Those Sweet Reviews

We come to very familiar but incredibly awesome territory here with the pairing and collaboration of two indie true legends-Dashing Skull Club’s brilliantly written and performed paean to another legendary figure in Whiskey Club on the massively musical and epically fantastic journey (at just under 3 minutes this is a journey filled to the brim with musical and lyrical delights) We have Genius napkins being retrieved while Whiskey Club’s piano winds beautifully around the Zappa like musical backdrop supplied by Dashing Skull Club and vocalist Tuna Ferrari reminds us all that we may all live forever…knowing we did everything…(it’s actually “you” he’s singing about, but we can imagine…and it sounded cool to write-just as that lyric sheet (or napkin…who knows? Only the shadow does…or the Phantom) is cooly crumpled up at the end) and speaking of which-the sound design and quality of the production was certainly inspired and kudos to John Wayne Spacey of DSCLabs Productions (Also guitarist of Dashing Skull Club) for one finely produced piece of music for the indie community to fully appreciate. Excellent musicianship from all involved and one epic piece. An Insta-classic. (Not talking about Instagram here…this is even better than instant coffee…the real deal like that coffee brewed fresh at the finest coffee place you can find in America (that’d be one world-class coffee from legendary Dashing Skull Club drummer/coffee shop legend/barista Yeti Lee’s own The Spot Coffee and Finery)

Another piece of indie brilliance from one of our community’s much admired artists-the incomparable Ska indie genius of Redial Destination hits you here with a song which pretty much sums up the feelings of our global indie “Tribe”… If you’re an indie artist you definitely feel we’re all part of one glorious tribe of people-like a second family-when you hear this marvelously written and compelling tune that will, along with getting you grooving, certainly give you a whole lotta pride and joy to be involved in this fantastic indie community. When it comes to incredible musicianship, fantastic songwriting and fantastic lyrics-Redial Destination always delivers. There’s everything in this song which features all the hallmarks of this indie legend’s style-catchy guitar throughout and a great groove to this song-however what matters most with this track is that the music IS the message. It is certain to garner a lot of feelings of being fortunate to belong to this scene.

Tension Splash have long been a personal favourite from our indie community for the sheer quality of their music- and in “Takin’ it Back” this rocking band of grungy riffs have us wandering through Paganini territory with fiddle of the finest calibre (we could say the devil was at play here maybe? Like apparently with Paganini…or a near 27-year-old soon to be blues virtuoso Robert Johnson at some crossroads…) this song certainly has the toes a tappin’ and the music bubbles and grooves its way into your heart, and you cannot get it outta your mind on hearing it. They’ve definitely Takin’ us back through time and space with this toe tapper and full marks for originality here. We see a much different and mellower side flourishing (yet still retaining a lotta devilish quality befitting of indie rock legends) here to a band which excels technically and musically. In “Takin’ it Back” and listening all throughout Tension Splash’s catalog, you’ll find we have another stellar piece of the amazingly huge and diverse indie music pie to celebrate and enjoy. Purely legendary and always inspiring.

This track from long time indie legends and faves The Flying Beets has a powerful and meaningful message we can all relate to and upon its release has been such an inspiring and uplifting track to hear coming out through these speakers. “There’s Someone Who Will Love What You Do” (always nice to even write these words let alone hear it sung) also displays outstanding songwriting and structure-with an emphasis on a strong melodic hook and chorus that is guaranteed to uplift and encourage everyone to get writing their own works of art. I’ve always admired the musicianship of this band-awesome lead vocals (there’s an awesome lift in each chorus) with amazing Beatles like harmonies-fluid and always solid yet melodic bass lines-the bass during each consecutive verse with those deep down slides really do hit ya in the gut with its brilliance along with solid drums-those melodic inspired Tom runs during the same verse sections are another standout feature. The guitar is as always amazing throughout - a brilliant power trio with vocals that’ll always be inspired no matter what’s being sung-however it’s the lyrics of this that really make this a standout Flying Beets song (hell, this would be a standout track in any band's armory.) This is sublime and a beautiful work.

