Dunk (band)

Dunk, also previously known as Starkicker, was a Canadian power pop band from Niagara Falls, Ontario, who were active in the late 1990s and early 2000s.^[1]

History

The group originally formed as Starkicker in the 1990s, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Nick Dunk, bassist Ben Dunk and drummer Doug Boudreau.^[1] The band's debut album Beach Music was released in 1996,^[2] and achieved two Canadian hits with the songs "Get Up" and "Neil Armstrong".

Beach Music was a top-30 Canadian campus radio chart hit in the late summer and fall of 1996.^[3]

The first single from the album, "Get Up", entered the RPM Rock/Alternative 30 charts at No. 30 on July 22, 1996, and stayed on the chart for 10 weeks, peaking at No. 10 the week of August 26.^[4] "Neil Armstrong" enjoyed even greater success, debuting on the RPM Top 100 singles chart on October 14, 1996 at No. 98.^[5] The song peaked at No. 26 in December of that year^[6] and stayed on the chart for 11 weeks.^[7]

The band garnered a Juno Award nomination for Best New Group at the Juno Awards of 1997.^[8]

Deciding that the name Starkicker didn't fit, in 1999 the band changed their name to Dunk,^[1] added guitarist Tawgs Salter to the lineup,^[1] and released the followup album Time to Fly under their new name.^[1] The album's first single "Crowdsurfing" was a hit in May 2000, debuting and peaking on the RPM Rock/Alternative chart at No. 18.^[9] It stayed on the chart for 9 weeks. No other singles from the album charted.

Post-breakup

As of 2006 Ben Dunk was the co-owner of Sound of Pop, a Toronto-based publishing, label and management firm.^[10]

References