Let’s Break it Down

Music can make or break a movie. Emma Whitiker, an avid movie watcher and ex-theatre kid, alongside another ex-theatre kid Alley Pridmore, break down the importance of music in films and what distinguishes a movie musical from a movie with music. Music Credit: Energetic Lo-Fi Hip Hop Fashion Music| Soul by Alex-Productions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/alex-productions/upbeat-background-music-v1/energetic-lo-fi-hip-hop-fashion-music-soul/ Song Clips: What Was I Made For? By Billie Eilish, Overture/Work Song from Les Miserables original Broadway cast recording, Mamma Mia from from Mamma Mia original Broadway cast recording, The Greatest Show from The Greatest Showman original motion picture soundtrack, You Can’t Stop the Beat-Medley from Hairspray original Broadway cast recording, Happy by Pharrell Williams, Just a Cloud Away by Pharrell Williams, The Gospel Truth I/MainTitles/Hercules from the Walt Disney Records soundtrack, The Polar Express from The Polar Express Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, When Christmas Comes to Town from The Polar Express Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, The Blitz, 1940 from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, He’s a Pirate from the Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Can’t Catch Me Now by Olivia Rodrigo

Alley Pridmore never in a million years thought she would be going back to the pirate days. Her boyfriend, Daniel Ragan, is not quite with the times when it comes to music. He’s going to take her back to days at sea and have her break down some of his favorite sea shanties. Is this going to be a fun journey or is it going to make her seasick?  Music Credit: Energetic Lo-Fi Hip Hop Fashion Music| Soul by Alex-Productions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/alex-productions/upbeat-background-music-v1/energetic-lo-fi-hip-hop-fashion-music-soul/ The Longest Johns Song Clips: Randy-Dandy-O, Retirement Song, Four Hours, Here’s a Health to the Company, Crossing the Bar

As long as we can remember, there were differences related to gender. Is it also present in the music industry? Emma Brightman and Parker Finch, individuals with differing music tastes from host Alley Pridmore, lay out their perspectives on the music industry’s gap between genders: from treatment to song topics to performance (if there is any).  Music Credit: Energetic Lo-Fi Hip Hop Fashion Music| Soul by Alex-Productions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/alex-productions/upbeat-background-music-v1/energetic-lo-fi-hip-hop-fashion-music-soul/

If there’s one thing I have no hesitation spending money on, it is a concert. Haley Braddock, another fellow avid concert attendee, and host Alley Pridmore definitely have the experience to tackle if the live vocals are on the same playing field as the recorded track on the album. Are concerts worth it vocally or solely for the experience? Music Credit: Energetic Lo-Fi Hip Hop Fashion Music| Soul by Alex-Productions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/alex-productions/upbeat-background-music-v1/energetic-lo-fi-hip-hop-fashion-music-soul/

There are some artists that made an iconic, memorable track, but then they hid and were never seen again. Host Alley Pridmore and fellow music lovers Grace Cox and Camden Segura discuss their insights on one hit wonders and some of their personal favorites. Where did these artists go, and do some of them need to make a return?  Music Credit: Energetic Lo-Fi Hip Hop Fashion Music| Soul by Alex-Productions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/alex-productions/upbeat-background-music-v1/energetic-lo-fi-hip-hop-fashion-music-soul/ Song Clips: Bad Habit by Steve Lacy, Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye, Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men, Say Hey (I Love You) ft Cherine Anderson by Michael Franti & Spearhead, Friday by Rebecca Black, Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen, A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton, The Night We Met by Lord Huron, Rude by MAGIC!, Dance Monkey by Tones and I, Stacy’s Mom by Fountains of Wayne, Mr. Brightside by The Killers, Let Her Go by Passenger, Feel it Still by Portugal The Man, Heat Waves by Glass Animals, I’m Yours by Jason Mraz, Tonight Tonight by Hot Chelle Rae, Bulletproof by La Roux, Classic by MKTO

Yes, host Alley Pridmore is in fact a basic Swiftie. Audrey Wood, another certified Swiftie, and she approach ranking and break down all eleven of Taylor Swift’s albums: from the early days of her self-titled to her recent release of “The Tortured Poets Department.” Will their takes blend in with the majority or will they have some hot takes in the mix?  Music Credit: Energetic Lo-Fi Hip Hop Fashion Music| Soul by Alex-Productions https://freemusicarchive.org/music/alex-productions/upbeat-background-music-v1/energetic-lo-fi-hip-hop-fashion-music-soul/ Music Clips (by Taylor Swift): Teardrops on my Guitar-Radio Single, Our Song, Forever and Always (Taylor’s Version), Love Story (Taylor’s Version), The Way I Loved You (Taylor’s Version), You Belong With Me (Taylor’s Version), Dear John (Taylor’s Version), Never Grow Up (Taylor’s Version), Back to December (Taylor’s Version), Enchanted (Taylor’s Version), All Too Well 10 Minute Version (Taylor’s Version), Treacherous (Taylor’s Version), Sad Beautiful Tragic (Taylor’s Version), Better Man (Taylor’s Version-From the Vault), Everything Has Changed ft Ed Sheeran (Taylor’s Version), I Bet You Think About Me ft. Chris Stapleton (Taylor’s Version-From the Vault), Is It Over Now (Taylor’s Version-From the Vault), This Love (Taylor’s Version), I Wish You Would (Taylor’s Version), I Know Places (Taylor’s Version), I Did Something Bad, Gorgeous, Don’t Blame Me, Call It What You Want, The Man, Paper Rings, Lover, Mirrorball, My Tears Ricochet, Exile ft. Bon Iver, Willow, Champagne Problems, No Body No Crime ft. HAIM, Tolerate It, Marjorie, Vigilante Shit, Midnight Rain, Lavender Haze, Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me, The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived

