Talkin‘ the Talk With Don

Happy New Year!!! To kick off 2026, we are covering Robert Plant's 1988 album Now and Zen. This time around, my good friend and co-conspirator on the Glacially Musical Pouredcast and Ghost Cult head man, Keefy Chachkes. As always, Keefy is a blast to work with, so having him be a part of this series was a no-brainer. We talked in depth about the Now and Zen album and waxed nostalgic as well. Dig on it and check it out. =========================================== Buy Me a Coffee (or Slurpee): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dond Check out my Socials here: https://linktr.ee/southeastofheaven1 Buy Don's shirts and support his weed habit! https://southeastofheaven.threadless.... =========================================== ROBERT PLANT Robert Plant – Now and Zen (Full Album): https://tinyurl.com/5dcwu7d5 Robert Plant – Ship of Fools (Live): https://tinyurl.com/mwyn9xte  =========================================== LINKS YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT: Ghost Cult Mag - www.ghostcultmag.com Glacially Musical Pouredcast -    / @glaciallymusical355   Southeast of Heaven – www.southeastofheaven.com  =========================================== STUFF YOU NEED TO GET! Spin-Clean Record Cleaner https://amzn.to/44bSbhH Anti-Static Mylar Inner Vinyl Sleeves (100 pk) https://amzn.to/4aAFAIO Outer Vinyl Protective Sleeve Covers https://amzn.to/48FoiHZ Podcast Equipment Bundle https://amzn.to/3Mm3a1Y

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Y'ALL! I hope you all had a safe and happy holiday! I'm sure everyone traded their jeans in for sweatpants for a week or so and that's cool. I'm just glad that you're here now so thanks! In 1984, I was sitting at home one Friday night watching Friday Night Videos and the video for a song called "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister came on. I never heard one note from this band but that was the band that started my 40+ journey as a guitarist/songwriter. That being said, it's not everyday that a kid gets to talk at length with his biggest hero but that day was MY day. We had so much fun talking and bonding over our love of guitars, music, and the Grateful Dead. Yes, you heard me right: The GRATEFUL DEAD! It was so great talking to Jay Jay again and I hope you all enjoy this one!   Buy Me a Coffee (or Slurpee): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dond Check out my Socials here: https://linktr.ee/southeastofheaven1 Stuff You Didn’t Know You Needed: Spin-Clean Record Cleaner https://amzn.to/44bSbhH Anti-Static Mylar Inner Vinyl Sleeves (100 pk) https://amzn.to/4aAFAIO Outer Vinyl Protective Sleeve Covers https://amzn.to/48FoiHZ Podcast Equipment Bundle https://amzn.to/3Mm3a1Y 

This was an awesome year for music so whittling it down to just ten was way harder than I thought it would be.  So what were my top albums?  Pop on in and check it out.  You might even find your next favorite band.  

Welcome to a very special episode of Talkin' The Talk With Don.  No interviews or anything like that.  This episode we are diving into my 2025 Spotify Wrapped.  I always enjoy seeing what all I randomly listened over the year so it's always a surprise for me.  This was fun.   What are YOUR Top Albums and Artists on your Spotify Wrapped?     Buy Me a Coffee (or Slurpee): https://www.buymeacoffee.com/dond Check out my Socials here: https://linktr.ee/southeastofheaven1 ============================== Stuff You Didn’t Know You Needed: Spin-Clean Record Cleaner (Affiliate Link) https://amzn.to/44bSbhH Anti-Static Mylar Inner Vinyl Sleeves (100 pk) (Affiliate Link) https://amzn.to/4aAFAIO Outer Vinyl Protective Sleeve Covers (Affiliate Link) https://amzn.to/48FoiHZ Podcast Equipment Bundle (Affiliate Link) https://amzn.to/3Mm3a1Y #spotifywrapped #spotifywrapped2025

