Three years ago, Daniel and Ryan plugged in our mics, wide-eyed with ambitions and a shared love for pop culture. Now, we're toasting to the Pop Five podcast's third anniversary, a journey stitched with life's unpredictable events and the thrill of fresh episodes. We set the stage with Olivia Rodrigo's musical journey, from her angsty "Sour" beginnings to the matured artistry of "Guts," and how her "Teenage Dream" became a soundtrack to our own growth. Prepare to travel with us through the mo...

Have you ever wondered how a tech industry insider might crack up the comedy stage? Alexis Gay did just that, and she's here to spill the beans on her unexpected leap from tech to stand-up, podcasting, and beyond. As we chat with the brilliantly funny Alexis, she peels back the curtain on her transformative pandemic experience and how it led to the birth of her podcast, Non-Technical. We get a real look into the personal influences that flavor her comedic style — from an unwavering love for "...

Have you ever stumbled upon a melody that catapulted you straight back to your first concert, the lights dimming, heart racing with anticipation? That's the magnetic pull of Tony Smith's music. Celebrating a special three-year anniversary mini-season, we sit down with the extraordinary Tony Smith of Tonyboyy, Teem and Sleeper Agent fame. Savor the infectious "Counting Sheep" from his debut album "Doll Me Up," and join us as we traverse Tony's musical landscape—from the vitality of his live pe...

Laugh along with us as the incomparable Kylie Brakeman swings by to mark the three-year milestone of My Pop Five with her signature wit and wisdom. Imagine a world where pop culture isn't splintered by internet niches, but instead, a shared experience like the unforgettable "Barbenhiemer" Kylie shares her adventures and the journey that is the transition from improv to digital skits and characters. As we stroll down memory lane, and her Pop Five, Kylie and I unpack the timeless inf...

Veronica Deeds; an L.A. based actor, part-time co-host of My Pop Five, and freelance producer.  When she first moved to LA, Veronica worked as an event producer for high profile film premieres, which allowed her to hone her producing skills under high pressure jobs. ⁠  Since then, she has adjusted her life to focus on acting and filmmaking full time (and bartending, let’s be real 🤷🏻‍♀️). ⁠ She has taken classes with many great coaches in LA, was the lead in a national commercial, and was a...

In honor of Father's Day, the My Pop Five crew is getting together to talk about their favorite TV and Movie Dads! Here are the five that we love.  Uncle Phil (Fresh Prince of Bel Air) Adam Braverman (Parenthood)Charlie Swan (Twilight) Jack Gellar (Friends) Phil Dunphy (Modern Family) The crew also has touches on honorable mentions and features a special guest to start the episode. This  surprise guest is near and dear to Ryan's heart. Check it out! 

Dylan Adler; comedian, actor, and musician based in NYC. He’s performed musical comedy at the New York Comedy Festival and was featured in the New York Times for his show "Rape Victims are Horny Too" with Kelly Bachman. He performs sketch on Maude Night at UCB on his team “Young Douglas”. He performs musical improv on People’s Improv Theatre house team “Punch Funk” and has been featured in the NY Post and Elite Daily. He is also the co-composer of the musical Goodmorning New York that...

Connor Morrison is a Bay Area multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, vocalist, and a piano rocker that lives to entertain. With roots in jazz, rock, and folk, he has been tickling ivories and singing his heart out for years, most recently as half of the folk-rock duo The Meanderings.  During this time, he co-wrote and released three full length albums, a number of singles, as well as toured the United States. Now located in the Bay Area, he is bringing his piano-indie-rock flavor to all those...

Julianna Zachariou; San Diego based writer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and a contributor to the band Echobaby. Previously regarded as "old for her age"  Julianna joins My Pop Five to break down Feels Like Home by Norah Jones, Moonstruck (Film), Barbra Streisand, The Reminder (Feist), and This New Century (Dan Reeder). She also takes the time to share her intro to music, the intricacies of getting a degree in songwriting, and discovering her voice.  Support...

John Reagan; Albuquerque based musician. John is one of five brothers who grew up traveling the world as a missionary. John fell in love with music and was inspired to create after viewing a Bob Dylan video on YouTube. Since then John has released a full length album titled “John Reagan’s Future” and a multitude of singles including favorites “Touch” “Dreamers” and “La La Land” John also fronts the band Island Center which released their debut single “Unexpected” in 2019.  John has made the...

Daniel Parra; New Mexico based musician, producer and co-creator of My Pop Five. As a producer of the show, Daniel is involved with the planning of episodes, editing content and overall direction of the show. Daniel's love of all things pop-culture, music, and video games leads to fascinating conversations and conveys the heart of the show.  Daniel joins the show to break down ATLiens (OutKast), The Iron Giant, Alive 2007 (Daft Punk), Iowa (Slipknot), and Kingdom Hearts 2. We also get to...

On this week's episode, join the My Pop Five posse as they look back on some of their favorite moments from year one of the show!  Co-hosts Ryan, Daniel, Veronica & Briauna are getting together to break down and listen to highlights of My Pop Five, from the good to the bad and everything in between!  Kick back, relax, and take a stroll down memory lane with us. Enjoy some birthday cake while you're at it. 

