Empty Checking with Derek Brink

Episode 18 - My Top Ten Favorite Albums of 2017

Most of this episode is spent talking about music. I discuss my top ten favorite albums of 2017 and several "honorable mentions" that didn't quite make the list. Among the latter, I spend a lengthy amount of time talking about the latest and sadly LAST solo album from Gord Downie, "Introduce Yerself." After all the music talk, I touch on a few quick subjects, including my thoughts on the season finale of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, a couple of notes on the WWE, and reviews of four weird, random sodas I bought from Cracker Barrel. Throughout the show, I also play snippets of "music only" mixes of several tracks off of my upcoming solo album "It Could Be Worse," which will be out in 2017, and we close out the show with a special Christmas gift for my dad. It's a jam packed episode! Here are the time-indexes for you skipper-arounders... 0.00 - Intro and Theme Music 1:17 - Greetings and Opening Remarks 4:53 - Musical Interlude #1 - A clip of "Always" from my upcoming album "It Could Be Worse." 5:33 - The Honorable Mentions, with particular attention to Gord Downie's "Introduce Yerself" at 7:00-15:43 30:39 - Musical Interlude #2 - A clip of "Everybody Shut Up" also from the upcoming album. 31:20 - THE TOP TEN ALBUMS OF 2017!!! (Ten-32:54, Nine-35:05, Eight-36:15, Seven-36:57, Six-39:13, Five-41:35, Four-43:09, Three-45:11, Two-47:11, One-50:56) 55:42 - Musical Interlude #3 - A clip of "Nobody Else" from the upcoming album 56:40 - A couple brief notes about the WWE. 59:45 - Thoughts on the finale of Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. 1:01:16 - Four weird random sodas from Cracker Barrel 1:06:06 - Memories from Ham Days passed. 1:08:38 - A Christmas Gift for my Dad/Outro Thanks for your continued support! Happy holidays!

Episode 17 - For Frodo and Others

On this week's episode, I wish you happy holidays--with Hanukkah and Christmas getting most of the attention--and talk about some of the things I love about the holidays. Then we talk about wrestling for a long time. Then I talk about new music from Willie Nelson and Mastodon--those are two separate albums, but now that I see it, I'd really like to hear that. I also talk about my favorite two Christmas albums by Aimee Mann and Dave Brubeck, respectively. And in a "long time coming" move, I talk about my love of the Lord of the Rings franchise and my memories revolving around those movies and the holiday season over the past several years. Be sure to check out the blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com, and if you like any of the music I'm playing in the show, full versions of the songs are available for FREE at http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com Here's the time-stamps. FYI, they may be a little bit approximate. For some reason I show different times in different players and I haven't been able to work out why. 0:00 - Intro and Hanukkah/Christmas Greetings 8:26 - Guitar Break #1 - "Everything Good" off the Trigger Warnings & Sunshine album. 9:00 - This Week in Wrestling 30:24 - Guitar Break #2 - "In My Heart" off the "Out from the Light" album. 30:58 - Music including Willie Nelson, Mastodon, and Christmas albums by Aimee Mann and Dave Brubeck. 42:22 - Guitar Break #3 - "Fall Apart" off the "Grounds" album. 42:51 - My memories of seeing Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit in years passed. 54:34 - Guitar Break #4 - "Remember Me" off the "Out from the Light" album 55:01 - Closing remarks and outro music.