Check out my Patreon for some cool extras, including exclusive content not heard/seen by anyone but me. Your support keeps this podcast independent and ad-free, so all support is greatly appreciated.  / talkingthetalk   Check out my Socials here: https://linktr.ee/southeastofheaven1   ========================================   Mark Morris lives, sleeps, eats, and breathes metal. Hell, the dude grocery shops and sleeps metal. Mark is the host of his killer TikTok channel "Mark's Metal Minute" in addition to being the author of Mosh Pit Productivity: Rage Against the Clock and Win Your Day! We talked about the process of writing his book, combining his love and knowledge of the culture of metal and a life lesson of productivity. Buy Mark's Book Here: https://tinyurl.com/bdh9dd6w Mark's Metal Minute on TikTok: https://tinyurl.com/mzwe6u6d Audio Podcast: www.talkingthetalkwithdon.com Music News & Stories: www.southeastofheaven.com 

Last year I was on a whim introduced to the music Nordic folksinger/songwriter Kati Ran. Her album Sala was one of my top albums of the year and getting to interview her was a real treat. We connected on such a great level that I was honored when she wanted to be a return guest on the Podcast. This time around was almost like picking up where we left off a year ago as we discussed the organic and cathartic process of songwriting, the lineage and history behind our names (more interesting than you'd think), and all other things. Kati is an amazing human being and her music comes from a very healing plane of existence. I hope you'll enjoy round 2 with Kati Ran and maybe we can go for a 3rd next year?  

Check out my Patreon for some cool extras, including exclusive content not heard/seen by anyone but me. Your support keeps this podcast independent and ad-free, so all support is greatly appreciated. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/talkingthetalk Check out my Socials here: https://linktr.ee/southeastofheaven1 Formed in 1988 in Austin, TX, Dangerous Toys hit the hard rock/metal scene hard and fast with their stellar self-titled album in 1989 at the height of the hard rock/metal wave. Along with other sleaze acts like Junkyard, Circus of Power, and LA Guns, to name a few, the Toys rose to the top with stellar musicianship and a fun, tongue-in-cheek vibe. Hits like "Teasn Pleasn" and "Scared" made them household names and went on to tour with acts like The Cult, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, and Motorhead. I had a great time talking to lead vocalist Jason McMaster and breaking down the debut album. He was so much fun, and the guy has stories for days (literally), and I couldn't love him more. This is definitely one for you all to enjoy! For more on Dangerous Toys, check out https://dangeroustoys.us/.    #podcast #sleazemetal #dangeroustoys #mtv

In 2021, I was introduced to a great new Swedish psych rock band, Nephila. My buddy Jacob, who plays in Children of the Sun, is also one of the founding members of Nephila, so thanks to him, I found a new favorite band. I recently had the great pleasure of speaking with founding member/vocalist Josephine Asker and new co-vocalist Linn Edlund. I had a great time talking to these ladies about the music of Nephila, how the band came to be, the concept of writing based on the old folklore of their heritage, and much more! For more on Nephila, check out https://nephilamusic.com/.

In my over 15 years of being a music journalist/writer, I have been so lucky to make some truly amazing friends within the industry.  Gail Worley is without a doubt one of those great, amazing friends.  I remember Gail's awesome pieces that would appear in Metal Edge Magazine as well as Modern Drummer (which I read even though I wasn't a drummer).  All these years later, Gail and I got connected via out good friend Keefy (Ghost Cult Magazine.) While not writing in the music world any more, Gail is still very active with her long running blog, The Worley Gig which covers all things awesome in and around NYC where she resides.  Gail is such a killer person and I was so excited to have her as a guest on my podcast to bond over our stories of working with "rockstars" and doing for the sheer love of "the trophy."   Enjoy, y'all!

