The Zero Check: Recent Episodes
Richard, Craig, Steve & Michael
The Zero Check is a podcast exploring music in the form of albums, across a multitude of genres and periods of time. Craig, Michael, Steve and Richard each choose albums they like, make each other listen to them and then discuss them on the next episode. If you enjoy discovering new music or hearing music nerds talk about old favourites, this show is for you!
The band's back together for our first recording since... November? WTF.
Mike and his wife had a baby, Richard's been distracted by a lady, Craig's been in limbo, and Steve's been doing whatever he does.
This episode, we discussed:
- "Title of Record" by Filter
- "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" by [The] Smashing Pumpkins
- "Incredibad" by The Lonely Island
- "Mud" by Whiskey Myers
After finally discussing Mellon Collie, all bets are off on whether there'll be an S6E02. The universe might actually implode before we get to record it. We hope not, but who knows, right?
Enjoy!
After some hiatus spurred by life events and such, we're getting back into things!
This episode, we discussed:
- "Seven Crowns and Seven Seals" by Sulphur Aeon
- "Streetcore" by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
- "Demon Days" by The Gorillaz
- "Rum, Sodomy and the Lash" by The Pogues
So, we're going to get the next one recorded, where we finally talk about the album with the song that inspired the name of this podcast! Come back when we get it live.
Enjoy!
I'm sure there are one or two people out in the world who have been patiently awaiting this episode! Delving into the pop icon that is Taylor Swift. Along with a few other notable albums.
This episode, we discussed:
- "Red (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift
- "Boston" by Boston
- "Methodrone" by The Brian Jonestown Massacre
- "Self-Titled" by The Presidents of the United States of America
It took a bit more than a week to get this posted because Richard had to do some work travel, spending a week in Northern Ontario, and since returning, life has been busy the past week. But here it is!
Pleased to say Richard's brother is on the path to a recovery and is getting the rehab support he needs. And equally pleased to say that Mike is still married! (Sorry ladies). And Taylor, if you listen to this, that was a joke about Richard being available to date you... he's off the market indefinitely. Besides, it sounds like things are going well for you with Mr. Kelce and we're very happy for you.
Enjoy!
We are pleased to say that we are caught up on our existing recorded backlog! This episode was recorded on September 11th, a day of great significance in our modern world. Fortunately, or unfortunately, none of the albums we discuss are of great historical importance.
This episode, we discussed:
- "Affirmation" by Savage Garden
- "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming" by M83
- "The Brown Album" by Primus
- "Floodland" by The Sisters of Mercy
We're scheduled to record our next episode Tuesday night, hopefully all goes well and we'll have that published within a week! And in happy news, Mike got married just over a week ago at a lovely ceremony and celebration!
On a sadder note, if you listen to the very end of this episode, Richard makes a comment about getting a checkup if you have any health concerns. His older brother suffered a serious stroke the week before we recorded this episode, and while he's alive and beginning his long road to recovery, it came as a serious shock to his family. He's currently relearning to walk and has what's known as Broca's Aphasia. It's really not a fun time.
Be well, everyone
We're on a roll, and almost out of recorded stuff to edit and post. But just you wait, we have some excellent albums this episode.
This episode, we discussed:
- "Tenatious D" by the same
- "Rumours" by Fleetwood Mac
- "Throwing Copper" by Live
- "Now And Again" by The Grapes of Wrath
We'll try and get the next one out maybe late this week, or mid-next week, depending on how Richard's week plays out, and then we have plans to record again next Tuesday. Soon, the trend of hearing things we recorded 6 months ago will end!
Enjoy
Two episodes published in one week? What is this nonsense.
This episode, we discussed:
- "B'lieve I'm Goin Down" by Kurt Vile
- "Aquarium" by Aqua
- "Transmission" by The Tea Party
- "Psychic Warfare" by Clutch
The title is buried somewhere in the discussion. Excuse the outdated language.
We have two more recorded after this, and plans to record another next weekend. Hopefully Richard can fool the guys into getting into a regular recording schedule and we might hit 12 episodes by Christmas! (What are the odds of that happening, let's be real)
Enjoy
We're back with 4 more albums for you to experience/revisit/enjoy with fresh ears!
Those albums are:
- "Hybrid Theory" by Linkin Park
- "Welcome Interstate Managers" by Fountains of Wayne
- "The Queen is Dead" by The Smiths
- "The 59' Sound" by Gaslight Anthem
Subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts!
We're still trying to get through this backlog, and a mix of life and laziness keeps getting in our way. We'll hit our stride one day ;)
Enjoy
Welcome to a bit of a longer episode to open our 5th season! The length is partly because Richard left in our banter about Steve's beard and the pleasure that is a good barber shave before we officially intro the episode. And, partly because we had some really great discussion of the albums we chose last episode that stretched on. And on. And on.
Those albums are:
- Vince Gauraldi Trio "A Charlie Brown Christmas"
- Trans-Siberian Orchestra "Christmas Eve and Other Stories"
- Beastie Boys "License to Ill"
- Tool "Ænima"
Subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts!
We've said it before, but we're legitimately trying to get through our recorded backlog by September, and aim to get on a regular recording schedule. You can expect a new episode every 2-3 weeks.
Emo, horror-punk, singer-songwriter oh my! So, we recorded this episode back in December of 2022, and kept joking about how it would be released in July... Some christmas albums were chosen for the following episode to kick off "Season 5".
In this episode we're talking about:
- Imagine Dragons "Evolve"
- My Chemical Romance "The Black Parade"
- Misfits "American Psycho"
- Tori Amos "Under The Pink"
If you're here for the divergent opinions, skip to what Mike has to say on Tori Amos!
