Empty Checking With Derek Brink

A quick update with an announcement of coming attractions for this weekend! talk to you Friday or Saturday!

In this episode, I'm joined by my brother Dave for a Fab 15! This week, we're counting down our respective Fab 15 Movies of 1989. '89 is widely regarded as the biggest blockbuster movie year EVER, and we decided to tackle deciding which are the ones that are REALLY worth talking about. To us, anyway. Your opinion may differ. :) If your opinion does (or does not!) differ, feel free to express it at the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com or by e-mailing me at db@derekbrink.com, where I almost always reply. No time index this week, both because it's all just the one topic, and because I spent about 9 hours editing this thing and listening to it again to create the time index would've made me crazy...thanks for your patience with that! And enjoy the show!

No episode this week. Taking a small hiatus before Dave and I return with a Fab 15. But here's an update on why I needed time away, and some recommendations for what you SHOULD be doing for TV instead of using the biggest name in the country...

This episode starts a little heavy with me talking about my life pre-cats and post-cats...but then it gets pretty fun as I talk about a bunch of bands I've seen recently. Enjoy! Time Index: 0:00 - Intro, which gets pretty heavy re: the cats and me. 28:46 - Remember Me 29:16 - Bands I've recently seen 32:13 - About the Open Highway Music Festival, including talking about Grace Chicken and Fish and Logboat Brewing. 38:46 - James McMurtry 44:01 - Drive-By Truckers 48:28 - John Moreland 54:38 - Hayes Carll 1:00:00 - Shovels & Rope 1:01:55 - Margo Price 1:09:05 - Mothica 1:11:07 - Alkaline Trio 1:12:28 - Coheed & Cambria 1:23:22 - That was a lot of bands... 1:24:42 - In My Heart 1:25:12 - Outro http://emptychecking.blogspot.com db@derekbrink.com 

Long story short, I had a power outage. For the long story LONG, press play!

In this episode I talk a little about Vince McMahon, then a lot about Norm Mcdonald, Get Back, The Good Place, and the newest albums from Guided By Voices, Metric, Neil Young, and ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead. All that and also if you listen real close, you get to hear Jonco meow a little! Dig it! And remember to check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com and you can e-mail me at db@derekbrink.com.  Time Index: 0.00 - Intro 3.43 - My Finger! (and so on) 8.07 - Promo Stuff 9.42 - Live Your Life 10:11 - I HAVE TO talk about Vince McMahon 19.46 - Every Day 20.17 - Recent Viewing 20.30 - Norm Mcdonald - Nothing Special 24.11 - Get Back BluRay 26.17 - The Good Place 34.18 - Those Things 34:48 - Recent Listening 35.04 - Guided By Voices - Tremblers and Goggles By Rank Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Toast Metric - Formentera ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead- XI: Bleed Here Now 47.39 - After the Storm 48.08 - Outro

Last week I said there would be a full episode of the show if nothing weird happened. Well. Weird stuff happened. So this is me talking about it. Enjoy?

You might have noticed there wasn't an episode this week. Here's why! (Short version - Everything is fine. Just busy. Back soon.) Thanks (again) for your patience!

It's a solo-show this time with me talking about the movies Yesterday and Ghostbusters Afterlife, as well as the new albums from Coheed & Cambria and Wilco. That plus cat talk. And talk of a bench. And my dishwasher almost exploding. It covers a lot of ground! Please remember to visit the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for photos and more info and e-mail your questions, comments, and so on to me at db@derekbrink.com. Thanks for your support! Time Index: I'm Happy with the Bench 0:00 Intro 4:23 - I got a bench. 7:38 - Almost a fire. 16:01 - Dichotomy 16:31 - Movies 17:26 - Yesterday 23:31 - Ghostbusters Afterlife 33:03 - Out From the Light 33:33 - Music 34:32 - Coheed & Cambria: Vaxis II - A Window of the Waking Mind 40:07 - Wilco - Cruel Country 46:52 - Falling 47:22 - Outro

Didn't get an episode together this week. And here's me rambling about why for like 10 minutes! Enjoy?

This week's episode sees Dave and me list our Fab 15 Songs of Summer! Fun, sun, sand, surfing, drinking, maybe a little reading when you need to recharge and everybody's like "come on Derek, everybody's going" but you're still like, "nah." Y'know. Summer! It's a fun episode and I think you'll dig it! As always please check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com and e-mail me at db@derekbrink.com. Time Index: 0:00 - Intro 4:17 - Explaining the concept and topic. (Ground-rules.) 14:10 - #15 - I'm glad you feel safe. 21:27 - #14 - You kinda like half rapped that. 26:52 - #13 - Making Dave look good. 33:08 - #12 - You've gotta sing it like that. 38:21 - #11 - We're not baseball guys...but... 40:59 - #10 - How much more Summer can you get? 45:33 - #9 - Goin' 80s. 49:35 - #8 - I thought the leaves were green... 57:02 - #7 - Tony Bennett TOTALLY didn't do a version of it. Sorry, everybody. 1:00:10 - #6 - The whole song is a hook. 1:07:26 - #5 - Reduced volume... 1:11:25 - #4 - Within the paramet

This is a shorter than usual episode--a good jump-on point for the newbie! In it I talk about recent releases from Rufus Wainwright and also the movies The Elephant Man and the Jack Benny version of To Be or Not To Be. It's a fun one. But you don't have to take my word for it! Remember to check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com and e-mail me at db@derekbrink.com with any thoughts! Time Index: 0:00 - Intro (I HAVE A COUCH!) 9:24 - Out From the Light 9:54 - Rufus Wainwright 19:25 - Remember Me 19:59 - Movies 21:10 - The Elephant Man 30:22 - To Be Or Not To Be (1941) 37:43 - Sometimes You Say Goodbye (Acoustic) 38:13 - Outro

