Love is the Message: Music, Dance & Counterculture is a new show from Tim Lawrence and Jeremy Gilbert, both of them authors, academics, DJs and dance party organisers.
Tune in, Turn on and Get Down to in-depth discussion of the sonic, social and political legacies of radical movements from the 1960s to today. Starting with David Mancuso's NYC Loft parties, we’ll explore the countercultural sounds, scenes and ideas of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
”There’s one big party going on all the time. Sometimes we get to tune into it.” The rest of the time there’s Love Is The Message.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
Astral Traveling: Spiritual Jazz pt.1
Today we’re taking it back to the early 70s as we begin a mini-series on spiritual jazz. Psychedelic, cosmic, astral: all words associated with a set of releases somewhat
Sep 24 1 h 03 min
LITM Extra - Boy George, Gaza, and 'We Will Dance Again' [excerpt]
This is an excerpt from a patrons-only show. To hear the full thing, plus dozens more like it, visit Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to sign up.
In this episode Tim responds
Sep 10 3 min
Notting Hill Carnival
Love is the Message returns from our summer break just in time for the Bank Holiday Weekend, which in London means one thing: Carnival. In this episode Jeremy and Tim cov
Aug 27 1 h 42 min
Corrie on Acid: The Fall with David Wilkinson
We at LITM are still on our summer break, but while we’re away we wanted to share this interview on that most Northern of subjects, Mark E Smith of The Fall. Joining Jere
Aug 6 1 h 31 min
Adventures Close to Home: Post Punk 1979 pt.2
It's just Jem this week, mopping up the last suds of our post punk mini-series with a series of British bands who ripped it up and started again. We spend time with The S
Jul 16 56 min
LITM Extra - Kiss Me Again: Arthur Russell pt.6 [excerpt]
This is an excerpt from a patrons-only episode. To hear the full show, and dozens more like it, visit Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to join.
We made it: what started as a t
Jul 2 16 min
Disorder? Post Punk 1979 pt.1
We’ve finally made it - the pivotal Post Punk year of 1979. Well, sort of. It wouldn’t be LITM without a little extra detail, so Jeremy and Tim cue up our arrival with a
Jun 18 1 h 31 min
LITM Extra - The Flying Hearts: Arthur Russell pt.5 [excerpt]
This is an excerpt from a patrons-only episode. To hear the full thing, plus dozens more like it, visit Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.
We continue our mini-series on Arthur
Jun 4 12 min
The Mudd Club, An Intense Laboratory: Post Punk pt.5
In this episode we return to the Mudd Club, NYC’s ‘intense laboratory’ of cinema, performance, dance and music. We hear about how this new kind of club fused these variou
May 21 1 h 33 min
LITM Extra - Instrumentals: Arthur Russell pt.4 [excerpt]
This is an excerpt from a patrons-only episode. To hear the full thing, plus dozens more like it, visit Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.
We’re back on the tail of Arthur Russ
May 7 11 min
The Mudd Club Opens: Post Punk pt.4
Continuing our mini-series on post-punk, Jeremy and Tim turn their attention to the pre-history of a crucial NYC venue: The Mudd Club. Given Tim literally wrote the book
Apr 23 1 h 22 min
[UNLOCKED] LITM Extra - Rebel Sounds with Joe Mulhall
We've dug into our vault of past episodes and unlocked this previously patrons-only interview from last year. To hear dozens more episodes like this from just £3 a month,
Apr 16 1 h 35 min
LITM Extra - Rock the Kitchen: Arthur Russell pt.3 [excerpt]
This is an excerpt from a patrons-only episode. To hear the full thing, plus dozens more, become a patron from £3 a month at Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod.
In this patrons
Apr 9 9 min
Do It Yourself! Post Punk pt.3
Grab your zines, dust off your stencils and customise your jackets because Jeremy and Tim are continuing our mini-series on post-punk with a healthy dollop of DIY culture
Mar 26 1 h 11 min
LITM Extra - Beginner's Mind: Arthur Russell pt.2 [excerpt]
This is an excerpt of a patrons-only episode. To hear the full thing, and dozens more like it, visit Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to sign up from just £3 a month.
In this
Mar 12 7 min
The Winter of Discontent: Post Punk pt.2
Jeremy and Tim continue our mini-series on post-punk with a bit of 1978 scene-setting. Describing the inflationary crises, militant shop stewards and series of strikes in
Feb 26 1 h 24 min
[UNLOCKED] LITM Extra - Toby Manning on Mixing Pop and Politics
UNLOCKED: we've decided to share this interview with writer Toby Manning that we originally distributed to patrons in May 2025. To hear dozen more bonus episodes on a vas
Feb 19 1 h 22 min
LITM Extra - First Thought, Best Thought: Arthur Russell pt.1 [excerpt]
This is an excerpt from a patrons-only episode. To hear the full thing and dozens more like it, visit Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod to sign up.
In this episode we begin a p
Feb 12 8 min
‘The New Musick’: Post Punk pt.1
On this week’s episode we return to 70s for the first of a mini-series on post-punk. A historical period, an unhelpful genre descriptor, a structure of feeling? Whatever
Jan 28 1 h 27 min
The Music of North East England with Alex Niven [7" Edition]
To hear the extended, 12", almost-2-hour version of this conversation, including discussion on Maximo Park, Kenickie and Bob Davenport, visit Patreon.com/LoveMessagePod a
Jan 14 1 h 20 min
Chart trend
Position in the Music History chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#100#199JunJulAugSep
#20
all-time peak
55
days in the top 50 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where Love is the Message: Dance, Music and Counterculture ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 26, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
Can’t get enough. Love the mash-up of politics and culture. A conversation, but not chatty.
Alameda woman · Dec 2025
Superb work, wonderful job! Incredible research into a vast subject, academic and entertaining reporting from the dance floor by a pair of experts. Interesting music history nonstop.
Tufferdub · Jun 2024
This is a thoughtful, authoritative, and widescreen look at the pulsing undercurrent between countercultural production and political economy in the mid-twentieth century. For anyone interested in music as a space of inquiry for progressive politics, or anyone interested in the deep and often-overlooked history of these diverse cultural spaces (dancefloors) and their role in shaping our own cultural moment, LOVE IS THE MESSAGE is essential listening.
Tim Lawrence is a tireless historian of NYC dance culture, and the author of several definitive books on the subject. Jeremy Gilbert is an incisive cultural critic and left-wing thinker familiar to anyone with ears for the British left. But they are both DJs and music fiends, and their conversation (while overtly expert at times) is eminently listenable. Turn on, tune in, get down, as they say.
ahr jay ehm · Sep 2021
For lovers of house, disco, and that whole scene from the 70’s, 80’s, etc., this is the place to listen and learn! A wonderful presentation of a certain period in music history, and the fascinating links and influences it has had on music today ever since. Fascinating, unique, factually ground, and FUN to learn and listen to.
GREAT JOB, GUYS!!
Eric Kaljo Roos · Apr 2021
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
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About Love is the Message: Dance, Music and Counterculture on Reason.fm
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Love is the Message: Dance, Music and Counterculture, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
