Grant Gee, which follows Radiohead on their 97-98 world tour in support of the album. They also look at what was going on for the band at the time, the ups and downs of being in the world's most hyped band, and the fallout around the release of OK Computer.What happened on tour? How was the film made? How does the film portray the band? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday July 18th and will feature insightful commentary for the band's performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom in 1997.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

Jul 3, 2022 • 1h 35min
OK Computer (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss murderous cats, musique concrete, ASMR, and OK Computer by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas conclude their track-by-track deep dive into the mammoth third album 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 how the album was received at the time of release and the incredibly large legacy it has left behind.How will they rate the album? What would John Major think of Radiohead? Is Lucas kissing wrong? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday July 11th and will feature an in-depth exploration of the doucmentary Metting People Is Easy, which follows Radiohead on their OK Computer world tour.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

Jun 26, 2022 • 1h 34min
OK Computer (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss technology, Ewoks, the ZX Spectrum, and OK Computer by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their track-by-track deep dive into this blockbuster album by beginning their track-by-track exploration. 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.They discuss the context, recording process, and reception of the songs, as well as exploring the lyrics, themes, and subtext of everything contained within them.Does this sound like Radiohead? Is Airbag a Christmas song? What is a Mellotron? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday July 4th and will conclude our track-by-track analysis of OK Computer and examine the legacy of this highly praised record.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

Jun 19, 2022 • 1h 47min
OK Computer (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss Soul Asylum, Baz Luhrmann, R.E.M., and OK Computer by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of Radiohead by tackling their highly praised third album OK Computer. 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 created their own studio environment, the state of the world as the album was being conceived, and the huge expectations that come with album often being cited as one of the "greatest of all time."They also find time to discuss Talk Show Host and the various influences at play for OK Computer. What themes are present on this album? Can it possibly live up to the hype? Has our perception of the album changed over 25 years? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday June 27th and will continue the deep-dive into OK Computer.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

Jun 12, 2022 • 1h 43min
Radiohead Live at the Metro 1996 Commentary
The Big Mates provide insightful commentary for Radiohead Live at the Metro.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the show as boradcast on TV in 1996, and dig in to the context surrounding the tour undertaken in support of The Bends. They also find the time to discuss the debut of a new song in 1995, and a song Radiohead covered on the tour.Head to the Radiohead Public Library to watch along here:https://www.radiohead.com/library/#bends/1996-04-06-chicago-metro-96/Or 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

Jun 5, 2022 • 1h 15min
The Bends (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss Bridge of Lies, LCD Soundsystem, dealing with anxiety, and The Bends by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas conclude their track-by-track deep dive into the influential second album 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 how the album was received at the time of release and the legacy it has left behind.How will they rate the album? How do you say an ellipsis? What is an epilogue? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday June 13th and will feature insightful audio commentary to Radiohead's live show at the Metro, Chicago in 1996.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

May 29, 2022 • 1h 19min
The Bends (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss Sports Direct, Sigur Ros, iron lungs, and The Bends by Radiohead.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their track-by-track deep dive into the influential sophomore album 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.What are the themes of the album? Why are some mugs so large? Can Steve do the outro? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?Our next episode is out on Monday June 6th and will conclude our track-by-track analysis of The Bends.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