True Indie Royalty here-Punk rock legends Kathleen Turner Overdrive are yet another band from our indie community already brimful of sheer talent and musical brilliance which consistently amazes (That’s what keeps us all consistently in awe-there’s certainly plenty of depth to the amount of astounding artists we’ve heard and are yet to discover...) KTO are definitely up there in the inspiring artists echelon- it’s quite humbling yet also inspiring to even be on the same continent as these guys. I could have chosen any number of songs from their monolithic catalog of awesomeness- however decided to stick with an oldie (not really that old-the single came out in 2024…) and the opening track from their 2025 album “A Safe Space For Cryptids”. “I Want To Believe” has most of the stylistic hallmarks that makes these fantastic indie rockers so spectacular- a lyric which is at once quite humorous yet also makes you think-musically and instrumentally there’s a catchy melodic and brilliant guitar riff that sucks you in and a solid rhythm section supporting and framing an outstanding vocal performance which all together hits ya in the guts quite impressively. There’s a lot of tongue in cheek lyrical lines throughout…delving through all those conspiracies and… “Watch Out!!! Mothman he’s coming for you!” this is a helluva catchy piece, and it’s one of those songs from our community which will get ya grooving, pogoing around the house (now there’s an odd image for this head… I’m gonna have to get some kinda modifications done to my already fast (it’s red) wheelie walker-some suspension on those wheels so I can pogo, maybe?) The catchy melodic hooks and vocal chorus will definitely get you singing along to this catchy, epically rocking song from an awesome band to come out of our incredibly deep pool of exceptionally brilliant artists- a fine song from the epically outstanding Kathleen Turner Overdrive.

Spock are truly legendary in this particular upside down under lad’s eyes and for the indie community as a whole, these punk rockers are definitely legendary figures. Always feel a sense of gratitude when I think of all the amazing artists I’ve found out about or discovered through being pointed in an artist's direction by others in our scene-either by indie Facebook groups or artists I’ve come to know in our community. There is an astonishing array of brilliant music all around our global indie music community and our planet as a whole and the camaraderie which exists-hey have you heard these guys? Check this band out-that is something which is deeply profound and moving about our community and the artists within it…this is certainly not denying there are people within our community who do not display these traits or show kindness and support towards one another, we can be grateful for these people too(I’ll also reiterate-as long as there is no actual physical harm being committed)- for their actions do help shine a spotlight on just how many artists in our community there are willing to show kindness and support one another-all these good traits which exist in our scene are highlighted. We are talking here about a band called Spock who are artists ultimately worthy of the recognition and being celebrated- and this song “Tony Hawk Ate My Skateboard” has been one track of many within Spock’s repertoire which has seemingly ALWAYS been running through my mind- a wonderfully catchy piece of punk rock which always delights no matter how many times it’s heard. The imagery in the lyrics are rather absurd to imagine yet definitely add good humor and display all round brilliant songwriting skills as it’s so damn catchy, and you do wonder what you would say if a guy like Tony Hawk decided to walk up and eat your skateboard (you’d definitely have “nothing left to say…” as the lyrics come to that conclusion) - this may be a lost in translation thing here (I am upside down as they say…) but for myself personally-this is what draws me to this song and keeps me listening through it. Brilliant guitars, solid and epic drums and an awesome vocal with a lyric which has me imagining a skateboarding superstar casually eating your skateboard in front of you, you’re left rather speechless and in a bit of a mind fog… Did that just happen? Evidence of another extraordinarily gifted songwriting group of mega talented musicians with a punk ethos…and evidence that our indie community full of differing styles and genres contains a helluva lot of gifted human beings we can be grateful to share this planet with.

Almost each and every day, an artist, song or in this extraordinary case a collaboration from our indie community brings us something genuinely special-it’s a music community that gives so much to each involved and brings a sense of belonging to something truly meaningful. To those around our globe, artists or people who appreciate brilliantly composed music in general-music can be our greatest healer, gives us connection and allows us human beings the means to express our unique life experiences through the medium of sound. A collaboration between artists of our global indie scene will always be a brilliant reflection of our worldwide indie music community exactly as it is- a music scene to be proud of- the sharing of immense talent one another possesses, the encouragement, support and genuine acknowledgment of one another’s achievements that IS our indie community is all there; contained within a collaborative project. So when I first heard that true indie royalty from our scene with legendary artists Whiskey Club, members of Dashing Skull Club, DSCLabs Productions AND Joe Booe all uniting for the first time on this incredible track-“Broken In Pieces”-and that an indie supergroup with a collaborative project entitled SoundStone were forming…well these ears certainly picked up legendary vibes…with the artists involved here-this was going to be something quite spectacular. Not only is there an opportunity to hear these immensely talented artists release always inspiring music of their own to enjoy…that we’re also going to experience how these incredibly gifted artists work together-another brilliant collaboration to showcase the depth of talent our scene is fortunate to have… “Broken in Pieces”- the only thing that was in pieces here was my mind…it was absolutely blown away by the sheer brilliance that shimmered and glistened from each and every note-the exquisite guitar interplay off the other worldly virtuosic keyboard displays and the immensely powerful vocal gymnastics…all the way throughout this piece I was definitely reminded of J.S. Bach and the interplay between the instruments and voice conveyed the counterpoint and polyphonic sound that Bach was renowned for-this first effort is definitely a masterpiece of well crafted music and one amazing introduction to this indie collaborative progressive rock project. This is a brilliant reflection of just exactly why our indie community is so spectacular. I’ll bring myself back to the baroque era here and say “Bravo”(although I’m pretty sure that exclamation may have been later in the timeline…)

