Murry Robe: Lo-Fi Rock ‘n’ Roll With His New Release, ‘Dial Tones’

Rock ‘n’ roll has never been about perfection. It’s about energy, attitude, and the magic that happens when a melody and a backbeat hit just right. Few understand that better than Murry Robe, a staple of Toronto’s underground rock scene and a musician who refuses to let time polish away the grit. Whether fronting the Shook Boys, slinging rhythm and blues with The Slow Drags, or cutting lo-fi home demos under Dial Tones, Robe’s music is a love letter to the raw, unfiltered recordings of the 1950s—a time when rock ‘n’ roll was young, dangerous, and utterly unstoppable. Murry Robe is taking things back to where it all begins—stripped down, unpolished, and straight from the soul.

Dial Tones is recorded with a DIY ethic that echoes the earliest sessions of Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, and Eddie Cochran, Robe’s latest work captures the restless energy of rockabilly’s golden age. It’s the sound of a cranked-up amp in a makeshift home studio, a live-wire performance caught in a single take, a track that might have crackles and imperfections—but never lacks heart. Like the earliest Sun Records or Chess sessions, Robe embraces the rawness, letting the tape roll and the spirit of the music take over.

With this EP, Robe delivers raw, lo-fi home demo recordings that capture the magic of rock ‘n’ roll at its most pure. Blending doo-wop, garage rock, and rockabilly, these recordings are as infectious as they are authentic, packed with melodies that stick like glue and lyrics as sharp as a switchblade. Each track sounds like it was cut straight to wax in a smoke-filled apartment room above a dive bar, yet it pulses with a fresh, modern edge that refuses to be ignored.

For those who have followed Shook Boys, known for their raucous energy and razor-sharp rhythm & blues influence, or The Slow Drags, where Robe dials in a greasier, more hypnotic groove, Dial Tones feels like the missing link—a direct pipeline to the raw creativity that fuels his larger-than-life stage presence. It’s the sound of late nights, neon lights, and a rockabilly rebel refusing to be tamed.

Murry Robe isn’t just reviving old sounds; he’s breathing new life into them. Whether tearing up a Toronto stage or banging out songs in his living room, his music is a reminder that rock ‘n’ roll is best when it’s loud, loose, and full of heart.

Don’t just listen—dial in.