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You Gotta Check This Out!

Mike Slater and Dre Alvarez

This is “You Gotta Check This Out” With Mike Slater and Dre Alvarez. Each season, we take a deep dive into one of our nerdy obsessions - giving each one as much time as we see fit to get each other and you the listener up to speed with something we love.

Season 1 - Babylon 5 - TV series | free on YouTube
Season 2 - The Power Fantasy - Comic Series | free on Hoopla
Season 3 - Steely Dan - Music | Wherever you listen to music

New episodes release every other Sunday, with a minisode on the off-weeks. Articles on each episode available at https://mikeslater.com/

Mike & Dre Socials
https://bsky.app/profile/slatron.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/nerdnumbers.com
https://www.instagram.com/slatron11/
https://www.instagram.com/nerdnumbers/

Logo artwork by Michael Vincent Bramley.

See Michael's work or ask about commissions at https://mvbramley.art/

All music by Mike Slater
Show Website: www.mikeslater.com

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Sunday · 29 min
Steely Dan - The Boston Rag with John Szymanski
Welcome back to our season on the music of Steely Dan This week's guest is John Szymanski In this Minisode... John can’t get the Boston Rag out of his head, John and Mike explain A minor to Dre (?!?), Mike talks phasing in relation to Ratatouille, John and Mike perform The Boston Rag, and John’s love/hate relationship with technology in music. “The Boston Rag” starts at 17:10 Join us next Sunday where we'll be back with another full-length episode on Steely Dan covering the next two Steely Dan albums "Katy Lied" and "The Royal Scam" with Special Guest Ait Fetterolf. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky Chapters 17:10 - The Boston Rag Logo artwork by Michael Vincent Bramley See Michael's work or ask about commissions at https://mvbramley.art/ All music by Mike Slater Listen to Mike's daily steely dan songs on instagram for #80daysofdan
September 20 · 1 hr 11 min
Steely Dan - Countdown and Pretzel Logic with John Szymanski
Mike & Dre continue diving into the history and music of the band Steely Dan focusing on "Countdown to Ecstasy" and "Pretzel Logic". This week's guest is John Szymanski In This Episode… Mike rants about this era of the Dan, composing music for slot machines, using variety to keep music vital, tour talk, and the Dan transition from touring band to studio-only. Recommendations John A wizard a true star - Todd Rudgren Get Music by John Szymanski on bandcamp Mike Raised By Hippies on YouTube Dre Nolan's The Odyssey Join us next Sunday where we talk to John about the song The Boston Rag. Then stick around and hear us perform a duet of the song. The following week, we'll be back with another full-length episode on steely dan with special guest Ait Fetterolf. Join us as we cover the albums "Katy Lied" and "The Royal Scam". Chapters 00:02 - Opening Monologue 08:11 - Walter Beckons 21:27 - Any Major Dre Will Tell You 25:42 - David Palmer Memory Quiz 32:51 - Dirty Work Read the show notes here YouTube Video of Funniest Steely Dan Interviews Royce James singing Any Major Dude Will Tell You Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky Logo artwork by Michael Vincent Bramley See Michael's work or ask about commissions at https://mvbramley.art/ All music by Mike Slater Listen to Mike's daily steely dan songs on instagram for #80daysofdan
September 13 · 32 min
Minisode - Dirty Work with Dan Jackson
Welcome back to our season on the music of Steely Dan Each minisode during the Steely Dan season, we'll be presenting a musical performance by Mike and the guest. In this Minisode...David Palmer brings the sweet side of Steely Dan, Dan and Mike explore the music theory behind Dirty Work, then they perform the song Dirty Work before finishing the episode with more talk on music technology and appreciating Jazz. “Dirty Work” starts at 18:47 This week's guest is Dan Jackson Join us next Sunday where we'll be back with another full-length episode on Steely Dan with special guest John Szymanski. Join us as we cover the albums "Countdown to Ecstasy" and "Pretzel Logic". Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky Logo artwork by Michael Vincent Bramley See Michael's work or ask about commissions at https://mvbramley.art/ All music by Mike Slater Listen to Mike's daily steely dan songs on instagram for #80daysofdan
September 6 · 1 hr 15 min
Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill with Dan Jackson
