Empty Checking with Derek Brink

The Inaugural "Fast Cash!" (8/5/20)

This is a super-short episode (for me, anyway)! I've been wanting to sometimes just do short episodes where I maybe only talk about a couple of things because I don't always have an hour-long episode to do, but I can always do 15-20 minutes. So I'm going to do that sometimes, and when I do I'm going to call it a "Fast Cash" episode to tie in with the "Empty Checking" phrasing and whatnot--you get it.  This is the first one! Fast Cash!

In this one I bid farewell to Pete Hamill, then talk about the Yakuza game series, the new album by Alanis Morissette, and Rick and Morty. It's a good one. But short! FAST CASH!!!!!!!!

Be sure to check out the blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for pictures and stuff, too!

*BONUS EPISODE* - The Departure Episode (7/30/20)

This is a BONUS EPISODE where I sit, listen to my album "Departure" that came out this past April and talk about it. This isn't everybody's cup of tea, I know...but don't worry, I'll do another "official" Empty Checking episode this weekend. This one's just for fun!

 

Check out the companion blog at emptychecking.blogspot.com for photos of stuff I mentioned in the show and more!

7/25/20 - I Don't Always Know When a List is Going to Happen

In this episode I catch up on a few things I've been meaning to talk about for a while including Books by Charlene Ng and Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, the Prime series Good Omens, the movie Rocketman, and music from Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Rufus Wainwright. All that and more!

 

Check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for photos and more!

 

Also note that I'll be posting a BONUS EPISODE later this week where I listen to and talk about my album "Departure" just for fun. It'll come a little sooner than a normal episode might, so be on the lookout for that.

 

Time Index:

• 0:00 - Intro Stuff
• 12:16 - Music Break - "The Best"
• 16:44 - Books - "Everything I Never Told You" by Celeste Ng, and "Good Omens" by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.
• 35:02 - Music Break - "Slip Away"
• 35:32 - Movies/TV - Good Omens and Rocketman.
• 55:19 - Music Break - "Greetings From Far Away"
• 55:49 - Music Reviews - "Rough and Rowdy Ways" by Bob Dylan, "Homecoming" by Neil Young, and "Unfollow the Rules" by Rufus Wainwright
• 1:14:46 - Music Break - "Always"
• 1:15:16 - Outro Stuff

Take Off Your Shoes and Get Funky (6/4/20)

This week's episode was a difficult one to record amidst the tension presently ongoing in the country (and my immediate area) but I think it's a good one and I said a couple important things among the nonsense. I spend a little time up front talking about the murder of George Floyd--there was no way not to do so. The tone shifts after about 10 minutes into being a regular show after that where I talk about my newest guitar, Rush, Prince, The Who, Doctor Who, and Little Fires Everywhere, as well as paying tribute to Lynn Shelton and Marc Maron. It's a weird tone this week, but I hope you enjoy it!

Check out http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for photos and more info.

Thanks for your support!

Time Index:

• 0:00 - Introduction and some words about George Floyd and being an old white guy.
• 10:54 - My 40th Birthday and New Guitar
• 18:30 - Tribute to Lynn Shelton and Marc Maron
• 25:45 - Musical Break
• 26:20 - Talking about music by Rush, Prince, and The Who
• 42:11 - Musical Break
• 42:40 - Talking about Tom Baker era Doctor Who and Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng.
• 52:50 - Musical Break
• 53:24 - Outro Stuff

Other Platflorms (5/16/20)

This week's episode is a kinda rambly one, but I had fun doing it. I bid farewell to the late, great Fred Willard, talk about Guinness Over the Moon Milk Stout, talk a little bit about the video game Yakuza 0, then dive into movies from Kevin Smith and the Planet of the Apes franchise and end with some music-talk including my take on the new Jason Isbell record! I crammed a lot of stuff into about an hour. Just for you! Enjoy. (Oh, and just a note, I remembered while editing that "I Can't Even Tell" is by Soul Asylum, not the Gin Blossoms. Sorry!)

Here's how the time break down. Visit the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for photos and more!

