Empty Checking with Derek Brink

Episode 217 - The Fab 15 Rush Songs

In this episode, Your Uncle Derek and Papa Dave are counting down their Fab 15 Rush songs! Rush is one of our collective favorite bands, and narrowing it down to just 15 was a TOUGH battle. We had a lot of fun rehashing old stories and talking about music that means a lot to us. We hope you enjoy this one, as the subject is very close(r) to our hearts!

Blog: http://emptychecking.blogspot.com 
Bandcamp: http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com 
email: db@derekbrink.com 
Spotify Playlists: https://open.spotify.com/user/317eypfciiajkyay2kxloz3kreoa?si=f046115ad0514079 

Time Index:

• 0:00 - Intro
• 11:55 - #15
• 15:42 - #14
• 23:46 - #13
• 33:51 - #12
• 43:24 - #11
• 50:04 - #10
• 53:48 - #9
• 1:02:08 - #8
• 1:12:50 - #7
• 1:12:58 - #6
• 1:15:40 - #5
• 1:23:17 - #4
• 1:33:05 - #3
• 1:38:53 - #2
• 1:50:23 - #1
• 2:02:31 - Honorable Mentions and Other Subjects
• 2:19:32 - Music Break: Greetings from Far Away
• 2:19:50 - The Final 15 and Closing Thoughts

Episode 216 - Get Gabbin'

It's a new episode of the thing! I talk about Dropkick Murphys, Alison Brown and Steve Martin, The Who, Downton Abbey, and a semi-obscure movie called Still Crazy. I had a lot of fun with this one, despite a lot of back pain. Enjoy!

Blog: http://emptychecking.blogspot.com 
Bandcamp: http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com 
email: db@derekbrink.com

Time Index:

• 0:00 - Intro
• 11:39 - I Hope You're Happy
• 12:10 - Recent Listening
  • 12:24 - Dropkick Murphys - For the People
  • 16:09 - Alison Brown & Steve Martin - Safe Sensible and Sane
  • 22:18 - The Who - Who Are You Super Deluxe Edition
• 29:30 - Useless
• 30:00 - Recent Watching
  • 30:32 - Downton Abbey Movies
  • 40:59 - Still Crazy
• 47:20 - That Weekend (Blue Tattoo)
• 47:51 - Outro

Episode 215 - The Weather is Deflating My Head

In this episode--which is neither spooky, nor scary, despite the upload date--I talk about a bunch of new music and get mad at Taylor Swift fans (but maybe not in the way you think). It's a fun one. Check it out!

Blog: http://emptychecking.blogspot.com
Bandcamp: http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com 
email: db@derekbrink.com 

• 0:00 - Intro, including a tribute to Prunella Scales
• 13:26 - Live Your Life
• 13:57 - New Music Reviews
  • 14:46 - Max Richter - Sleep Circle
  • 21:12 - Sloan - Based on the Best Seller
  • 24:28 - Amanda Shires - Nobody's Girl
  • 34:54 - Los Straitjackets - Somos Los Straitjackets
  • 38:35 - Halestorm - Everest
  • 43:08 - Taylor Swift - The Life of a Showgirl
• 48:45 - Every Day
• 49:15 - Outro, including a brief review of Only Murders in the Building

Episode 214 - The Intent of a Good Show

In this slightly shorter (but if you ask me TWICE as fun!) episode, I mostly just talk about the 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the reunion of RUSH! I had a blast doing this one. I bet you at least sort of enjoy having it on in the background while you work or go to the gym or walk the dog or whatever!

Blog: http://emptychecking.blogspot.com
Bandcamp: http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com
email: db@derekbrink.com

Time Index:

• 0:00 - Intro
• 14:13 - Deeper Than Oceans
• 14:44 - Rocky Horror 50th Anniversary
• 29:23 - Burn
• 29:54 - RUSH!
• 48:46 - Intervention
• 49:17 - Outro

Episode 213 - The FAB 15 Van Halen Songs

In this episode, your Papa Dave joins us to count down the FAB 15 Van Halen Songs! (The episode also intermittently features my fridge fan humming. Sorry!) We're both big VH fans, and this one just happens to be coming out on the heels of the 5 year anniversary of the loss of Eddie Van Halen, so it seems a very apt episode. And it's a lot of fun! It's a little longer than usual, just because I was enjoying listening to us talk and kept forgetting to edit! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Blog: http://emptychecking.blogspot.com 
Bandcamp: http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com 
email: db@derekbrink.com 
Spotify Playlists: https://open.spotify.com/user/317eypfciiajkyay2kxloz3kreoa?si=f046115ad0514079 