Welcome to a new season on the music of Steely Dan Mike here. In This Episode, Dre and I begin diving into the history and music of the band Steely Dan starting with their debut album "Can't Buy A Thrill". Each episode, we'll have a guest musician on the show to talk about their history with Steely Dan. In the minisodes, we'll feature a performance with me and the guest on a Steely Dan song of their choice. We're not afraid to get into the weeds on music theory, but Dre is always here to ask questions as a newcomer to the band. If you're an old fan or new to the Dan, there's something here for you. This week's guest is Dan Jackson Dan Recommends Bandsplain Podcast Burt Sugarman’s Midnight Special with Steely Dan Raye - this album may contain hope The Brook and the Bluff Dan’s Chicago RPG store Dan on instagram Join us next Sunday where we talk to Dan about the song Dirty Work. Then stick around and hear us perform a duet of the song. The following week, we'll be back with another full-length episode on steely dan with special guest John Szymanski. Join us as we cover the albums "Countdown to Ecstasy" and "Pretzel Logic". Chapter Times I'm working on adding chapters to the podcast. In the meantime, here's the next best thing in case you really can't stand the monologue. Or are only here for the quiz. 00:02 - Opening Monologue 08:31 - Walter Beckons 29:35 - Any Major Dre Will Tell You 34:00 - David Palmer Memory Quiz 41:44 - Dirty Work Read the show notes here Hear Rock Lab at Chicago Summerfest Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky Logo artwork by Michael Vincent Bramley See Michael's work or ask about commissions at https://mvbramley.art/ All music by Mike Slater Listen to Mike's daily steely dan songs on instagram for #80daysofdan
August 30 · 26 min
Greerleaders with Logan Trent
Stick around to the end of this one for the debut of the Greerleaders podcast theme. In this minisode… Bob and Tiff Hellbound, we add Low Gain to the team, Etienne as Victor Wembanyama, Etienne as Krang, the only ethical load and WW ‘84, Etienne zazzes up, what’s in the boombox?, the right-wing “Are you there God? It’s me Margaret”, another reason Mike can’t be Magus, Heavy’s ego, extended Greer talk, the 2.5 good X-Men movies, more Greertalk, Greerleaders is born. This week's guest is Logan Trent. Listen to Logan Trent WNBYay Podcast with friend of the show Adam Tod Brown Wrestlemania Podcast with friend of the show John Reiman For the next full episode, we move on to our next topic and cover Steely Dan with Special Guest Daniel "D-Jax" Jackson. In the first episode, we'll be covering their first album "Can't Buy A Thrill". Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
August 23 · 1 hr 21 min
The Power Fantasy Vol III with Logan Trent
This episode covers the third collected volume of "The Power Fantasy", issues #12-16, an Image comic by Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard. We highly recommend you read the comics first as this episode gets into heavy spoilers. In This Episode… picking up the pace with shorter topics, JMS steamrolls in, Wrestlemovia… the first podcast with segments, Etienne as Krang, making art dumber than yourself, Jubilee gets her due, Segdre got me so good, Baby Etienne experiences the holocaust, Heavy really really sucks, The Yin to the Golden Rule’s Yang, and Eliza emerges as the best artist of the Superpowers. This week's guest is Logan Trent. Listen to Logan Trent WNBYay Podcast with friend of the show Adam Tod Brown Wrestlemania Podcast with friend of the show John Reiman Logan Recommends Hoopla The History of Charging the Mound For the next full episode, we move on to our next topic and cover Steely Dan with Special Guest Daniel "D-Jax" Jackson. In the first episode, we'll be covering their first album "Can't Buy A Thrill". Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
August 16 · 20 min
Minisode - Bat-Man Begins (not that one) with Atif Myers
In This Minisode… Atif and Mike talk Batman / Superman, Atif becomes Bat-Man, we steal a Sus Stories segment and decide how we would f&$k up the Superpowers, Dre apologizes profusely for demolishing Atif on the quiz, Mike describes how to use colors when playing bass like Gillen and Wijngaard use dynamics, we compare producing our respective podcasts, Mike attempts to fix his internet issues, Atif’s nerdy book kid story, a dollar a page gets you what you need and breaking up over nerd passions. This week's guest is Atif Myers. Atif is a stand-up comic, writer and occasional actor from LA. Check out Atif’s Standup on YouTube. Check out Atif’s podcast Sus Stories, Featuring special guest Mike Slater For the next full episode, we finish our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard's "The Power Fantasy" comic with special guest Logan Trent Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
