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.

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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  ===========================================

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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!

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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?  

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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.

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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.