Enjoy.
This was an interesting mix of music and opinions. We all had good things to say about all of the albums - that's as much as can be said.
In this episode we're talking about:
- Marcus King "Youngblood"
- Led Zeppelin "Houses of The Holy"
- In Flames "Colony"
- Jewel "Pieces of You"
Spoiler: Jewel's first album is kind of strange, but the singles are great.
Enjoy.
In this episode, Mike's selection of Tommy generated some mixed discussion, from nostailgia for university to Steve's strong opinions about The Who. But the real star was Jeremy Voltz's Weekender, an indie artist from Toronto. Jeremy also released a solid new single a few days ago on February 22, and you should check it out.
In this episode we're talking about:
- The Who "Tommy"
- Jeremy Voltz "Weekender"
- They Might Be Giants "Flood"
- The Proclaimers "Sunshine on Leith"
Feel free to skip past Steve's rant if you really like The Who.
We'd say we have an eclectic lineup in this episode, except rumours have it we actually discussed Green Day twice. Aside from that, we have some comedic stuff from the King of Alternative Polka. And some serious stuff from Inuk artist Riit. We think you'll enjoy it all. There was very little controversy in this episode, so we end with a promise to step it up in the next one.
In this episode we're talking about:
- The Network "Money Money 2020 Part 2"
- Green Day "Insomniac"
- Weird Al "Bad Hair Day"
- Riit "Ataataga"
Listen to it now, then listen to the albums a whole bunch of times.
Yeah, we featured two Devin Townsend albums back to back. Craig really likes him. And we learned that Styx was big on the space keyboards. Speaking of bands we've already discussed - we gave a listen to a more recent Gogol Bordello album, and Steve had to get the original cast recording of Hamilton out of his system.
In this episode we're talking about:
- Devin Townsend "Empath"
- Styx "The Grand Illusion"
- Gogol Bordello "Seekers and Finders"
- Hamilton (The original cast recording)
We hope you enjoy the episode!
One day we'll get the whole editing thing down and release on schedule.
In this episode we're talking about:
- Rage Against the Machine "Evil Empire"
- Strapping Young Lad (Devin Townsend) "City"
- Flight of the Conchords "Self-Titled"
- Depeche Mode "Music for the Masses"
We hope you enjoy the episode!
After a long pause, we're publishing our fifth episode. Thanks again for your patience, listeners! Richard is taking over editing from Craig, as Craig's home life is a bit hectic these days.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Cory Wong - "Power Station"
- Arcade Fire - "Funeral"
- Lin Manuel Miranda w/ Various Artists - "The Hamilton Mixtape"
- Blue Man Group - "The Complex"
We start with a quick note that this episode was recorded sometime this summer, before news about Win Butler broke. Still, it's a great album and we have a good discussion of it. Cory Wong is an active and prolific funk/jazz guitarist who likes to keep very busy, and this was a brand-new release when it was picked to feature. And we've all heard about Hamilton (the musical, to be clear), well this episode we talk about the Mix Tape album inspired by the musical. And Blue Man Group is good fun.
After a brief pause, we're publishing our fourth episode. Thanks for your patience, listeners!
In this episode, we discuss:
- Type O Negative - "October Rust"
- Eminem - "Music to be Murdered By"
- Deltron 3030 - "Deltron 3030"
- The Refreshments - "Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy"
If you're not familiar with all of these artists/albums, you have some slow, prodding goth metal with Type O Negative, they're a bit on the morose side, but they certainly shred. If you don't know Eminem, you've lived under a rock the past 25 years. He's grown into one of the most technically skilled rappers you'll ever find, and he continues to delve into the darker corners of the psyche and society. Deltron 3030 is a scifi futuristic concept hip-hop album from Del the Funkee Homosapien and Dan the Automator, full of great chill beats and cool samples, and tells a story of the year 3030, where the greatest achievement in society is winning a rap battle. The Refreshments are great 90s bar rock, perfect for road trips and backyard barbeques!
Here's our third episode of our comeback season! The crew dug into a varied list of albums:
- Genesis "Nursery Cryme"
- Astronoid "Air"
- Eve 6 "It's all in your head"
- Neutral Milk Hotel "In the Aeroplane over the Sea"
These four albums span some playful 70s prog rock, a co-mingling of dreampop and thrash metal, pretty standard frat-rock and an album that arguably kicked off the proliferation of indie rock in the 2000s. Hope you enjoy our rambling!
The Zero Check is back for our second episode of our revival season! This time, Craig, Michael, Steve and Rich are discussing a different variety of albums. We've got:
- Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA"
- Our Lady Peace's "Clumsy"
- Prince's "Purple Rain"
- The Cure's "Disintegration"
There's a lot to unpack in these albums, so come along for the ride and see if you agree with us, or have your own thoughts!
The original three hosts, Craig, Steve and Richard are back, and we dragged our friend Michael along! You'll find we're a bit rusty after our million-year hiatus, but we have not three, but four kickass albums to discuss, all connecting to the theme of comebacks. Except for Michael's, his is the opposite with a sort-of breakup album.
- Craig's pick: Iron Maiden's "Brave New World" (2000) which marked the return of Bruce Dickinson to the band.
- Steve's pick: Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Californication" (1999) the first album since John Frusciante's return to the group.
- Richard's pick: Alice In Chains' "Black Gives Way to Blue" (2009), the first album they released with William DuVall.
- Michael's pick: Barenaked Ladies' "Snacktime!" (2008) the band's first foray into producing a children's album and Steven Page's last studio album with the group.
Give the episode a listen to find out what we thought of these releases, and then go listen to the albums on your favourite streaming platform! an option that was definitely not mainstream when we last recorded an episode of this show.