August 9 · 1 hr 11 min
The Power Fantasy vol II with Atif Myers
This episode covers the second collected volume of "The Power Fantasy", issues #6-11, an Image comic by Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard. We highly recommend you read the comics first as this episode gets into heavy spoilers. In This Episode… the genius of making your podcast short, everything we know about comics we learned from Wic/Div, who would want to join a cult obliterated by the devil lady, Atif could hack into a Commodore 64, Dre believes the real Kid Ignition is still out there…throughout the episode we have a good time with this story and offer all our insane theories on what’s coming next. There is a ton of plot in this run of issues and we actually stay focused and on topic. This week's guest is Atif Myers. Atif is a stand-up comic, writer and occasional actor from LA. Check out Atif’s Standup on YouTube. Check out Atif’s podcast Sus Stories, Featuring special guest Mike Slater Atif Recommends Fury of Firestorm Mike Recommends The Wicked and the Divine Dre Recommends Patreon Exclusive Sus Stories Content For the next full episode, we finish our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard's "The Power Fantasy" comic with special guest Logan Trent Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
August 2 · 21 min
Minisode - Umm Actually! with Carin Slater
In this series, we are covering "The Power Fantasy", an Image comic by Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard. We highly recommend you read the comics before listening. In This Episode… assembling a team of dumb superpowers, Casper’s nice touches in Heavy's design, Mike swallows that fa-ta-tas, the best use of a Hickman timeline graphic, if the book is released you are the master of time, we compare nerdy book stories, Judy Blue vs. Beverly Cleary, and Carin Um Actually!’s us a bunch. This week's guest is Carin Slater. Carin Slater from the “Hey, Have You Read This Yet?” podcast returns. Carin is an avid reader of sci-fi, romance and horror novels but took a break from all that to read Volume I of The Power Fantasy. Check out Hey, Have You Read This Yet?, Carin's book club podcast for kids and adults who like to read together. Send in book recommendations to heyhaveyoureadthis@gmail.com. For the next full episode, we continue our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard's "The Power Fantasy" comic with special guest Atif Myers. We focus on issues #6-11 of the second collected volume. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
July 26 · 1 hr 16 min
The Power Fantasy - vol I with Carin Slater
This is the first episode of our season on "The Power Fantasy", an Image comic by Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard. This episode covers the first collected volume of "The Power Fantasy", issues #1-5. We highly recommend you read the comics first as this episode gets into heavy spoilers. In this episode… the boys attempt to move forward without that Babylon 5 crutch, starting a podcast to deter your son from Dogman, Mike gets all the cookies and bars he wants, the quiz segment lives on, Dre gets on the Slater family chore point board, the president should have gone for the head, you can’t exact revenge without taking out a few friends along the way, Masumi the depression Hulk is awesome, the ethical threshold of lying, Heavy makes a human meatball, and Dre makes parfait out of a layer cake. This week's guest is Carin Slater. Carin Slater from the “Hey, Have You Read This Yet?” podcast returns. Carin is an avid reader of sci-fi, romance and horror novels but took a break from all that to read Volume I of The Power Fantasy. Check out Hey, Have You Read This Yet?, Carin's book club podcast for kids and adults who like to read together. Send in book recommendations to heyhaveyoureadthis@gmail.com. Carin Recommends Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer Um Actually… - Dropout TV show Silo - Apple TV series Mike Recommends Decompressed - Kieron Gillen’s Podcast Die & Die: Loaded - Gillen’s Current Series For the next full episode, we continue our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard's "The Power Fantasy" comic with special guest Atif Myers Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
July 19 · 22 min
Minisode - Babylon 5 Fan Theories with Karl Wolf
