Media Resources

Dolly Varden bio
hi-res band photo1
hi-res band photo2

hi-res cover image "The Panic Bell"

tour dates
mp3 audio
lyrics + liner notes

Do you need something you can't find here?
please contact bob@undertowmusic.com

Reviews

BUY IT
DOWNLOADS
LYRICS
REVIEWS

The Panic Bell
(undertow)

February 2007

BUY IT
DOWNLOADS
LYRICS
REVIEWS

Demos for Dolly
(self-released)

"The 15 songs on 'Demos For Dolly' are fully formed and stand on their own merits.
Originally a shows-only release - this is undoubtedly aimed at fans - part of the fun is just how different some established Dolly Varden songs are when left to the tender mercies of their creator, "Forgiven Now" and "The Dumbest Magnets" take on a whole new perspective. Even the most 'Dolly Varden' of all songs, The Thing You Love Is Killing You is a new song. Wonderfully sparse and bare, the meaning of the song is clear. What i'd always thoughtof as a woman's song will never be quite the same again. What helps immeasurably are the comprehensive sleeve notes, each track has a potted history, charting it's birth and development. Dawson shows a vulnerability and depth of feeling which isn't always apparent when he's with the band. Here he's not the rock on which all else is built, he's on his own emotionally as well as literally.

There is a real suprise in store for those familiar with Dolly Varden with the hitherto unreleased "No Money, No Level Ground". Dawson will never be a mean rock 'n' roller but this is a song with dirt under its fingernails and a burning passion in its heart. It also shows another level of Dawson the songwriter, we know he can write a love song now he's revealed a social awareness.

Alongside those 'better known' numbers, sit some 'unknowns' (that's what you call them when they are this good). plus a couple of songs that were originally played by Dawson's previous band Stump The Host. All in all it's a comprehensive examination of Dawson's talent. The only flaw on 'Demos for Dolly' is the title, these aren't recordings that point the way to better things, they are the portfolio of a great writer." - NetRhythms

BUY IT
DOWNLOADS
LYRICS
REVIEWS

Dawson & Christiansen - Duets
(undertow)

“I wouldn't have thought it possible for Stephen Dawson and Diane Christiansen - in essence Dolly Varden - to strip their songs back any further and yet still extract more. On Duets they have acheived the musical equivalent of a capitalist's dream, more from less. As a band, Dolly Varden is hardly in the Meatloaf league of theatrics, everything they do, either live or on CD has a purpose. However Duets comes across as one of those treasured demos that should never ever be tampered with. It is a much bleaker album than expected, 'Doghouse Window' is positively dark and brooding. But it establishes this as a Dawson/Christiansen project in more than just name. A fact cemented by 'The Second Round' and 'One Thousand Brilliant Prizes', the intimate performances go beyond the professional. They are shared moments between husband and wife, mere singing partners ain't that close.The best example of a track given a new identity is 'The Thing You Love Is Killing You', neither particularly worse or better than when it appears on Dumbest Magnets. Slower and isolated it moves from a country love song to a desperate, desolate cry between two people.The simplicity of the album will probably appeal to those who already know the pair's work. But if you prefer no frills, plenty of feelings, then Duets is as good an introduction to Stephen Dawson/ Diane Christiansen and Dolly Varden as you are going to get.” - Netrhythms (UK)

"What more can be said about Steve Dawson’s voice, capable of stopping speeding trucks with raw power one moment and delicate and sensitive as gossamer the next. Diane Christiansen is the perfect foil, blessed with a great voice of her own and latent rawk tendencies which occasionally surface when she switches to electric guitar. Their music has a grace and beauty that nobody else can match, let alone surpass. The set draws mainly on their “Duets” album, with a decent handful of favourites leavening the mix. “Apple Doll” is gorgeous, “Disappear” divine and “The thing you love is killing you” peerless. Clearly enjoying themselves, their gorgeous erudite alt.pop is over all too soon, and once again the audience roar their approval at the end." - Americana UK

BUY IT
DOWNLOADS
LYRICS
REVIEWS

Forgiven Now
(undertow)

