By Tom Westoll
TUNS, the hot new power pop trio comprised of wily can-rock vets (Matt Murphy, Mike O’Neill and Chris Murphy) is taking the nation by storm. The band is releasing it’s long awaited debut LP on August 26th and it’s streaming on Exclaim.ca ahead of it’s release.
A word of caution – this is not an album review. If it was, I’d give it 10 out 10, put my feet up and call it a day. If this was a review, I’d talk about what the album sounds like – perhaps I’d string together a bunch of words in a vague attempt to sound original while describing their sound – like if I said the album was “A Rich Tapestry of Textured Retro Power-Pop Ballads Crackling Through The AM Waves At 2 In The Morning”. If this was a review, I’d get into the lyrical content and analyze it until I came up with the albums overarching theme – but instead I will just point you towards an excellent interview with the band done by Vish Khanna on his podcast, Kreative Kontrol (Episode 270), that really delves into the stories behind the songs.
TUNS is named after the Technical University of Nova Scotia (now called DalTech). I think everyone who has lived in Halifax would have at some point been very familiar with the downtown landmark – either as a point of reference, or a visit to the T-Room pub for cheap jugs of liquor and trivia or as a skateboarder hitting up a couple of it’s notorious spots. Perhaps you even went to school there, or know someone who did. Personally, all those apply to me. So I just sort of feel like TUNS, the band, by name alone is “mine”. And that’s before I even hit play on the album.
From the perfectly jangly opening chords, it became apparent that this was my new favourite record. The lyrics are poignant and thoughtful and the vocal harmonies are just as lush as you should expect these three to create. The hooks and melodies are catchy beyond all reasonable doubt – you will be humming these songs to yourself for days after hearing them. This is pure power pop gold.
TUNS is made up of 3 of my all time favourite Canadian rockers. Matt Murphy was in Super Friendz, whose hit tune “Karate Man” was a revelation when I heard it in junior high. Years later, Matt went on to play in a band called City Field, a band that was my favourite Halifax band during their short lifespan. I went to every show and knew all the songs and I would have bet all my worldly possessions that City Field was going to “MAKE IT”. They couldn’t not make it, they were kings of the scene and they were unreal. (Turns out they didn’t “make it”, good thing I’m not a gambler.) Matt Murphy is also one of the best guitar players I’ve ever seen perform – his long fingers stretch across the fret board and the hooks he comes up with are timeless.
Also in TUNS, on the bass guitar, is Mike O’Neill. You probably know Mike from his time in The Inbreds – they were the early 90’s predecessors of bands like Death From Above 1979 in some ways. Mike has also had a bizarrely under-rated and stellar solo career. I sometimes think of him as Halifax’s Harry Nilsson. He’s also been involved in Trailer Park Boys, a TV show you may have heard of, among his many other talents and pursuits.
Finally, Chris Murphy, the handsome hot shot from Sloan, is on the skins. He’s one of Canada’s best rock musicians, without a doubt, hands down. And he seems to do it all with a big smile on his face.
You can hear the smiles coming through on the songs from these three old friends on this record. TUNS is familiar, it sounds like something you’ve heard before but then when you listen to it for the first time, it feels so fresh. Catchy songs that stick with you and feel immediately timeless.
That’s a 10 out of 10 for sure, but I’m no critic.
TUNS is streaming now on Exclaim.ca ahead of it’s August 26th release.
Good morning!
TO was a blast, met up with Ian, and Dawn, and Mr. & Mrs.Durlz.
Hello, can’t stay but I will be back later
Great article FT
Good morning.
@Tom what an enjoyable read! Excellent!
Good morning!
Great post Tom! I love the TUNS album.
Great non-review, Tom!
Where is everyone this morning?
Good morning! Great article Tom!
By “everyone” I mean, everyone except the four of us!
i’m here.
Well I certainly want to give this album a listen after that writeup! As soon as I can get off my work VPN (grrr no streaming policy).
@martin – stream on your phone?
Good morning!:)
Great article FT! I’m listening now & liking what I hear.
@tiffyleeson, good call!
Hi people!
Hello all, well we really need a way to update these comments automatically somehow, what’s the tech being used here btw?
Yeah, my F5 key is getting worn…
Hi Michael. It’s WordPress. I had an auto-reload script all ready to go, but the dev site uses a different comment form, so I’ll have to modify when I get a chance (soon).
The TUNS album is really good. I’m gonna listen to it again.
Yeah, TUNS, very poppy. Tuneful. What Tom (who is not a critic) said.
I just click on the circle thingy up top.
@Russ, @Wes I’m lazy, I want automatic! Yes this Tuns record is great, Royal Mountain made the right move in signing these dudes. Kind of a no-brainer really
Helloooo
John K Samson just announced a couple tour dates in Winnipeg. November 4 and 5. Take me with youuuuuu *sobs*
Hey guys! I can’t really be “here” today, duty calls. But thanks for reading and yeah, the TUNS album rules!
Listen to new Royal Canoe here http://www.baeblemusic.com/musicblog/8-22-2016/baeble-first-play-love-you-like-that-by-royal-canoe.html
Reginula,
So, can you get here for September 2? I don’t have a time yet, but I received an email from Royal Canoe asking if I had equipment to play be able to play a vinyl LP for the Listening Party!! Haha, I can’t believe it is actually happening and neither can my daughter.
hi-dee ho, everyone!
haha….”there were Americans everywhere”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/floatdown-sarnia-americans-wash-ashore-1.3730792
I have to run, work to do. Bye.