A brilliant collaboration between two very well respected and exceptionally talented artists from our indie community rounds off this playlist perfectly. This recently released collaboration “The Devil Rides A Harley Now” has a very luscious sounding recording-the elegant and quite wonderfully played and beautifully composed and crafted acoustic guitars and vocal lines from Brian Meulen sound crystal clear, rich and full… the exquisite vocals from Joe Booe placed perfectly in the mix and both of their vocal talents get to shine and be heard as they ought to yet never overtaking-blending well with those guitars that excel. This is an outstanding piece of music (the opening line “he was young and broke with a Gibson dream” from Brian gives me Robert Johnson vibes… Great lyrical storytelling again here) the guitars slide, the acoustics sounding so full and hypnotically weaving around the vocal duet between Joe and Brian then an electric guitar joins along with drums, bass, a wonderful organ part along with a light orchestral string section…this is a fantastically epic and well written piece of music. Hats off to Brian and Joe for a brilliant collaboration. Personally I believe collaborations such as this are a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the indie community as it truly is and the scene we know and love it as…a collaboration is a reflection of how our indie scene is and can be in one piece of music- our global music community is indeed an incredibly supportive place to be a part of with kindness shown towards one another, encouragement of those within our community’s gifts and strengths, inspiring one other and most of all the sharing of our talents amongst each other are all exactly what makes being involved in the indie community so special. A collaboration is a great example of this- however it’s also not too dissimilar to individual artists within our scene whose music inspires us and the support and encouragement towards one another can be seen with and around these artists too- all of this together gives us all inspiration, encouragement and a sense of belonging to something truly meaningful and deeply profound.

The two-chord vamp at the start of “Promise” will leave you wondering where it’s going if you are fortunate to be discovering the latest masterpiece from ‘Crash World’ for the first time. If you are a musician and you’ve grabbed an instrument already, you might be wondering if this will resolve to C major or E minor or somewhere else, and like any listener, you will be captivated by the undoubtedly haunting, almost chilling, sensation that it delivers. If you’ve looked at the artwork already, that bunch of flowers will make you think of a funeral, maybe, but a broken marriage more likely. You are not expecting a happy fast-food kinda song here. This one is going to be a serious song. Then when those lyrics start with “There’s a halo in the trash can. Some feathers on the floor”, I hope you will stop what you are doing, remove distractions, and listen deep. For sure, you can just let the beautiful melody, soulful voices, and world-class musicianship wash over you, but you’ll get so much more if this has your undivided attention over many listens. So much more. There’s pain expressed in those lyrics; and in their performance too. Listen to that groan over “I specialise in failure”; it is just devastating, as is the whole story when you follow it through. The idea of broken promises is so powerful, and it reveals the truth that someone who is controlled by their vices, often through mental illness, may be so painfully aware that they are dragging down more than their own lives. They are dragging down the people they love the most too, and this hurts more than anything because they feel powerless to do anything about it. Deep down, they may know that their promises to change are going to be broken even as they make them. Like I said, it’s a serious song this one, and it tells its story in the most extraordinary language, and with equally extraordinary music too… If you are listening closely, you may notice a subtle harmonic shift over “got the best of me” - a kind of pivot chord, if you like. It leads to a gentle crescendo over “is it worth it” that has the feel of a pre-chorus. Something interesting has happened with the harmonies here… the two-chord vamp has been reversed, the melody has climbed and you anticipate something special. Then - boom; a perfectly timed block chord progression underpinned by a bass that you can reach out and touch surprises both in its intensity and in the Phrygian feel it projects before you land in the chorus… Oh my word, that chorus. Everything seems to go that bit brighter over the word “Promise”. We are squarely in G major now and it feels uplifting. It feels to me like the moment you make a promise and for a while you really do believe it. It’s the only happy part of the song. Are they shifting the mood of the music to match the internal emotions of the song’s protagonist? This is astonishing songwriting and orchestration; even the beautiful vocal harmonies here are just so light and airy. It all ties up. Then as the harsh realities of the broken promises are anticipated we go through a pop-like progression that seems to want to land back on the major key but quickly establishes the original two-chord vamp. A subtle sparkling fill from the cymbals and a masterful Phrygian feeling acoustic guitar solo lead us back to the feel of the introduction and ready for a second journey. We have been taken on a powerful musical and emotional ride. A second round of this amazing structure, with yet more lyrical brilliance (how about “Dust upon the bible, proof of just how far I’ve strayed”?), is no less absorbing than the first but leads to a magnificent crescendo for the outro that builds, almost explosively, into that final ‘resolution’. Musically we might be confirming that major key tonic but the last vocal note lands on the five and it feels so desperate to get back. It doesn’t. There is a musical tension here and a note of deep anguish in the voice - it’s unsettling, it’s brilliant. It’s Crash World, and it was always going to be good; but it’s more than that - it’s important.