"(Diverse Vinyl's) third LP comes from none other than Dolly Varden, the massively underrated Chicago five-piece featured in these very pages and whose discs have been enthusiastically reviewed by yours truly, most recently in Issue 19. On that occasion I rated Forgiven Now as a nine for recording quality and a solid ten for the inspired (and inspiring) musical content. John Richards admits to have been torn between Forgiven Now and its predecessor, Dumbest Magnets, and I can understand his hesitation. Both are fabulous examples of that rarest of things, intelligent, adult and genuinely popular music. Wrapped in the fabulous harmonies of husband and wife Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen, the hooks and melodies of Forgiven Now are the perfect foil for the wry, sardonic insight of the lyrics. Its good on the CD, but the Ray Staff cut 180g LP is clearly superior, with a warmer, more dimensional presentation and far more fluid and expressive rhythm. It makes the most of those wonderful harmonies and communicates much more directly, so I guess that makes it a ten. Buy this disc and enjoy the fruits of your faith." Roy Gregory / HI FI +

Chicago's Dolly Varden has released another masterpiece of gloriously hooky pop flavored with a generous dash of country. Forgiven Now is a high-water mark for this band and its leaders, Steve Dawson and Diane Christensen. Their thoughtful lyrics, gorgeous melodies, excellent musicianship and wonderful singing add up to just the kind of music the major labels believe consumers aren't interested in. This is one of the best albums you're likely to hear this year. - Eric Fidler / ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chicago’s own Dolly Varden just keeps getting better and better. The group’s latest release is a stunning jewel that aligns hooky pop tunes alongside others peppered with a charming country-flavor. Dawson, a precise and intelligent songwriter, continues as the main scribe. But with several of her own songs debuting on Forgiven Now, Christiansen proves she is a writer to be reckoned with. Add in sold musicianship, exquisite melodies and lovely harmonies, and you have one of the best albums of the year. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Forgiven Now finds Dolly Varden more accomplished and confident than ever. The band’s songwriting skills have ripened, along with its tight musicianship. The CD is the rarest of things: an eclectic success. Rootsy pop, twanging country, and crunchy rock are all served up in a cohesive whole. It all makes for what could well be one of the year’s finest releases. LAUNCH

A seamless, breathtaking collection of rock and pop songs that embrace country music's gloriously complex heart without calling into play any of its cultural cliches. Forgiven Now will be the album others point to when talking about Dolly Varden’s contribution to contemporary popular culture. Here is passion and pain, the agony of lust and love, death, determination, and renunciation, all of it on a record, all of it presented with grace, elegance, and verve. ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Like fellow iconoclasts Richard Buckner and Varnaline, Dolly Varden work the fringes of genre, creating their own rules and following their own muse. Forgiven Now is the group’s strikingly strong fourth album. There’s a forthrightness to Dolly Varden’s songs that quietly demands your attention, like snatches of conversation in another room. And just as you relax your vigilance, a thorny little phrase pulls you back in. It helps that the music is equally as alluring, swinging from glib, country-tinged rock to dreamy, atmospheric pop. This is a well-written and well-performed effort from top to bottom. METROLAND NEWSPAPERS (NEW YORK)

This Chicago-based rock/country quintet manage to swim the waters charted by the likes of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris with gold medal results...a melodic adult sound with rich harmonies and lush instrumentation. ‘Forgiven Now’ is a true band effort and a real catch.” VILLAGE VOICE

Dolly Varden's new Forgiven Now is at times hard-bitten and gritty and at others shimmery and ethereal...and when Dawson sings about 'moments of overwhelming grace' he doesn't just describe them, he creates them. CHICAGO READER

Dolly Varden is a gem of a band. On Forgiven Now, their fourth record, the Chicago quintet continues to refine their appealing blend of pop and country. Husband and wife Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen exude warmth and good taste.

It doesn't hurt that Dawson and Christiansen's voices sound great together. But What works best about the band is the songwriting. Most songs are penned by Dawson, who shares Joe Henry and Freedy Johnston's gift to tell a great story in part by leaving a bit unsaid between the lines.

At his best, as on "Overwhelming", Dawson reels you right in with carefully selected, perfectly delivered words: "so jesus came without warning / right over your bed and hovered like a flower/In the coldest hour of the morning/wiping your lips clean, dusting off your good dreams". On many of Dawson's songs, the nuances are right (including the greasy slide guitar from Mark Balletto on "Overwhelming"), and the truths run deep.