Drummer, pianist, lyricist, artist, and whatever else you can imagine is what makes up the life of legendary former Scorpions drummer, Herman Rarebell.  Since leaving the Scorpions in 1996, Herman Zee German has been a busy so and so.  Never one to sit still, Herman has returned in 2025 with a new release called What About Love as Herman Rarebell and Friends. It was such an honor speaking with such a legendary, iconic artist and he couldn't have been more amazing.  We talked about the new album and why he chose to cover his favorite '80s songs.  We also talked about the Scorpions now legendary performances at the 1984 US Festival and the 1989 Moscow Music Peace Festival. It was just such a great conversation and I hope y'all enjoy this one.  

In 1988, a friend of mine showed up at my house with a cassette and said, "Dude, you need to hear this song."  He put on the LA Guns debut album and played me the song "Electric Gypsy" and I loved it.  I picked up the album and played it until the tape was almost clear.  LA Guns has been at it for 40 years.  With 15 studio albums, 10 live releases, and countless videos, LA Guns, in 2025, is surely not going anywhere anytime soon.   I had a chance to talk to LA Guns guitarist/songwriter/founding member Tracii Guns and I couldn't have had a better time.  We talked about the new album, being dorks in school, and our mutual love and admiration for Poison guitarist CC DeVille.  This was a lot of fun and I hope y'all enjoy it!!!  

Check out my Patreon for some cool extras, including exclusive content not heard/seen by anyone but me. Your support is what keeps this podcast independent, so any and all support is greatly appreciated. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/talkingthetalk Check out my Socials here: https://linktr.ee/southeastofheaven1   GHOST CULT MAG LINKS: https://linktr.ee/ghostcultmag ================================================= Keef is one of my closest pals. He's an amazing journalist, an amazing podcast host, and he's a huge inspiration to me and has been for nearly 12 years. This is a do-over of a lost interview form last year, so better late than never! We talked about Ghost Cult, being a journalist, the stresses of it all, and why it is that we're insane enough to do this stuff as our passions!

In 2019, I stumbled upon a young band out of Sweden called Children of the Sun.  Their debut album Flowers knocked me out with it's flower power Jesus Christ Superstar like qualities.  It was a beautiful album and I was a fan immediately.  Since then, Children of the Sun has grown personally and creatively.  They have performed countless live shows all over Europe and they continue to shoot for the moon.  I have been friends with guitarist/songwriter Jacob Hellenrud for some time now and I FINALLY convinced him to be on the podcast after all these years.  Speaking English isn't his favorite thing to do but he made it his favorite thing for an hour or so just to talk to me.  We talked about the weird way Americans measure things, the growth of the band, his solo material, and the band's new album Leaving Ground, Greet the End.  For more on Children of the Sun, head over to https://www.facebook.com/Childrenofthesuun  

Thanks for checking out the first episode of my On and Off the Records segment. This is where I will be joined by friends (and sometimes even members of the band of the said album) and talk about the history of the album, comments, and reviews, and finally revisit the album track by track. To kick it all off, we'll dive into $1.99 Romances by '90s Jam Band Legends God Street Wine. Joining me as guests are none other than Lo Faber and Aaron Maxwell of God Street Wine.

This is a first for this Podcast. This time around, my good friend/fellow podcaster Nik Cameron of the Glacially Musical Pouredcast got together with zero time notice to talk about the "Final" Black Sabbath/Ozzy appearance on July 5, 2025, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England. As usual, Nik patiently dealt with my ADHD-ranting brain and did a great job wrangling us back on target. This was fun, this was different, and this was the first of many! For the news/wordy side of things: https://www.southeastofheaven.com For ridiculous pix and viny stuff:   / southeastofheaven   Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/dond Check out Glacially Musical Pouredcast: https://www.youtube.com@glaciallymusical355 