Late November-Early December is a big time for Spotify listeners, as they get to see their Spotify Wrapped list, a list with data for their most listened to songs, artists, and genres for the year. Alley LOVES Spotify Wrapped Day every year and enjoys seeing what others listened to over the last year. She says that it explains a lot about a person and their year as a whole. To end off 2023 (and the semester-long hiatus), she explains her top 10 songs from her list and what they mean to her.  Time Stamps  #10- 3:04  #9- 4:44  #8- 7:42  #7- 9:28  #6- 11:40  #5- 13:24  #4- 15:32  #3- 17:30  #2- 19:31  #1- 21:41

Before Alley takes a back-to-school hiatus, she closes off the two-part series of MCR's album "The Black Parade." The storytelling in the album continues to unfold in the latter half, but if Alley enjoys how it flows is the true question. Is it effective? Will her opinions from the first and second half differ? Only a listen will answer the questions.  Time Stamps Cancer- 2:41  Mama- 4:41  Sleep- 6:42  Teenagers- 8:31  Disenchanted- 9:51  Famous Last Words- 11:04  Blood- 12:51

My Chemical Romance’s third studio album “The Black Parade” tells a dark, deep story of a character’s death, reflection, and afterlife. Alley enters into a true emo phase that she never had (which is why she thought this title was the song by Beyonce, haha). The deep, eerie storytelling and punk-rock vibe is definitely out of her comfort zone, so she takes it a little slower by dissecting the first seven tracks of the album. Will this be a musical breakthrough for her?  Time Stamps The End.- 3:34  Dead!- 5:29  This is How I Disappear- 7:48  The Sharpest Lives- 10:21  Welcome to the Black Parade- 11:43  I Don't Love You- 14:05  House of Wolves- 15:32

Rock-indie girl group boygenius has grown in popularity, especially with Tiktok and their tour going on. While “The Record” is their most popular album right now, Pridmore breaks down the self-titled EP that started them off. She highlights the religious references, the consistent harmonization, and her thoughts on the ambiguous nature of each track. Will her take align or differ with the majority? Time Stamps Bite the Hand- 3:39  Me and My Dog- 5:35  Souvenir- 6:54  Stay Down- 8:45  Salt in the Wound- 10:13  Ketchum, ID- 12:00

Zach Bryan, a folk-country singer-songwriter continuing to rise in popularity, has a live album out from his Denver stop from 2022. Pridmore attended a Zach Bryan concert in May 2023. Does the live album accurately depict his vocal ability and vibes? Pridmore mixes in some stronger opinions on the artist and the concert vibe in this comparison.

Pridmore explores an early album by a controversial artist to many. John Mayer’s “Continuum” highlights the instrumental talent and the rich vocals of the artist. She separates his drama with other celebrities and focuses on what he has to express in the early work. Is Mayer’s music really as bad as the drama he is involved with? Time Stamps Waiting on the World to Change- 4:22  I Don’t Trust Myself (With Loving You)- 6:19  Belief- 9:59 Gravity- 11:26  The Heart of Life- 12:54  Vultures- 15:12  Stop This Train- 17:12  Slow Dancing in a Burning Room- 19:28  Bold as Love- 21:09  Dreaming with a Broken Heart- 23:30  In Repair- 24:49  I’m Gonna Find Another You- 26:25

Pridmore begins with a top album of hers. Lizzy McAlpine’s latest album “Five Seconds Flat” is different from her previous works, as it takes a more mature approach and incorporates stronger pop elements. It takes listeners through McAlpine’s cycle of emotions going through a breakup, but not just through typical lyricism but with the use of strong metaphors. Because of the partial relatability and strong lyricism, the album includes a song from Pridmore’s top ten favorite songs of all time list! Come inside her mind and see why it appeals to her so much. Time Stamps Doomsday- 3:02  An Ego Thing- 5:17  Erase Me- 7:28  Called You Again- 10:01  All My Ghosts- 11:37  Reckless Driving- 13:07  Weird- 15:00 Ceilings- 16:48  What a Shame- 18:33  Firearm- 20:26  Hate to be Lame- 22:26  Nobody Likes a Secret- 23:43  Chemtrails- 25:26  Orange Show Speedway- 27:04

Who is Alley? The host of this podcast has a story and connection with music that she is excited to tell and dissect. She’s just an open-minded soul ready to connect others through her love and interpretation of music. She breaks down the intended structure of the show and her enthusiasm for the subject. Come along on the journey and dive into her musical perspective.