What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About Music

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 bein...

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...

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...

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 differin...

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-paris Or don't - the episode works fine either way! You can now wear your fandom on your (lite...

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 bef...

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 conceive...

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 b...

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, a...

The Big Mates provide insightful commentary for Radiohead Live from a Tent in Dublin. Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the edited show that was part of the band's tour for Kid A . Head to the Radiohead Public Library to watch along here: https://www.radiohead.com/library#kida/2000-10-07-live-from-a-tent-in-dublin Or don't - the episode works fine either way! You can now wear your fandom on...

BONG. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY NEWS BROADCAST. The Big Mates  discuss the newly released album Will of the People by Muse. They give their first impressions and pick some standout tracks. 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,...

The Big Mates look to the future of the podcast by kicking off a tournament to decide the artist covered in the next season of What Is Music? Having recently solicited suggestions from listeners, Adam, Steve, and Lucas reveal the results and offer up their picks for the forthcoming competition. The artists in each “region” will be paired up to fight, the winners of which will go head-to-head so ea...

The Big Mates discuss recaptured youth, indecipherable lyrics, difficult music and Kid A by Radiohead . Adam, Steve, and Lucas conclude their track-by-track deep dive into the divisive fourth 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 al...

The Big Mates discuss Sonic, ventriloquists, heads on sticks, and Kid A by Radiohead . Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their track-by-track deep dive into this odd, divisive 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...

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 per...

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...

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://...

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...

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 ho...

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...

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 perspec...

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: htt...

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. Th...

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 the...

The Big Mates discuss air fryers, high charts, dry charts, and The Bends by Radiohead . Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of Radiohead by picking up where they left off starting their deep dive into the band's second album, released in 1995. They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the songs, and offer up analysis...