Since I first heard the iconic Scottish metal band The Almighty in 1990, I have been a huge fan of vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Ricky Warwick.  At a mere 58 years old, Ricky Warwick has lived the dreams many of us can ONLY dream about.  Ricky was handpicked to front a newly re-formed Thin Lizzy in 2009 and later co-founded the Black Star Riders with former Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham.  He has worked with amazing artists such as Joe Elliot of Def Leppard, Billy Duffy of The Cult, Lita Ford, and the legendary Irish punk rock band The Stiff Little Fingers.   I had the honor of talking with Ricky from his home in California, where his family is safe and sound from the California Wildfires.  Ricky and I spoke about his forthcoming album Bloodties, the art and excitement of songwriting, and shared many laughs.  Ricky is an absolutely amazing human being and a talent like no other.   https://www.rickywarwick.com/

Happy New Year!  2024 was an awesome year of interviews here at Talking the Talk, and 2025 is already shaping up to be awesome.  Kicking the year off is the hilariously kick-ass Rebecca Markus.  Rebecca hosts a podcast called TV Tangents and a TikTok account of the same name.  Rebecca is a Gen X master when it comes to Gen X television shows and I have always loved her stuff and I was stoked when she agreed to be a guest. Besides, she LOVES Simon and Simon so I knew I'd found a new friend! Rebecca was a great guest, and I think you all will enjoy this one.  Check out TV Tangents here: TV Tangents on Spotify

I love what I do.  Getting to talk to musicians and other artistic people has been one of the joys in life.  Every now and then I have a guest on that has a personal connection with me and my guest this time is a special one.  DB Edmunds (aka Doug Edmunds) was my boss for about 6 years or so when I worked in IT at UNC in Chapel Hill.  He's also an amazingly talented singer/songwriter/guitarist/drummer.  DB Edmunds released his latest solo album, Everybody Knows By Now this year and it is an absolutely fantastic collection of good ol Rock n' Roll with a pop senseability in vain of bands such as The Jam, Jellyfish, and Big Star just to name a few.  Getting to talk shop with Doug was, and always is, a treat so kick back and enjoy this one.  You can pick up Everybody Knows By Now as a digital download, vinyl or CD by CLICKING HERE.

I've been a fan of Danish prog metal icons Anubis Gate for nearly 15 years.  Every band has its strengths, and while Anubis Gate is powerful, I find the real strength to lie with vocalist/lyricist/bassist Henrik Fevre.  Fevre and Anubis Gate have been on a break since last year's release, Interference.  Not one to sit still, Fevre returned to his other musical passion, electronic pop music.   Henrik Fevre released his latest album, ElectriCITY, this year, and it had me excited to talk to him about it all.  We discussed Anubis Gate, his love of Pink Floyd's ANIMALS album, and other cool stuff.  Check it out!!! Enjoy, y'all.   Check out ElectriCITY HERE

If Jeff Sipe isn't a name you know at this point, it's probably time now that you should.  For over 40 years, Jeff Sipe has been a drummer that has wowed people all over the world with some of the most notable improvisational musicians on the planet.  While studying at Berklee, Jeff met and played in a band with a young guitarist named Steve Vai in a band called Winter.  Jeff moved to Atlanta in 1983 where he was teaching and Atlanta Institute of Music and this is when he met a gentleman by the name of Col. Bruce Hampton who took a liking to this young fellas drumming. Jeff reached out to some friends of his, Jimmy Herring (guitar) and Otiel Burbridge (bass) and together they formed the Aquarium Rescue Unit and as a band they are considered forefathers of the modern Jam Band movement.  Along with other up and coming bands like Phish, Spin Doctors, and Blues Traveler, ARU embarked on the first ever HORDE Tour which exposed this improvisational concept of musical performance to Amphitheater's all over the US.  Jeff Left ARU in 1995 and joined the bluegrass jam band Leftover Salmon in 1997 (my wife and I followed Leftover Salmon all over the southeast for 3 years.)  After leaving the band in 2000, Jeff would go on to work with such artists as Jonas Hellborg, Jay Lane, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Leftover Salmon, and Jazz Is Dead just to name a few.  Jeff is a living legend and I am lucky to call him a great friend.  Enjoy this one, y'all! Check out Jeff Sipe's Official Site: www.jeffsipe.com