In this episode… Dre’s fan theory on fan theories from Jeff’s fan theory on the fate of Sheridan’s Soul, Karl ties it to Carl Sagan, Mike brings it back to early Babylon 5 soul mythos, Karl’s LOTR comparisons expanded to outer rim fan theories, Mike lets Dre sit in the bit, the Simpsons Trivia Trap backfires compliments of Pete Johnston, Dre takes a moment to thank the guests, a bonus bonus question, Dre sticks up for Grey 17 one last time… and it kinda works! Also… Dre adds a surprise category on Fan Theories, and Blitzcast as a concert. This week's guess is Karl Wolf. Karl Wolf is a singer and Babylon 5 enthusiast from Detroit. Karl works for a non-profit organization in Detroit called Samaritas that works to help immigrants in the area. Please donate to samaritas.org if you are able. For the next full episode, we begin our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard "The Power Fantasy" comic with Carin Slater. To follow along, read Volume I which covers issues #1-5 Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
July 12 · 1 hr 10 min
Babylon 5 Wrapup with Karl Wolf
In This Episode… Dre and Mike wrap up their coverage of Babylon 5, Karl reaffirms Christopher Franke, what if Ivonava had stayed, Karl relitigates coverage of Sleeping in Light, STICKERS!!!, but most important... Franklin and the walkabout get their due We pick favorite Characters, Episodes and Moments of Babylon 5 to close out the first season of You Gotta Check This Out. This week's guess is Karl Wolf. Karl Wolf is a singer and Babylon 5 enthusiast from Detroit. Karl works for a non-profit organization in Detroit called Samaritas that works to help immigrants in the area. Please donate to samaritas.org if you are able. For the next full episode, we begin our coverage of Kieron Gillen and Casper Wijngaard "The Power Fantasy" comic with Carin Slater. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
July 5 · 10 min
Minisode - Whats Up With That Bone?
In this episode… what’s up with that bone - I gotta f&@k that thing, we all learn how to pronounce Mumy, Babylon 5 with Nitro bumpers, 8/18 Babylon 5 cast members mortality rate, Dre sneaks in Basketball talk, managing the expectations of the viewers through poor editing, hairocracy, babble on five, and Babylon 5 flash mashups. Dre sings in this one This week's guests are still Adam Tod Brown and Jeff May. Adam Tod Brown runs the "You Don't Even like..." podcast network. Check out his shows at youdontevenlike.com Jeff May has several shows on Patreon, patreon.com/jeffmay - including Nerd! with Dre Alvarez. In a fitting twist of fate, Babylon 5 is no longer available for free or with a subscription on any service. We suggest looking for the DVDs at your library. Or if you live near Dre or Mike, we'll likely loan you our copies. For the next full episode, we wrap up out coverage of Babylon 5 with Karl Wolf and reveal where the podcast will be going next. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
June 28 · 54 min
Babylon 5 - Sleeping In Light with Jeff May and ATB
In This Episode… through the power of space-goat-christ all things are possible. This week's guests are Adam Tod Brown and Jeff May. Together, they help us finish our coverage of Babylon 5 with the series finale "Sleeping In Light" Adam Tod Brown runs the "You Don't Even like..." podcast network. Check out his shows at youdontevenlike.com Jeff May has several shows on Patreon, patreon.com/jeffmay - including Nerd! with Dre Alvarez. In a fitting twist of fate, Babylon 5 is no longer available for free or with a subscription on any service. We suggest looking for the DVDs at your library. Or if you live near Dre or Mike, we'll likely loan you our copies. For the next full episode, we wrap up out coverage of Babylon 5 with Karl Wolf and reveal where the podcast will be going next. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
June 21 · 13 min
Minisode - Rats Off To Ya
In this episode… Pete and the Babylon 5 Genie, Dre’s Fresh Prince Theory. Extended talk on tarnishing the legacy, some fans want the butt stuff, and Carin confirms that it wasn’t a trick on Dre the whole time. In a strange turn of events, Babylon 5 is no longer available for free or with a subscription on any service. We suggest looking for the DVDs at your library. Or if you live near Dre or Mike, we'll likely loan you our copies. For the next full episode, we cover the Babylon 5 final episode "Sleeping In Light" with Jeff May and Adam Tod Brown. Coming to you Sunday, June 28th. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
June 14 · 1 hr 7 min