Episode 16 - First I Call Your Kids Stupid Then I Call Your Music Fat

After an unplanned week off we have a lot to catch up on! This week's show sees me talking about what happened in my laptop crash last week, a fun week I've been having on social media, the present debacle over at Cracked, an RIP to Jim Nabors, and a whole bunch of music. (Music discussed includes Angel Olsen, Sharon Jones, Wesley Stace, U2, Neil Young, HAIM, Ani DiFranco, and Cheap Trick.) All that and more! Time indexes follow, and be sure to check out http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for photos and more! 0:00 - Intro and Theme Music. 1:22 - What happened last week and my new laptop. 8:29 - Guitar Break #1 - "Out from the Light" from my album of the same name. 9:06 - Potpourri of stuff. 9:24 - My glasses. 11:47 - RIP Jim Nabors. 17:24 - A weird, one-sided conversation with you. 18:00 - My week in Social Media. 24:55 - Guitar break #2 - "Outdoor Summer Concerts" from my single of the same name. 25:38 - My thoughts on the recent firings at Cracked and Internet culture in general. 42:00 - Guitar Break #3 - "Beautiful Disaster" from my album "Ink-Stained Fingers." 42:48 - Big, fat music round-up. 43:25 - Sharon Jones and the DAP Kings. 47:38 - Wesley Stace (aka John Wesley Harding.) 52:25 - Angel Olsen. 54:38 - U2. 1:02:26 - Neil Young and Promise of the Real. 1:04:46 - HAIM. 1:06:55 - Cheap Trick. 1:10:04 - Ani DiFranco. 1:14:03 - Guitar Break #4 - "Tear It Down" which I used to play in a couple bands with my brother, but I don't think there's an "official" copy of anything in circulation that has the song on it right now. 1:14:59 - Closing remarks. Thanks for your support!

11-22-17 - Episode 15 - The Podcast is Also on iTunes Now, FYI

As the title states, we are now also on iTunes! Check it out, if that's your thing! https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/empty-checking-with-derek-brink/id1315519361?mt=2 There's also a blog post here: https://emptychecking.blogspot.com/2017/11/as-title-states-we-are-now-also-on.html On this episode I talk about new music from Craig Finn and Iron Maiden, then go into detail on five songs with which I've recently reconnected. I also talk about pro-wrestling, the Big Bang Theory, and Dirk Gently. Then I end the show on a personal note with a tribute to a friend who passed away a few years ago. It's a long one, but I'd like to think it's a good one! Thanks for listening! 0:00 - Intro stuff and details on my recent trip to the eye doctor. 9:40 - Music break #1 - Bass solo. 11:07 - Music reviews. Iron Maiden at 11:24. Craig Finn at 15:13. iTunes Roundup at 21:17 39:34 - Music break #2 - Guitar solo from "Just Another Day." 41:41 - Pro Wrestling talk... 57:21 - Music break #3 - Guitar segment of "Diner" 59:10 - TV talk. The Big Bang Theory and Dirk Gently 1:08:35 - Music Break #4 - Guitar segment of "The Last Folk Singers" 1:09:57 - Closing tribute to my friend Becca. 1:16:35 - Becca's Song

11-14-17 - Episode 14 - You Did Nothing to Deserve My Wrath

Full blog post: https://emptychecking.blogspot.com/2017/11/episode-14-you-did-nothing-to-deserve.html Long episode this week, because I kinda got into a serious thing talking about Ric Flair. I review the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on Flair, talk about wrestling in general, review the 2017 releases by The National and the Jesus and Mary Chain, talk about my shoes, talk about the dentist, and play the guitar. All that and other stuff! Here's the outline: 0:00 - Introduction stuff. 2:48 - Shoes! Dentist! Etc! (Including talking about an upcoming thing I'll be doing on the podcast.) 9:26 - Guitar Break #1 - "That Was Then" acoustic sample. 10:55 - Music reviews for The National's "Sleep Well Beast" and the Jesus and Mary Chain's "Damage and Joy." Also my current listening: Leonard Cohen and Rush. 26:11 - Guitar Break #2 - "Amanda, I'm Tired" acoustic sample. 28:12 - Review of ESPN's 30 for 30 on Ric Flair, including a healthy amount of fan-boying over Ric Flair and his career. 58:47 - Guitar Break #3 - "No One Leaves St. Louis" acoustic sample. 1:00:42 - This week in WWE Wrestling. 1:13:13 - Closing remarks/exit music.