Christiansen's songwriting is more prominent and accomplished here than on prior releases - and that means more of her winning voice, which sounds like 1 a.m. and a bottle of high-end cognac. Her songs ("Wish I Were Here" and "Time For Me To Leave" the standouts here) have an immediate quality that complements Dawson's more studious style. Christiansen and Dawson seem to especially enjoy themselves when they perform a true duet, as on "There's a magic here" (inspired by classic George Jones / Tammy Wynette hits).

Producer, Brad Jones, has again captured the gorgeous textures of Dolly Varden. Much like Lucinda Williams' Essence, this record rewards any extra effort the listener puts in to explore its intelligence and beauty. - Jim Desmond / NO DEPRESSION

BUY IT
DOWNLOADS
LYRICS
REVIEWS

The Dumbest Magnets
(evil teen records)

ROLLING STONE
Electric-country majesty... a series of lover's questions posed with a kick and sheen that evoke both the dB's and Gram Parson's Fallen Angels. And when Dawson and Christiansen fly in close harmony, you get a good idea of how Marshall Crenshaw and Lucinda Williams might sound in duet.

PULSE!
A wondrous triumph. Performed with an unerring sense of space and resonance, the album is a melancholy gem that falls somewhere between the lovely, lonesome twang of Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris and the divine ennui of Yo La Tengo.

VILLAGE VOICE
Dolly Varden's gorgeous albums showcase the band's exquisite boy-girl duets and haunting guitar sound. Their sneakily affecting roots-pop radiates with the easy intimacy of a couple who've raptly contemplated each other's emotional blueprints. Their songs are smart, small wonders: poetic, enigmatic and above all, warm.

BOSTON PHOENIX
A sense of spacious, self-assured ease graces these top-shelf country-rock tunes. Dawson's nimble, pliant voice cannily combines the breezy ardor of Freedy Johnston with the devotional blue-eyed soul of Tupelo Honey-era Van Morrison; meanwhile the dusk-colored hues of Christiansen's voice flow like a dark, sure stream. In the end, though, it's the way these two craft songs to suit their voices that makes Dolly Varden so appealing and exceptional

"The Dumbest Magnets" makes many "Best of 2000" lists...

Greg Kot / Chicago Tribune (#7)
With Diane Christiansen's dusky alto folding into Stephen Dawson's county-soul pleas, Dolly Varden achieves a rare, aching beauty founded on intimacy and understated urgency. "The Dumbest Magnets" is an album in the truest sense of the word, a complete work that traces the contours of a relationship with Leonard Cohen's eye for the telling detail, and The Band's unspoken sense of fellowship.

Mark Guarino / Chicago Daily Herald (#6)
This Chicago-based band sticks to melodies and scores beautifully.

The Oregonian / Portland, OR (#6)
The husband-wife team of Diane Christiansen and Stephen Dawson spins gorgeous architectures of wistful longing, chiming guitars and twining harmonies. The band easily ranges from boisterous power pop ("I Come to You") to plaintive songs such as "The Thing You Love is Killing You," and "Along For the Ride." The title comes from the great line "the dumbest magnets hold together..."

Raleigh News and Observer (#2)
Speaking of perfect pacing, this oddly named Chicago ensemble uncorked an unfortunately named record that just happens to be a masterpiece. Moody, tuneful, emotionally thorny and uncommonly thoughtful guitars/bass/drums pop music - just the sort of record you thought they didn't make anymore. But they do.

Amy Haugsag / Miles of Music (#2)
The most purely beautiful record released this year. The husband-wife team of Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen write imaginative, beautifully crafted songs and sing gorgeous harmonies together, and Mark Balletto's excellent guitar work and Brad Jones's dead-on production contribute to making this record completely irresistible. But what I love most about Dolly Varden's sound is the barely contained joy that can be heard in even the darkest of their songs, just on the verge of breaking out of the confines of the songs entirely and overtaking the listener.

Roy Kasten / Riverfront Times (#2)
Chicago's Dolly Varden steps off the precipice of rootsy indie rock--and soars. They can still rock madly, but now handle emotional enigmas more delicately. An absolutely glowing album.

