We talk about....ugh....what was it....oh yeah... FOCUS Be Kind :)

Data Privacy Scrubbing services are the modern-day protection racket. I dive into all aspects of our current life and how we get sold solutions to a problem that continue to perpetuate the problem, instead of having regulation and broader reform.

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). Al…

And The Boys needs The Left! We talk about young men and the left. I try to share some of the reasons that more young men need to reject liberalism and conservatism, to embrace leftism. I also talk about some of the reasons men feel more at home with the conservative movement. Masculinity means showing up for others!…

I share some thoughts I had about the left political movement in North America and how we all just need to be empathetic in our movement building. I call the constant criticism of the leaders and agents in the left movement perfection paralysis.

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…

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…

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://li…

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…

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 …

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…

A short poem about my life recently.

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…

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…

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 amaz…

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 othe…

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…

This is the 2nd time I've interviewed guitarist Maggie Geeslin and guitarist/vocalist Grace "GEP" Repasky. I have been a fan of them ever since meeting Maggie's mother very fatefully doing, of all things, JURY DUTY. This story never gets old. Anyway, Maggie's mom and I were talking while serving jury duty, I told her I was a music writer, and she s…

If you were alive in the '90s, you undoubtedly heard a Collective Soul song or two. "Shine" dominated MTV and radio and was followed by a string of hits such as "The World I Know," "December," and "Precious Declaration" just to name a few. Collective Soul had a busy summer on tour with Hootie and the Blowfish and Edwin McCain and recently embarked …

I have interviewed musicians of may different genres: pop, alternative, classic rock, psych rock, jazz, blues, etc. I have also interviewed an author, a b-rate horror movie actress, and a tour manager but never a comedian... until now. One evening while aimlessly scrolling through TikTok after taking my evening edible, I stumbled upon some videos f…

I have been a huge fan of the songwriting husband/wife duo Mat and Maria Fowler since first hearing their previous band Galley Beggar back in 2015. After the release of their 2017 album Heathen Hymns, I finally stalked Mat and Maria out and managed to get Maria to be a guest on my podcast. Since then, we have become very good friends and watching t…

I talk about Fear. A meditation for myself.

Poison, Mother Head's Family Reunion, Winery Dogs, Mr. Big, Smith/Kotzen, and highly regarded and iconic solo artist. Exhausted yet? Being in ONE band was enough to wear me down but for Richie Kotzen, wearing many different hats and staying busy is what he does. Richie recently released a new song called "Cheap Shots" and it's classic Richie. Soulf…

I saw some Joe Rogan clips about Terrace Howard and his unconventional theories. I decided to weigh in with my STEM-head idea on these theories like Flat Earth, 1x1=2, etc. I talk about the book "Why We Remember" By Charan Ranganath

One of the things I love the most about being a music journalist is that there is no end to the absolutely amazing music that I cross paths with from time to time. While I do see and hear a lot of crap, every now and then an artist stands out from the pack and grabs my full attention. This was the case with Dutch vocalist, musician, songwriter, and…

As of 2024, folksinger/songwriter Dorian Sorriaux has been kicking it on his own as a solo act since parting ways with Swedish rockers Blues Pills (who hate me by the way, but that's a different story) in 2018. Since then, he released his debut EP Hungry Ghost, toured all over Europe doing festivals and supporting Alter Bridge/Slash vocalist Myles …

I'm in the process of reading this book about memory (Why We Remember by Charan Ranganath) and this poem popped into my mind! Enjoy, lol.

The first time I heard Whitesnake in 1987 I became obsessed. I loved everything about that band but after seeing them live in 1988, that's what pushed it over the top for me. I was so captivated by guitarist Adrian Vandenberg that he quickly became one of my guitar heroes. From there, I dove headfirst into the discography of his solo band Vandenber…

I talk about doing nothing in the age of unprecedented productivity and how it is important to living a fulfilling life. It's okay to just exist.

We talk about Hopelessness for our generation. Feeling like we will never own homes or retire. Doomer-Vibes Thanks for listening <3

We dive into Apple's latest first-generation device and I talk about AR/VR. I give my thoughts and opinions as a closested tech nerd. Thanks for listening <3

We dive into Meritocracy vs Inherent Value as guiding principles for our society and individual lives! I am back on my ranty nonsense with the podcast this year! Excited to be speaking to you again <3

Living in a city that has the highest number of shitty bands per capita than any other city in the US can be a real drag. Atlanta is a city full of bands and musicians that have underwhelmed me to the point of no return but there are a few exceptions to that. One of those exceptions is that outstanding band Rae and the Ragdolls. Rae and the Ragdoll…

In 1996, I heard a song by a band called Dog's Eye View called "Everything Falls Apart" and not only did it become a favorite song of mine, I connected to it on a very personal level (sadly). Lead by singer/songwriter Peter Stuart, Dog's Eye View became a favorite band of mine that would be a huge part of the soundtrack of my life for 27 years and …