Myke C-Town; Atlanta based music enthusiast or self proclaimed "Music Nazi". Myke is 1/5 of the Dead End Hip Hop crew and has his own YouTube channel featuring vinyl, music reviews, movie reviews and solo hip hop album reviews. Myke C-Town joins My Pop Five to break down his love for The Cure, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Charles Bukowski, David Lynch and Gleaming The Cube. Myke takes the time to tell stories about how his love for art and music literally saved his life. We also get to laugh...

Nate Meeker; comedian, content creator, and writer based in New York City.  Though he always had a passion for it, Nate’s path to comedy is a little different than most. In December of 2019, he graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Marketing and quickly entered the corporate world. Looking for ways to fulfill his desire to pursue comedy, he began performing stand-up throughout Ohio.  Encouraged by friends to start making videos, he jumped on TikTok where his content...

Zac Rae; Los Angeles based pianist, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist. Currently a member of the band Death Cab for Cutie. Zac also works extensively as a session musician and has  played with the likes of Alanis Morrissette, Alessia Cara, Lana Del Rey, Sara Bareilles, John Legend and so many more. His musical talents have also been included in film scores and soundracks including recent work featured in Pixar's Turning Red.  Zac joins My Pop Five to break down The Traveling Wilbury's,...

It's been a while since the MPF Gang got together to break down their favorite things. Since we last got together there have been a number of incredible pieces of content including, but not limited to; Spider-Man: No Way Home, Scream, Encanto, Turning Red, Ozark Season 4, Euphoria Season 2, and much much more.  Today Ryan and Daniel get together to talk about five things that have stuck with them throughout the year so far.  From Daniel's takes about the weirdness of Bruce Wayne and his...

Diego Manrique; a Colombia born singer-songwriter and frontman for the band Sol De La Noche. Their debut album Al Natural, released in September 2019 has placed Sol De La Noche as one of the top Modern Latin Band acts in Albuquerque, New Mexico resulting in full attendance across multiple venues in the state. With over 600 live performances in the last 5 years, Sol De La Noche has opened for multiple acts across a variety of genres, among them Stixx and Los Mocochetes. Diego joins My Pop...

Christina DiBiase; originally from Cleveland, OH. She began her career as a dancer at a very young age. In her teenage years she discovered her passion for acting. Eventually she started studying acting at a community college in Cleveland which led to her transfer to The Academy of Art University in San Francisco where she received her BFA in Acting. Christina has since been performing in Los Angeles, CA regularly as a Stand-Up Comedian and was recently accepted into The...

Lilah Rose; a singer-songwriter born and raised in Arizona. Lilah has been singing and playing music since child birth. Lilah plays keyboard and vocals for the band Prism Bitch and has toured with the likes of Built To Spill and played at the Treefort Music Festival. Lilah joins My Pop Five to breakdown her love for music and fully takes advantage of the My Pop Five asterisk. We learn about the many musical influences that have colored her life including Built To Spill, The Police, LeAnn...

Matt Friend; a New York based comedian, impressionist and actor. Matt graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School in 2020, but his love of comedy and entertainment was sparked when he was four years old. He had watched Austin Powers (yes, as a four-year-old) and started mimicking the characters’ voices—and the rest was history. To date, Matthew has almost 350K followers on TikTok. He has appeared on the Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, NBC’s New York Live TV, Good Day LA, Good Day NY, and WGN. In...

Zack Albetta; an Atlanta based musician and one-half of the Working Drummer Podcast. Zack has called Atlanta home since 2016 and has become a go-to for some of the best talent in the Southeast, recording and touring with Delta Moon, The Atlanta Funk Society, The Equinox Orchestra, Ansley Stewart, and Ruby Velle & The Soulphonics. Prior to this, Zack spent five years in Los Angeles, where he performed most regularly with The Jennifer Keith Sextet, a retro-swing band led by Royal Crown...

Holland Baker; a New York based Production Editor and Podcast Host. Holland is a host on  Whatever It Takes: A Degrassi Podcast and Latchkey Sibs. Holland is a pop-culture and fandom enthusiast and according to her father, the family Harry Potter expert. Holland joins My Pop Five to breakdown her relationship with Harry Potter, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Blink-182, BTS and Teen Vogue. We also learn how these influences lead to long term friendships, the inspiration to start a podcast,...

Henri Bardot; A Portland, Oregon based multi-instrumentalist, music producer and songwriter. Henri has worked with many incredible artists including Mree, Miel, and is one half of the group Perlo. In addition, Henri also self-produces his own music.  Henri joins my pop five to discuss Tom Waits - The Early Years Vol.2, Zelda - Ocarina of Time, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Sufjan Stevens - Illinois, and Just Kids by Patti Smith. Henri also talks through making records with loved...

Kate Dorff; A Brooklyn based musician and singer-songwriter. Kate started playing guitar at the age of 10 when they were determined to learn Taylor Swift's entire discography. They cite Swift’s lyrical storytelling method as a major influence in their own writing.  Kate classifies their music under the umbrella of, “simp-like tendencies that inspire melancholic tunes.” In their debut single, “Red Light Room,” Kate employs a string of highly specific memories to tell a story of heartbreak....