What Is Music?: A Music Podcast About R.E.M.
A podcast about discographies. A different artist every season. Currently in Season 6! Join Adam, Steve, and Lucas, as they go album by album, track by track, to find out if context can change your experience of music, how people become obsessed with artists, and to ultimately answer the question 'what is music?' Expect in-depth analysis, tedious tangents, controversial music opinions, and an exhaustive attitude to context. Also expect to find out more about the artists (and the hosts) than anyone could ever want to know! Previous seasons have covered Manic Street Preachers, Muse, Billie Eilish, and Radiohead!
Episodes
271 episodes
Playing in R.E.M. with Scott McCaughey
Adam and Steve chat with Scott McCaughey to discuss the 17 years he spent playing in R.E.M. as an additional musican.They talk to Scott about his long and productive relationship with Peter Buck, how he joine...
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Season 6
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Episode 67
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1:11:22
Collapse Into Now (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss reality television, etymology, Austin Powers, and Collapse Into Now by R.E.M.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by concluding their analysis of t...
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Season 6
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Episode 66
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1:28:49
Collapse Into Now (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss endings, the 20th century, Moose Juice, and Collapse Into Now 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'...
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Season 6
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Episode 65
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1:30:54
R.E.M. 2008 Tour Commentary
The Big Mates provide nice and good audio commentary for some footage from the 2008 R.E.M. World Tour.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss a couple of videos from the final R.E.M. tour, and also talk about how the band un...
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Season 6
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Episode 64
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1:06:01
BONUS: Manic Street Preachers - Critical Thinking Initial Thoughts
BONG. In this bonus episode The Big Mates discuss the newly released album Critical Thinking by Manic Street Preachers - out today! They give their first impressions on the album and the individual tracks, compare it to previous w...
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Season 6
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Episode 64
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48:47
Accelerate (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss commercial pressure, word sandwiches, revenge fantasies, and Accelerate by R.E.M.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by concluding their analysis ...
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Season 6
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Episode 63
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1:38:01
Accelerate (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss modern rock music, digital promotion, tiny umbrellas, and Accelerate 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 th...
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Season 6
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Episode 62
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1:51:37
R.E.M. Live at the Olympia
The Big Mates discuss introductions, bullies, beef, and Live at the Olympia, a live album by R.E.M.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by deviating from the timeline an...
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Season 6
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Episode 61
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2:01:24
R.E.M. Live Commentary
The Big Mates provide fun and cool audio commentary for R.E.M. Live, the live video release by R.E.M.Adam, Steve, and Lucas discuss the live album and film as originally presented on CD and DVD and also dig into how it was...
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Season 6
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Episode 60
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1:56:21
Around the Sun (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates discuss death threats, protest songs, milk toast, and Around the Sun by R.E.M.Adam, Steve, and Lucas continue their deep dive into the career and discography of R.E.M. by concluding their analysis of the band...
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Season 6
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Episode 59
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1:37:57
Around the Sun (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates discuss Coldplay, Maroon 5, Robbie Williams, and Around the Sun 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 thir...
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Season 6
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Episode 58
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1:34:17
The Ultimate Playlist: Xmas (Pt. 2)
The Big Mates present one of their Patreon shows on the main feed... The Ultimate Playlist.Join us as we continue to explore a broader range of music from many genres and numerous artists, with each month focusing on 8 s...
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Season 6
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1:32:49
The Ultimate Playlist: Xmas (Pt. 1)
The Big Mates present one of their Patreon shows on the main feed... The Ultimate Playlist.Join us as we explore a broader range of music from many genres and numerous artists, with each month focusing on 8 songs centred...
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Season 6
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1:37:34
R.(w)E.M. Christmas This?
The Big Mates get festive once again.Join us for another Christmas of mostly the same stuff as the previous ones. Are you ready for Christmas? Are you feeling Christmassy? What are your favourite Christmas songs? Plus, we explor...
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Season 6
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Episode 57
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1:29:47
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, performing comedy, cultural webs, and...
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Season 6
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Episode 56
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2:00:20
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 into how it was made, ho...
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Season 6
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Episode 55
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2:00:31
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 analysis of the band's twelfth...
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Season 6
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Episode 54
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1:51:15
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 analysis of the band's twe...
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Season 6
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Episode 53
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1:52:56
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 broadcast on the BBC. T...
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Season 6
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Episode 52
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1:41:46
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 dives into the l...
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Season 6
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Episode 51
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1:43:58
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 their analysis of the ...
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Season 6
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Episode 50
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1:33:46
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 their analysis of the band'...
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Season 6
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Episode 49
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1:35:55
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 analysis of the band's el...
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Season 6
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Episode 48
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1:41:04