Back in 2011, a good friend of mine who was working at the record label Nuclear Blast called me up. I knew it was something super important if she was calling me. When I picked up, without hesitation, she said, “Don! I just heard your new favorite band. They’re called Graveyard and their new album is called Hisingen Blues.” After the first listen o…

I can honestly tell you that I don't think I have ever interviewed a "competitor" before! Honestly, Keefy isn't a competitor at all. He is a friend and a fellow music writer with the long running Ghost Cult Magazine. For over a decade, Ghost Cult Magazine has been an incredible source for hard rock/metal reviews, interviews, and editorials. These d…

After 22 years as the drummer for the Black Crowes, Steve Gorman's creative life is nowhere near over. Since parting ways with the Black Crowes in 2015, Gorman has kept himself busy. The Steve Gorman Sports podcast, Steve Gorman Rocks!, his talk show on Westwood One as well as his bands Trigger Hippy and his newest band, Bag Men featuring North Mis…

Styx has been a long time favorite of mine since I was a kid listening to my Dad play The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight on our living room stereo. Even though he's been singing and playing keys for Styx for nearly half their career, Lawrence Gowan is totally fine being called the "new guy." This was our fourth time talking and we never seem to…

Back in 2001 or so, I was in shitty club in Charlotte, NC to see a little band that was about to break huge called Train. Their opening act that night was a brand new act called Five For Fighting. I had never heard one chord from them but after their powerful 45 minute set, I had the shirt, the CD, and a new band that I loved. Like many fans of mus…

At 34 years of age, guitarist/songwriter Nili Brosh has lived the life of 10 guitarists. Since graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2009, Nili has performed with legends in the truest since of the word. Shrapnel guitar legend Tony MacAlpine, former Nevermore and current Arch Enemy guitarist Jeff Loomis, drummer Marco Minneman, and bassist St…

Since I first heard them in 1992, Ugly Kid Joe has been a favorite band of mine. Regardless of the shit I got from friends and others about my fandom for UKJ, much like them, I lived unapologetically as a lifelong fan from beginning until, well, now. 2022 saw Ugly Kid Joe releasing their stellar seventh album, Rad Wings of Destiny and just when I t…

One of the many reasons I love doing interviews is the sheer unpredictability of it all. When I got asked to interview Amber Doig-Thorne, all I said was "Sign me up." I mean, how could I possibly pass on the opportunity to talk to my first actor ever who also is the star of "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey." ... and yes. It really is a truly aweso…

Billy Sheehan is a living legend when it comes to hard rock music. He broke into the mainstream as the bassist for David Lee Roth, experienced huge commercial success with the band Mr. Big and now he is letting it all loose with the progressive hard rock supergroup, Winery Dogs. I had a great time talking to Billy about what he hates about intervie…

I didn't discover Hanoi Rocks until around 1986-87 or so but once I did, they became a huge favorite of mine. It's hard to believe that it has already been 40 years since the release of Hanoi Rocks' sophomore album, Oriental Beat. 2023 doesn't just see Oriental Beat turning 40, we will see a much anticipated re-mix (or re(al)-mix as the band calls …

In 2011, I was immersing myself in a whole new world of music. The Swedish psychedelic rock movement was something that I became obsessed with. After hearing their 2011 live album, Root Jam, Siena Root quickly became one of favorite bands. I recently had the pleasure of speaking with lead vocalist/keyboardist Zubaida Solid and drummer Love Forsberg…

In 1993 while at a friends house getting high as the moon, he turned to me and said, "Dude, your hippie ass is going to love this." He then put on the song "Superman Song" by Canadian rock band Crash Test Dummies. I was so blown away by how insanely deep his voice was accompanied by this incredible folky sounding stuff. Shortly after, he put on the…

Troy Marks is a living legend when it comes to being a part of the New Orleans Heavy Metal music scene as the vocalist for Razor White. To me, nobody did it better than Razor White. I know some will say Lillian Axe did but honestly, I LOVE them but it was the Razor that pumped me up like no other. In 1988, Razor White released a 5 song demo that be…

Every now and then a band will come along and completely capture my heart. It always seems that this happens when I'm at a certain point in my life when I need something to lift me up that band just happened to be an Atlanta band called Lunar Vacation. Not too many can say that they discovered a new favorite band by serving jury duty with a band me…

The contents of the episode is way more entertaining than the title (we promise!). Pick of the Week Bror: Running Wild - Blazon Stone Daro: Wolfcross - From the North Break music: Rampart - Metal Spell Donate to our Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/metalbrainfart Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/metalbrainfartpodcast Support Klubb Fre…

Hellsingland Underground is a band out of Sweden that is one of the most UN-SWEDISH bands I have ever heard. Sounding more like they could've come straight out of the Southeastern part of the US, their sound is a hodgepodge of influences such as Bob Dylan, The Allman Brothers Band, and Dr. Hook just to name a few. I would've never heard one bit abo…