• 0:00 - Introduction, Rules, and So On
• 16:40 - #15 - (Derek Note: In the days since the show was recorded, I looked the song up on Wikipedia and there does not seem to be any indication that Eddie had anything to do with the lyrics on my choice for #15.)
• 26:54 - #14
• 32:08 - #13
• 36:22 - #12
• 44:11 - #11
• 49:24 - #10
• 1:02:51 - #9 
• 1:06:20 - #8
• 1:12:31 - #7
• 1:17:27 - #6
• 1:24:42 - #5
• 1:31:11 - #4
• 1:39:21 - #3
• 1:48:42 - #2
• 1:49:55 - #1
• 1:55:51 - Honorable Mentions
• 2:07:45 - Music Break: Intervention
• 2:08:06 - Picking #1
• 2:13:02 - The Final 15 and several minutes of us still having fun talking about Van Halen

Episode 212 - The Spinal Tap Episode

In this episode, I talk about all things Spinal Tap for the whole show! The original movie, the recent sequel, and a TON of stuff in-between that you might not even know exists! It was a lot of fun making this one. On a side note, I can't BEGIN to tell you how frustrating it was to realize this is episode 212 instead of 211, so that I could've said, "This episode goes two-eleven." Missed opportunity. 

Blog: http://emptychecking.blogspot.com 
Bandcamp: http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com 
email: db@derekbrink.com 

Time Index:

• 0:00 - Intro Stuff
• 7:27 - Greetings from Far Away
• 7:57 - Talkin' Tap!
• 1:09:38 - The Way the World Will End
• 1:10:09 - Outro Stuff

Episode 211 - I'm Out There, Please Find Me

In this episode, I talk about music from Sabrina Carpenter, Margo Price, David Byrne, and Yungblud, then I talk about Only Murders in the Building and the Trekkies documentaries (and just kinda Star Trek in general). I had fun. Now I demand that you do, too!

Blog: http://emptychecking.blogspot.com 
Bandcamp: http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com 
email: db@derekbrink.com 

Time Index:

• 0:00 - Intro
• 11:19 - Forever Home
• 11:50 - Recent Listening
  • 12:44 - Sabrina Carpenter - Man's Best Friend
  • 20:12 - Margo Price - Hard Headed Woman
  • 25:55 - David Byrne - Who Is The Sky?
  • 30:18 - Yungblud - Icons
• 37:26 - The High Road
• 37:56 - Recent Watching
  • 38:08 - OMITB
  • 46:20 - Trekkies/Star Trek
• 59:37 - Chekov's Rights
• 1:00:08 - Outro

Episode 210 - I Can't Remember the Words that are Actually Words

After almost a three week accidental hiatus, I'm back with a slightly weird and slightly short episode! In this one I backtrack to correct my thinking on the recent releases by Coheed & Cambria and HAIM, then I talk about Mastodon, the Struts, and a bunch of Oktoberfest beers. I had fun. Maybe you can too!

Blog: http://emptychecking.blogspot.com 
Bandcamp: http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com 
email: db@derekbrink.com 

Time Index (sorry this is a little concise this week):

• 0:00 - Intro
• 7:41 - Vagabond
• 8:11 - Recent Listening - Including Coheed & Cambria, HAIM, Mastodon, and The Struts
• 31:11 - Jean Jacket
• 31:42 - Oktoberfest Beers!
• 46:00 - Slainte
• 46:30 - Outro

Episode 209 - They Don't Seem Like that Kind of Guys (or Fisher Stevens Scares Cats)

In this episode, I talk about music from Murry Hammond, Hayes Carll, and The Wonder Years and then the movies The Phoenician Scheme, Throw Momma from the Train, and the TV show Columbo. I had a great time recording this one that I hope translates into your ears!

Blog: http://emptychecking.blogspot.com 
Bandcamp: http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com 
email: db@derekbrink.com

Time Index:

• 0:00 - Intro (Including a defense of Taylor Swift)
• 17:41 - TralfamadOverture
• 18:11 - Recent Listening
  • 18:28 - Murry Hammond - Trail Songs of the Deep
  • 23:12 - Hayes Carll - We're Only Human
  • 28:55 - The Wonder Years (In general)
• 35:52 - You've Got to Laugh
• 36:22 - Recent Viewing
  • 36:47 - The Phoenician Scheme
  • 43:46 - Throw Momma from the Train
  • 48:25 - Columbo
• 56:02 - If It's Raining
• 56:32 - Outro

EC Update 8-18-25.m4a

I have an episode READY TO GO, but Microsoft has kneecapped me. Listen to this short update to find out how!