What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Arctic Monkeys
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.
- Update frequency
- every 6 days
- Average duration
- 103 minutes
- Episodes
- 297
- Years Active
- 2020 - 2025
R.E.M. Fandom with April Richardson
Adam and Steve are joined by April Richardson for a far-reaching, fun chat about teenage obsession, problematic artists, magazine wallpaper, stadium bands, reformations, the American south, Brighton,…
Perfect Square Commentary
The Big Mates provide sparkling and artistic audio commentary for Perfect Square, the live video release by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the film as originally presented on DVD and also dig i…
Reveal (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss writing home, adolescence, compilations and Reveal by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by concluding their analysi…
Reveal (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss blood collection, hot weather, Frutiger Aero, and Reveal by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by starting their ana…
R.E.M. Live at Glastonbury Festival 1999 Commentary
The Big Mates provide large and damp audio commentary for R.E.M. at Glastonbury Festival 1999.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the band's first headline performance at the legendary festival, as broad…
The Name Of This Book Is The Name Of This Band Is R.E.M. with Peter Ames Carlin
Adam chats with Peter Ames Carlin to discuss music biographies, legendary musicians, and his new book, The Name Of This Band Is R.E.M..
Peter is an acclaimed author and biographer, known for his deep …
Up (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss night shifts, Batman, the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and Up by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by concluding…
Up (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss retrofuturism, The Amazing Spider-man, rude dealers, and Up by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by continuing thei…
Up (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss TikTok podcasts, Clip art, automatic writing, and Up by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by starting their analysi…
Introducing: The WIM Album Club
Join us as we introduce our new show, The WIM Album Club, available exclusively on our Patreon.
Head to patreon.com/whatismusicpod and subscribe now at the £5 "Bigger Mates" Tier or higher to get acce…
INTIMISM
The Big Mates discuss microbiomes, Bandcamp, quick looks, and INTIMISM by Nicky Wire.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their first season in order to catch up on the extra-curricular ac…
R.E.M. 1988 - 1996
The Big Mates take a brief pause to discuss ratings, rankings, audience demands, and the career of R.E.M. from 1988 - 1996.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas talk about their feelings so far on the band, having …
R.E.M. Fandom with Ethan Kaplan
Adam and Steve chat with Ethan Kaplan to discuss the founding of Murmurs.com, collaborating with the band, and the nature of online fandom.
They talk to Ethan about his musical journey to R.E.M., the …
New Adventures in Hi-Fi - Stereophonic on Film Commentary
The Big Mates combat audio issues to provide serene and chaotic audio commentary for New Adventures in Hi-Fi - Stereophonic on Film by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the electronic press kit, a…
New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Pt. 3)
The Big Mates discuss heart, fatigue, goodbyes, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by concluding their anal…
New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss bank holiday weekends, live albums, Danny Boyle, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. b…
New Adventures in Hi-Fi (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss rodents, ticket prices, religious imagery, and New Adventures in Hi-Fi by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by star…
Road Movie Commentary
The Big Mates provide breezy and subcutaneous audio commentary for Road Movie by R.E.M.
Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the live concert film that documented the band's final shows of their 1995 world …
Monster (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss Little Britain, Kurt Cobain, You, and Monster 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 the…
Monster (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss fame, identity, balloons, and Monster 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…