The Big Mates discuss concept albums, Chris Tarrant, the alt. rock pipeline, and Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their dissection of the band's debut album by looking at the writing and recording process, the people who helped them make it, and the musical landscape at the time.

They also find time to talk about the band's 2005 tour, and their first appearance at Reading and Leeds Festival, before starting the track-by-track analysis of the album, exploring the composition, sound, 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 is a concept album? What kind of dancefloor are they singing about? Would the band have reached their fifth album if they hadn’t released their first album? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out next week, Monday June 16th, and will continue the deep-dive into the band's debut album!

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The Big Mates discuss bouncers, poets, rappers, and Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas properly begin their deep-dive exploration of Arctic Monkeys by talking about the people that make up the band, the various musical influences they brought with them, the city they grew up in, and the formation of the band itself.

They discuss the early days of the band, their gigs and demo recordings, their songs being shared on the internet, and the first official Arctic Monkeys release, Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys, featuring analysis of both tracks!

It's and exciting first step in this career-long deep-dive from three differing perspectives on music, from being deeply into music and analysis, to not caring for art or critique, and everything in between!

What’s the difference between guitar and drums? Would you go back to a club to get your coat? Will we become one of the world’s biggest rock bands in the next 4 years? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out next week, Monday June 9th, and we'll begin the deep-dive into the band's debut album, Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.

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Get access to more shows, exclusive bonus content, ad-free episodes of this show, and more music discussion by subscribing to our Patreon!
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Introducing Season 7 of the What Is Music? podcast, which is called "Do U Wanna Know?: A Critical Analysis of the History, Cultural Impact, and Music of Arctic Monkeys".

Adam, Steve, and Lucas begin their deep-dive exploration of Arctic Monkeys by talking about their experiences with the band's music, their journeys with them over time, and what they know about the band.

They also talk about what they value in music and the roles it plays in their lives before exploring the people that make up the band, where they're from, the genres they operate in, and what made Arctic Monkeys stand out from their contemporaries to become one of the biggest rock bands in the world today!

The season to come will be an album-by-album, track-by-track exploration of Arctic Monkeys' varied and storied career, the context around each release, behind-the-scenes stories of each recording session, a look at the legacy of the albums they've released, and a review of all of it, complete with scores, rankings, and lists!

It promises to be exhaustive, informative, and fun as we approach the Arctic Monkeys discography 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 do we already know about the band? What are we most excited to talk about? What are our current favourite songs by the band? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

The season continues next week, Monday June 2nd, and we'll look at the early days of the band and their first release - Five Minutes With Arctic Monkeys!

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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!

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The Big Mates discuss call signs, the attraction of screens, easter eggs, and HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their third season and explore Eilish's third studio album, released in 2024.

They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the albums, 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 do we think of the album? How many of the songs feature in The Greatest Showman? Will Adam return for the next season? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our new season begins next week, on Monday May 26th!

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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!

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For the first time on our main feed, we present to you The WIM Album Club, with an episode we released on our Patreon last December.

The episode is a classic WIM deep-dive into the album What's Going On by Marvin Gaye and features all of the usual discussion, analysis, commentary, history, insight, and tangents you've come to expect from the podcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, head over to our Patreon to hear more episodes on a range of different artists, in different genres, from different countries and eras. Going to https://www.patreon.com/whatismusicpod and subscribing at the Bigger Mates tier or higher will get you instant access to all of the Album Club episodes we've released so far. That's just £5 a month!

It also gives you the opportunity to submit your own choice of albums for possible future episodes, and means you can get involved in the discussion!

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The Big Mates discuss Spirited Away, underwater photography, deer vocalisations, and HIT ME HARD AND SOFT by Billie Eilish.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their third season and explore Eilish's third studio album, released in 2024.

They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the albums, 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 has Billie evolved? How was Tom Cruise involved? What's the difference between a book and novel? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out Monday May 19th, and will continue and conclude the deep-dive into HIT ME HARD AND SOFT!

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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!

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The Big Mates discuss ticket buying, secret agents, time signatures, and two albums by The Smile.

Adam, Steve, and Lucas return to the subject of their fourth season in order to catch up with the extra-curricular activities of members of Radiohead. As the band released two albums within a year, the Big Mates talk about Wall of Eyes and Cutouts all in one episode!

They talk about the writing and recording process, the context surrounding the albums, 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 find time to speculate on the rumoured Radiohead tour!

When will they stop ripping off Muse? Is Lucas Radiohead? Can you do maths with time? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out next Monday May 12th, and will see us return to Billie Eilish in order to start discussing her third album, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT!

Join the conversation on:
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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!

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The Big Mates discuss and conclude their thoughts on R.E.M. and their career.

They bring an 18-month journey to a close, with thoughts on the sound, story, and attitude of the band, a recap of each of their albums and moods, and a look at their impact and legacy.

It's a long finale to a long season! Thank you all for joining us!

Is it era or era? Do Nirvana sound like the Spice Girls? What is the true identity of Santa Claus? Find out on this episode of What Is Music?

Our next episode is out next Monday!

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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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