Good morning everyone. This weekend was a doozey. My stepmom has gotten much sicker with cancer. She was in hospital last week with some further complications. Her and my Dad made the decision for her to not continue chemotherapy and for her to come home. She now is having hospice care. We are just floored the cancer has moved so fast and chemo did not seem to touch it. Her two daughters from NYC and San Fran are here and I am here. My Mom is coming from Tacoma tomorrow. We had a great long talk yesterday and I said repeatedly how much she means to me and how grateful she is in my life as well as my Dad’s, I am so grateful I had that time. We found out yesterday she has about a week left. You all have been so supportive, just wanted to give you an update.
Awesome, Shon!!!
@Shonica Oh, maaan! I don’t think I can. But it’s awesome it’s happening! It’ll be awesome!
Wow Justin, sorry to hear that, tough times now & ahead. My thoughts and hopes are with you and your family.
justin, all sympathy.
@Justin Oh my. Sending a lot of hugs your way. Your stepmom, you, and your family are very brave and very strong.
Justin, I’m very sorry to hear that
Sorry to hear it Justin. Cancer can be so varied and unpredictable. A friend of a relative appeared to be in good health, then all of a sudden they found her body was full of cancer and she went really quickly.
oh my god Justin – i’m so sorry to hear that.
Sorry to hear, Justin.
Thank you for the kind words everyone. 🙂 The priest was just here for a visit, was very good to have him visit, pray, and talk with her and us.
Kathleen Edwards is getting alot of heat from her tweet about the hip show
was it this one?
I am really sad watching a great performer and a great wordsmith forget how to move and no longer remembering his own words.
I could see why, in our age of hyper-sensitivity, people would get upset, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. I felt the same way watching John Mann read his lyrics off a prompter at Spirit of the West
Did Gord forget words? Other than the start of Blow at High Dough, I don’t recall anything
I don’t see anything wrong either, to be honest. Like, the man has gone through surgeries and other things on is BRAIN. I think he has, like, the right to forget things. He is already doing a hell lot by performing. By going on tour. By even standing and moving around at the shows.
People probably don’t like the idea of her “ruining” the festive feeling, but it’s a realistic observation. I don’t know.
@Justin, I hope that you can make the most of your remaining time together 🙁
@Tiffy, I saw that too. The lesson: don’t tweet unless you are ready to get flamed. You could tweet the word ‘thanks’ and if you have enough followers you are gong to get rekt. That said, Strombo said on his radio show “gord still IS.” I can’t agree with that more; too many people are already acting like he is gone.
KE isn’t the most sensitive performer I’ve ever seen. So I’m not surprised, she should have focused on the actual reason he was doing this, this is his & his bands choice, and I think there were moments when I thought he may have forgotten words, but I know that this happens at “ANY” live performance, I’m not sure it was because of illness.
If anything he gave us all hope, I never thought I’d see him perform at all after that diagnosis. This shows he is doing it on his own terms, same with Mann, and for that it’s inspiring, and I won’t let it be the only thing I remember about The Hip. I bet it isn’t the last we hear from them. As Vish seemed to hint at, and a few others.
Well she seems to be feeling it a bit from the “Peanut Gallery”. I think she misunderstood, how those words would come across, feeling and meaning isn’t always apparent in the written word.
Ryan Lochte: Speedo and Ralph Lauren end sponsorship
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37159288
Hey, Justin, so sorry to hear about your stepmom. Like others have said, cancer can hit so hard sometimes, but I’m glad you’re getting some quality time with her.
Oh and here is what the BBC had to say about Saturdays Hip show
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-37150119
Kathleen: To the peanut gallery that judges (as in: is this really the time to…?), I type: IT’S TWITTER!
Never been a big Hip fan, so it was hard for me to get into it. A friend I was with said Gord was definitely not operating at 100% and his voice isn’t usually that growly. Still, I was glad to be part of an important national event.
Wes, 12:38, that was true (not 100%, growly); things did not work so well in a few songs, but overall, the show was good I thought.
yeah, well, at the end of a tour, after undergoing surgery, chemo, and radiation treatment…I think he did quite a good job
krib: yes, agreed. I’m fairly critical (detail-noticing), but overall the show was pulled off. There may have been 4 songs that didn’t work as well, but that’s at most. So, in a show that ran over 2-1/2 hours…
Yes, I definitely enjoyed much of it; the songs I know, the outfits… Several songs are still going through my head.
I don’t think my appreciation for the Hip grew until I moved out of Canada, and Fully Completely and Day for Night helped me cope with my homesickness (along with a number of other Canadian bands). Having said that, I also thought Gord sounded more growly than usual, and looked exhausted at the end of the night. I thought, all things considered, he did a great job.
I’m glad I stayed up to watch the show
He also looked exhausted at a few other points. Someone lent him an arm to get offstage, down the stairs, not the last time the camera followed him off (he was stronger then), but before either the first or the second encore. Grace, Too.
garf, holy —-, that’s late! And early!
I was quite happy with the show: I’d listened to several bootleg cuts from other shows on the tour (Vic and Van, in partic.), and was afraid of poor sound; but the CBC did it up right. I needen’t have feared, I might say (if I were English).
It’s the price I pay for being born in the wrong country
listening to old Rheostatics. Love Marin Tielli’s guitar work.
wish I could’ve seen them live
Justin,
((HUGS)) So sorry to hear about your stepmom.
Rheostatics were fantastic live. I’m glad I did get to see them.
Goodnight folks!
tata!
Do you recognize anyone at the 11 minute mark?
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/compass-august-22-2016-1.3731577
That be Moe! She’s posted (face-b) a still from that. If you care, look for Moe Berry C on the book.
YUP!