• 0:00 - Intro Stuff
  • 3:05 - RIP Fred Willard
  • 11:03 - Guinness Over the Moon Milk Stout
  • 16:02 - Yakuza 0
• 19:38 - Music Break - Intervention
• 20:09 - Movies - Mostly Kevin Smith and a little Apes just for fun.
• 56:40 - Music Break - Deeper Than Oceans
• 57:11 - Music Stuff, including Jason Isbell and a follow up on stuff Dave mentioned last week.
• 1:06:41 - Music Break - Pneuma
• 1:07:41 - Outro Stuff

5/6/20 - Derailed with Dave!

In this week's episode I have a long chat with my brother Dave about the stuff that's kep him entertained during his COVID-19 Stay-at-Home order. It's a long talk that covers a lot of ground. Don't have a time-index for it this week because it was even more informal than my usual shows, but it's a good talk! Check it out, and visit the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com!

 

Thanks for your support!

5/1/20 - The Empty Checking COVID-19 SPECTACULAR!

We last met on March 1, 2020. A lot has changed since then. Like most people reading this, I've been hunkered down at home, isolating and trying to do my part in flattening the curve of COVID-19. I hope we're all taking this seriously and doing what we can. Above all else I wish you all the best and hope you're well. I'm sure we'll all get through this and good times will come again.m Or not. Either way, we'll talk about pop-culture until there's nothing left to say. And this week's episode covers a lot of ground.

Be sure to check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for a more detailed post with photos and whatnot.

Here's how the time breaks down for this episode:

• 0:00 - Intro stuff including a "rest in peace" to John Prine and some heartfelt thoughts on COVID-19.
• 15:59 - Music Break #1 - Lectio Divina
• 16:30 - Music stuff including discussion of new releases from Spinning Coin, The Potomac Accord, Nine Inch Nails, Pearl Jam, Brian Fallon, Mountain Goats, Bob Dylan, and Michael Manring, among others!
• 46:50 - Music Break #2 - Burn
• 47:20 - Movies and TV discussion - Including Community, Guardians of the Galaxy 2, and A Stupid and Futile Gesture
• 1:05:11 - Music Break #3 - Coronation
• 1:05:41 - Outro stuff including a brief summary of books I've recently read and mention of my new obsession with the video game Hollow Knight

Big episode this week! We'll be back NEXT WEEK, assuming nothing terrible happens! I promise!

3/1/20 - Prepare to be Bored for a Second

This episode is mostly books and music. I do a deep dive into the etymology of Beowulf and then talk about things that were written in a form of English we understand. I also talk about a bunch of new music. And some other stuff. You know how I am. Check out the blog at http://emptychecking.blogdpot.com for photos and stuff!

Here's the time index:

• 0:00 - Intro
• 6:48 - Music Break 1 - "Not Quite Middle Life Crisis"
• 7:18 - Books
  • Beowulf - 7:18
  • The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse - 19:17
  • The Age of Anxiety - 24:35
  • The Rain Watcher - 29:11
• 35:54 - Music Break 2 - "One Man"
• 36:24 - New Albums and Stuff
  • Pearl Jam's New Singles - 36:24
  • Anti Flag: "20/20 Vision" - 41:08
  • Drive-By Truckers: "The Unraveling" - 42:07
  • ...and You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead: "X" - 45:15
  • Guided By Voices - "Surrender Your Poppy Field" - 47:34
  • Sloan Concert in St. Louis 2/15/20 - 49:11
• 55:35 - Music Break 3 - "AMB 4"
• 56:05 - Outro Stuff

Enjoy!

1/10/20 - The Episode Where I Cry Because Neil Peart Died

In this episode I exclusively talk about Neil Peart, who passed away today, and some of my memories of Rush. It's pretty raw and emotional. So I guess there's a little bit of a trigger warning on this one.  (Also, I didn't censor anything.)  Check out http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for (not much) more.

12/21/19 - My Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2019

With only a few shopping days left before Christmas, I'm giving you 17 ideas of albums you could buy for the randos in your life by presenting my top 10 favorite albums of 2019 (plus some runners up). I think it's a pretty good list. Give it a listen and see if you agree, then leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite album or albums were this year!

Check out the blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for photos and more stuff. (I realize I could do that here too, but for archival purposes I want to keep all that stuff in one place at the old blog.)

No time index this week since it's all just one subject, but the song I used transitioning out of the intro into the list is my song "Napalm" and it's available here for free. 

Thanks! Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!