Babylon 5 - The Wheel of Fire with Pete Johnston
In This Episode… “Touched by A Vorlon” a very after school special of Babylon 5, my kingdom for goo eyes, proper deployment of a “Scarlet Witch” scene, can you tarnish a legacy, in my world we land planes, bring it on connections, and Mike wedges Hickman into the discussion. This week's guest Pete Johnston is a director and film professor at MSU. You can read all about him and his film projects at the cleverly named <a html="https://pizzageni.us" target="_blank">pizzageni.us</a>. <a href="https://pizzageni.us/jeopardy/" target="_blank">Pete was a quarter-finalist on the 2025 Jeopardy second chance tournament</a> and can be seen there whenever the Jeopardy gods decide to put that one on streaming. Pete recommends the movie "<a href="https://www.joybubblesthemovie.com/" target="_blank">Joy Bubbles</a>" set in the world of the phone phreaks. Dre recommends "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_It_On_(film)" target="_blank">Bring It On!</a>". Yeah, the cheer-dance movie. In a fitting twist of fate, Babylon 5 is no longer available for free or with a subscription on any service. We suggest looking for the DVDs at your library. Or if you live near Dre or Mike, we'll likely loan you our copies. For the next full episode, we cover the Babylon 5 final episode "Sleeping In Light" with Jeff May and Adam Tod Brown. Coming to you Sunday, June 28th. This episode is about women’s health care. Rats off to Ya! Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
June 7 · 13 min
Minisode - Introducing Melvin Summers
In this minisode... B5 at Commonwealth Books, key people who don’t die in space, Londo’s bombing maneuvers, Londo old yellers everyone, breaking sci-fi technology with Dre, weapon proliferation at the round table, building a fictional universe, and introducing Melvin Summers Where’s My Wife? In a strange turn of events, Babylon 5 is no longer available for free or with a subscription on any service. We suggest looking for the DVDs at your library. Or if you live near Dre or Mike, we'll likely loan you our copies. For the next full episode, we cover Babylon 5: Season 5 Episode 19 "Wheel of Fire" with Pete Johnston. Coming to you Sunday, June 14st. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
May 31 · 1 hr 4 min
Babylon 5 - The Fall of Centauri Prime with Bill Johnston
In this episode... Mike and Dre get back to regular episode coverage with Episode 18 "The Fall of Centauri Prime"! In a fitting twist of fate, Babylon 5 is no longer available for free or with a subscription on any service. We suggest looking for the DVDs at your library. Or if you live near Dre or Mike, we'll likely loan you our copies. For the next full episode, we cover Babylon 5: Season 5 Episode 19 "Wheel of Fire" with Pete Johnston. Coming to you Sunday, June 14st. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
May 24 · 31 min
Minisode - Blitzcast Memories
The Babylon 5 Season Five Blitzcast Outtakes In this blitzcast… Megan explains One Piece, Mike practices Podcasting by telling Carin about B5, David is a Monkey, David hates Superman, Monkeys all the way down, Singing in a “Row”, composing a “No Genocide” theme with Logan, Treating Dre like a kitten, Macho Man voice is all in the Chest, Dre opens a Guitar Center, Dan’s Babylon 5 ASMR, Video Speedsters, remaking Babylon 5 the right way, and Dan weighs in on Superman but Mike makes it about Marvel. In a fitting twist of fate, Babylon 5 is no longer available for free or with a subscription on any service. We suggest looking for the DVDs at your library. Or if you live near Dre or Mike, we'll likely loan you our copies. For the next full episode, we cover Babylon 5: Season 5 Episode 18 "The Fall of Centauri Prime" with Bill Johnston. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater
May 17 · 1 hr 14 min
Babylon 5 - Season 5 Blitzcast Part III
The Babylon 5 Season Five Blitzcast Part III In this blitzcast… Logan reports from the Gotham Currency front, Colin strings Mike along six times, Adam is Chicago John and Dan harmonizes with Mike. In a fitting twist of fate, Babylon 5 is no longer available for free or with a subscription on any service. We suggest looking for the DVDs at your library. Or if you live near Dre or Mike, we'll likely loan you our copies. For the next full episode, we cover Babylon 5: Season 5 Episode 18 "The Fall of Centauri Prime" with Bill Johnston. Coming to you Sunday, May 31st. Read the show notes here Mike On Instagram Dre On Instagram Dre On Bluesky All music by Mike Slater

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