In this episode I talk about music from Drive-By Truckers, Neil Young, Craig Finn, Bloc Party, and Chamber Band. And if that's not enough, I also talk about books by Neil Gaiman and Mel Brooks! It's a fun episode in which I manage to talk about a BUNCH of stuff in a relatively concise manner, for me! Enjoy! Remember to check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com and/or e-mail me at db@derekbrink.com!  Time Index (Sorry this is a little brief--I'm on a limited schedule!): 0:00 - Intro 11:19 - Music Break - Dichotomy 11:49 - Music Stuff 32:38 - Music Break - Falling 33:08 - Books! 53:46 - Music Break - Being There 54:16 - Outro

The show is going to be uploaded a little late this week. So here's me (badly) explaining why and being weird. Enjoy!

In this kinda bananas episode, my brother Dave returns and we compile a new Fab 15 list--the Fab 15 Movie Soundtracks! It was a lot of fun and all over the place with a lot of music and movies represented. It's a good time. Remember to check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com and feel free to email me with your own list (or other stuff) at db@derekbrink.com and I'll reply and maybe even read your e-mail on the air! Time index: 0:00 - Intro 7:06 - Ground-Rules and chit-chat 22:18 - #15 Running on Empty? 31:10 - #14 In the weeds. 41:05 - #13 Good calls. 47:23 - #12 We actually DID circle back to it! 50:57 - #11 Dave repeatedly says "very weird." Writing these without spoilers is hard. 1:00:57 - #10 Dave clearly researched this better than I did. 1:08:04 - #9 Okay! 1:13:08 - #8 "One." 1:19:51 - #7 I might email you later. 1:32:42 - #6 I think the page he went to is white... 1:38:38 - #5 I have Dad's copy of that soundtrack. 1:46:08 - #4 That's a really good choice and I didn't think of i

In recognition and respect to the children and teacher who lost their lives in Texas today, I will not be uploading an episode of what is normally a goofy, fun, pop-culture show. Instead here is a brief recording of me processing some of my thoughts on it. If talk of this event (or similar ones) is detrimental to your mental/emotional health, please skip this. I plan to upload a very fun episode next week. Be good to each other. -Uncle Derek

In this episode, I talk about the new season of The Kids in the Hall, finish up the thoughts I started last week on How I Met Your Mother, and then talk about new music from Eytan Mirsky and old music from Chamber Band. All that plus a couple of cats! THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR THE KITH SERIES AND HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. Consult the time-index below if needed/desired. Remember to check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com and email me at db@derekbrink.com if you wanna do that. Time index: 0:00 - Intro 7:08 - Music Break - Live Your Life 7:38 - TV Stuff 8:35 - The Kids in the Hall 2022 season How I Met Your Mother ending - 24:23 34:00 - Music Break - Lonely 34:30 - Music Stuff 34:34 - Eytan Mirsky - Lord Have Mirsky Chamber Band - Governor's Square 48:16 - Music Break - Danielle Outro

In this episode, I'm back on my own and talking about Kurt Vile, Willie Nelson, Japanese Breakfast, Drop Dead Fred, How I Met Your Mother, and my cats! I had fun with it. I bet you will too! Remember to check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com and e-mail me your thoughts or a facsimile thereof at db@derekbrink.com. Thanks for your support! Time breakdown: 0:00 - Intro Welcome and Cat Chat - 0:00 Fab 15 Follow up - 3:39 Couch Complaints - 6:53 Drinking with Derek - 10:56 Websites of interest - 12:19 13:32 - Music Break - Not Okay 14:02 - Recent Music Releases Kurt Vile - Watch My Moves - 14:50 Willie Nelson - A Beautiful Time & Family - 19:23 Japanese Breakfast - Sable - 26:40 37:11 - Music Break - Diner 37:41 - TV and Movies Drop Dead Fred - 40:05 How I Met Your Mother - 48:19 59:57 - Music Break - A Turning 1:00:28 - Outro I bought a lawnmower - 1:00:46 My birthday's coming up - 1:02:42

In this episode, my brother Dave joins us for the debut of "The Fab 15" (or "The Fab Fifteen" I'm not sure if I like the number or the word better). Basically, we pick a subject, both make a list of our personal favorite things relate to that subjects, and then compare lists, hoping to make a master list. And for the debut edition, we started with the hardest one--our top 15 Beatles songs! This will be a recurring feature, but it's not going to be every week, at least at first. Maybe every couple weeks or once a month, or whatever--who knows?! Regardless, it's a fun episode with a lot going on in it. We hope you enjoy it--and play along! Tell us your "Fab 15" Beatles tracks by e-mailing them to db@derekbrink.com. And remember to check out the companion blog at http://emptychecking.blogspot.com for photos and more! Time breakdown: 0:00 - Intro 2:30 - The origin of The Fab 15. 6:00 - Why we chose The Beatles, our metrics, our methods, and so on. 17:48 - We start the lists! 17:48 - Song #15 24:20 - Song #14 (fea

There is a new episode tomorrow. But in light of the Supreme Court leak tonight, I needed to say a couple of things. Come back tomorrow for fun. Tonight, I needed to be heard. Opinions are my own and do not represent anyone else...even though they should.