Man, there are sooo many songs by this musical genius and a great example of the very heart of our indie community- I’m so glad that I got a chance to give my honest and very humbled opinion (humbled because this song has been one of those releases from our indie community that regularly blow me away with the sheer beauty of the songwriting and elements which befits an artist of the caliber of Whiskey Club and pretty much most of our community in all honesty…) This recent release from our good friend Whiskey Club “Feels Like Home” has been a track I’ve been waiting to comment on since first hearing it (yup it’s quite late in the evening to quote Paul Simon for no other reason than it’s the name of a song-a brilliant one at that, the groove from Steve Gadd? Four sticks anyone?) which happens to coincide with reality here in the land of upside down under. This track is definitely worthy of being recognized by our global indie community for the vocal performance alone…it is a vocal which give you goosebumps with the raw emotions on display and there’s an exceptional moment when Whiskey Club hits that wonderful closing note(I believe we arrive home right there…) The performance of the keys on this particular piece is -as always with this maestro of the keyboard -something to make you feel proud to be sharing this planet and belong to a community brimful of talent with an extraordinary depth that includes legendary artists such as Whiskey Club. The lyrics are again reason to listen through this track as we find ourselves finally hitting that note, that melody, the key that feels like home. We have arrived. Another exquisite piece to add to an indie community that is consistently bringing us brilliance from all around. So very grateful for the opportunity to write about a track that has added another layer to that extraordinary experience which each artist from our indie community brings- a sense of gratitude to all of us who belong to this community and the gift of our life experiences shared through sound to all around our globe. Much appreciated Myles💜🙏❤️and Miss Pablo🐈‍⬛🙌💜 Myles O’Flaherty Music