11-7-17 - Episode 13 - Phonetics Don't Work

This week I'm super-excited to talk about the recent developments in the WWE. I also talk about stuff I like in the world of New Media such as Game Grumps, Movie Fights, Hot Ones, WTF w/Marc Maron (particularly the Jenna Fischer episode), and stuff like that... Then I talk about music I like, including a quick summary of the stuff I listened to on the day of recording. All that, plus I play guitar, talk about my teeth, get excited about shoes, and address Kevin Spacey. Lots of stuff! 0:00 - Intro and stuff (w/intro music at 0:28) 1:49 - This week in WWE Wrestling, including me fanboying over the title win by AJ Styles. 14:13 - Guitar Break #1 - A piece that's still in the "improv" stage and doesn't really have a name yet. Right now I just call it "the Pink Floydy thing." 15:23 - New Media Roundup - Including recommendations for Kevin Smith's "Fat Man on Batman," Movie Fights, Game Grumps, "Hot Ones" with a sidebar about my fondness for Henry Rollins, and WTF with Marc Maron with particular attention paid to the Jenna Fischer episode. 25:31 - Guitar Break #2 - Solo from "Sister Myrtle" a song I used to do in bands with my brother, most notably in Blue Tattoo and The Social Gospel. This is a rough, sloppy version, but so what? 26:24 - Music stuff, including reviews of The Old 97s' "Graveyard Whistling," Flogging Molly's "Life is Good," and the Replacements' "For Sale: Live at Maxwell's 1986." Also brief listing of stuff I listened to on the day of recording. 38:57 - Guitar Break #3 - Solo section from "I Go..." which I did with my brother in Blue Tattoo, Two Hangmen, and The Social Gospel, and it also appears on my solo release "Sorry, I Didn't Mean to Shout," which you can download for FREE at http://derekbrink.bandcamp.com if you'd like. 40:14 - Random stuff, including a dental update, talking about buying shoes, and Kevin Spacey. 47:00 - Quick recap, so I don't end by talking about Kevin Spacey before the outro music kicks in.

11-2-17 - Episode 12 - Hats n' Stuff

FYI - There are a couple of audio glitches in the episode after the 30-minute mark. My computer's getting tempermental. Working on it, but they're there this week. Sorry. On this week's episode, I talk about hats I bought and give a glowing plug to my favorite hat shop Levine's Hats in St. Louis. Then I talk about wrestling for a while. Then music reviews featuring Ryan Adams, The Mountain Goats, and the War on Drugs. I also free-form about some stuff I want to/need to buy in the near future and play my Rickenbacker bass between subjects. I had fun with this one--hope you do too! Index of subjects: 0:00 - Introduction including a plug of the NEW podcast blog address! 3:10 - Bass Break #1 3:39 - HATS HATS HATS!!! 10:35 - Bass Break #2 11:20 - This week in the WWE 31:06 - Bass Break #3 32:26 - Music - The War on Drugs, Mountain Goats, Ryan Adams 41:22 - Bass Break #4 42:27 - Random stuff I want to buy 50:05 - Outro music Be sure to visit the new blog address at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for more stuff!

10-25-17 - Episode 11 - Rewriting the Rules of English

On this episode, I talk about a great concert from Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets. Then I talk about the WWE. Then I quickly review some music from Tori Amos and Godspeed You Black Emperor and recommend some TV, in particular Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. I also bid brief RIPs to Robert Guillaume and Fats Domino. All that, plus I sing the praises of Delmar Hall and Mission Taco, and play the guitar a little! Index of Subjects Discussed: 0:00 - Intro Stuff, including RIPs to Robert Guillaume and Fats Domino 4:20 - Review of Nick Lowe and Los Straightjackets, including reviews of the venue (Delmar Hall), Mission Taco, and the evening in general. 31:11 - This week in WWE Wrestling. 41:57 - Batting Cleanup - Tori Amos, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Dirk Gently, and more! 51:05 - Outro Music Check out photos on the blog at: https://derekbrink.blogspot.com/2017/10/episode-11-rewriting-rules-of-english.html

10-18-17 - Episode 10 - Bummer Sandwich

This is a pretty serious episode. Please be forewarned that I openly discuss the subject of sexual assault/rape in regards to the Harvey Weinstein story. I do not describe anything in detail, but if the subject is a triggering event from you, you may wish to skip ahead. I also discuss pro-wrestling, because I have no idea how to smoothly transition between subjects. Then I close out the show bidding an emotional farewell to Gord Downie from The Tragically Hip. And more! Introduction - 0:00 Discussion of Harvey Weinstein/Sexual Assault - 3:08 WWE Talk - 18:50 RIP Gord Downie - 33:00

10-11-17 - Episode 9 - Punk Rock and Pro Wrestling

I went to see an awesome punk rock show featuring the Descendents, The Get Up Kids, and Braddock. I also watched wrestling. I talked about both those things. Hurray!