It begins with what sounds like exactly what John Lennon was asking for when he asked George Martin for his voice to sound like Buddhist Monks chanting from the top of the Himalayas on the revolutionary musical piece “Tomorrow Never Knows”- the monumental closing track (but first to be recorded) off The Beatles “Revolver” Album…only this time it seems (and only seems-this actually does go forwards) to be a quick reversed meditative chant and off we are launched into the awesome weird, and wacky world of the legendary Dashing Skull Club with the brilliant “Queen Pixie”- a song which highlights the talents of each part of this wondrous musical concoction from Owensboro, Kentucky- particularly the versatile vocal style and brilliant lyricism of lead vocalist Tuna Ferrari, which is at quite a height with stunning turns of phrase and vocal gymnastics. Tuna sets himself free and bursts out with a torrent of lyrics which begin with “I heard a stranger say Taco… Karate… Pretend that you know…” and rises to “Kwa Kwee Kwa Kwoo, my eyes are blue-I French my fries to no surprise”-Perhaps my personal favorite moments here from Tuna’s lyrics occurs after one too many “your mama…” put downs in the verses- it may seem innocuous at first, but it’s freaking hilarious (kind of like a vocal throwing up of the hands) however-the line “Something, Something… Mama” is added in seemingly just because- and it works so dang well. It does “French my Fries” and also IS a hilarious surprise. Definitely worth mentioning here is the incredible musicianship which the entire band possesses (there are a few moments there where I swear I can hear the low rumblings of Tibetan throat singing hidden in the backing vocals). The guitars from Larz Von Crowley and John Wayne Spacey reign beautifully throughout, weaving around the curving bass lines and the entire glorious rhythm section including the outstanding Yeti Lee giving his all on the drums. Special mention to the incredible sound design throughout by DSC guitarist/producer extraordinaire(DSCLabs Productions) John Wayne Spacey-as this piece really does show that each individual part of Dashing Skull Club works together in a perfect harmony unique to these legends. Dashing Skull Club together are one outstanding combination and this particular piece contains a spectacular picture of a band who have really hit their stride. Music has the ability to profoundly and deeply inspire us all, and artists such as those in our community and all those who create the works of pure beauty and art that reflect what it is to be human utterly deserves to be celebrated. Much gratitude to all within our indie music community for being the artists and people you are and for inspiring us all to create, to share our unique story and to belong to a community we can all be proud to be a part of. Myles❤️🙏💜and Miss Pablo🐈‍⬛🙌💜 💜Myles O’Flaherty Music❤️

On first listen to this track there’s the immediate impact of the wondrous sound of what I perceive as a joyful and celebratory listen through Denis’ musical heritage, you can feel that heart getting warmer and instantly feel like singing along as we’re taken through Paul Simon/ Simon and Garfunkel territory with expertly written lyrical references all the way through-Beginning with the title, we’re off on a unique voyage as Denis’ lyrical nods to the music of Paul Simon that have graced his life-you can envision the Steve Gadd four drumstick laden grooves mentioned lyrically by title of the song where this groove is featured (“Late in the Evening”) through to the insincere giraffes, honest monkeys and all the traits of the animals that reside at Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Zoo”, Denis also takes us to an island along the way where “I am a Rock”(“and a rock feels no pain, and an island never cries”), “Cecilia” is there too. As well as all these lyrical references to Paul Simon’s rich catalog (Paul Simon’s lyrics are quite erudite-there’s a lot of poetry to his guitar work too-you can certainly hear similar gifts on display through Denis’ catalog too-Like Paul Simon-Mostly Blue has immense talent) Sonically, this song is a veritable feast-The sounds of zydeco music wafts through from New Orleans, along with quite tasty guitar work all the way throughout-there’s fabulous backing harmonies on this as well-the timbres of both lead and harmony vocals suit perfectly-there’s a few close harmony moments very reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel-this track is upbeat, a feel good and a wonderful ride throughout Mostly Blue’s quite charming ode to a great musical influence in Paul Simon who has provided the soundtrack to many and given most a reason to smile. You can hear in this song through Mostly Blue’s clear and prescient voice that Paul Simon has been there for him, providing the solace and comfort that music has always brought us all. This one fantastic reminder of the power of music. I’d highly recommend listening through Denis’ whole oeuvre-within you’ll find a musician and artist with a gift of storytelling that will certainly move and inspire you. As part of this magnificent indie community, listening to Mostly Blue is guaranteed to make you feel proud and very much inspired to be involved in this scene-as stated at the beginning-each of us has a fascinating story to tell and a gift to tell it through the medium of music and sound. As indie artists, we all have the means and capacity to tell our story. Every individual within our fabulous indie music community has a story that is a valid, compelling and a meaningful one to tell. Your story is certainly much appreciated and valued. Listening to Mostly Blue is a great reminder and inspiration to all of us that our gifts to create music and tell our stories is something to be very thankful for. Myles💜🙏❤️ Myles O’Flaherty Music

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 💥Tension Splash💥 in support of their 2025 EP titled blue preemptively released "Scared - singe edit". Establishing the mood with a rich onslaught of interwoven guitars, each part rhythmically and harmonically complementing the next, the song lays down a foundation that’s both cohesive and captivating. The stage is set for introspective, and emotionally resonant vocals that feel both hopeful and dark—ominous yet comforting. As the vocal harmonies layer in, they elevate the atmosphere even further, pulling the listener deeper into the soundscape. And before you know it, the track—running just over four and a half minutes—has taken you on a brief but powerful journey. An amazing release! Thank you Tension Splash for coloring our world that special shade of KICK ASS!