Richard Milne / WXRT-FM -- (Top 5 albums of 2000)

WNUR-FM -- top indie albums of 2000

No Depression
"The Dumbest Magnets' is one of the most beautiful albums of the year ... a dark horse of love-at-first-listen melodies, sublime husband-and-wife harmonies and a sensual, smart pop coherence"

Associated Press
"The Dumbest Magnets blurs the lines between alt-country and pop the way the Jayhawks do on Smile, only Dolly Varden does it better. Thoughtful lyrics, soaring melodies and killer hooks make Magnets giddily addictive, and as good as any album heard this year"

Chicago Tribune
Dolly Varden has been one of Chicago's most talented and instantly likable bands...true to form, (their) new LP 'The Dumbest Magnets' is another gloriously hook-y masterpiece of smart country-pop songcraft"

LA Weekly
"The Dumbest Magnets is a delicately produced gem ... a first-rate disc that skillfully avoids the usual "alt-country" pitfalls by having substantial songs and people to sing them ... special kudos to Mark Balletto for stellar and inventive guitar playing throughout."

Chicago Daily Herald
"Dolly Varden's third album is an understated American beauty ..'The Dumbest Magnets' shimmers with supple, sophisticated soul"

Miles of Music MoMzine
"Husband-and-wife team Steve Dawson and Diane Christiansen blend their voices to make some heartbreakingly beautiful music. The understated crisp production of Brad Jones as well as the thoughtful lyrics keep you coming back for more.  Track 7 (Balcony) is breathtaking.

CMJ
"well-crafted, rootsy songs (and) artful, unpretentious arrangements add tremendous quality to 'The Dumbest Magnets'

E! Online
"The Dumbest Magnets' offers a peaceful and sublime take on great country-folk duets...and with simple arrangements supporting them (check out the lovely guitar riff on 'Apple Doll' and the orchestral strings on the title track), you can almost hear the crickets chirping as these bruised sweethearts sing of affairs gone wrong and the willingness to try again"

BUY IT
DOWNLOADS
LYRICS
REVIEWS

The Thrill of Gravity
(evil teen records)

]Austin Chronicle
"One of the smartest midwest American pop albums ever put to tape"

No Depression
"on the thrill of gravity, their standout 2nd album, dolly varden can roots-rock with the best of them, while reflecting the smartest sense of pop craft...fired and quieted by complex emotion, not to mention animated guitars-acoustic, electric, lap steel, psychedelic-the songs never settle into easy solutions"

Memphis Flyer
"the perfect late-night summer soundtrack... something like the Velvet Underground meets the Flying Burrito Brothers"

Pulse of the Twin Cities
"the sounds they can wring from heartache and desolation are enough to cause fainting spells..Dawson and Christiansen harmonize like lovers holding hands in the glow of a harvest moon"

WXRT-FM, Chicago
"a completely original mix of pop, folk, country, R&B, you name it...truly timeless"

-Illinois Entertainer
"a batch of intensely personal songs investigating commitment, worth and durability all with unflinching honesty and emotion. The thrill of gravity's strength is in the self-contained purpose and power of each song"

River Cities Reader
"with their new album, the thrill of gravity, Chicago-based dolly varden have dispelled any concerns about a sophomore slump in a big way. Dawson and Christiansen are two parts of the same voice, and when the subtle harmonies register, it's tough to tell where one ends and the other begins"

Chicago Reader
"dolly varden's the thrill of gravity is the best work they've done, gently expanding the roots rock of their debut with edgy pop like 'sunflower drag' and piano work by Gastr del Sol's David Grubbs"

Iowa City ICON
"impeccable melodies, interesting and intelligent lyrics, rich harmonies and poignant tales of emotional adventure...the thrill of gravity is enchanting"

Chicago Tribune
"the thrill of gravity is a reminder and an affirmation that dolly varden has quietly become one of Chicago's most treasured bands"

Chicago Daily-Herald
"a collection of 10 songs that opens up gradually, revealing colors, evoking moods and becoming so deeply felt over time it's chilling. Inside each catchy rocker or bare slice of melancholia is a restless drama that pulls and tugs from start to finish."

CMJ
"...a soulful and talented alterna-country quintet, dolly varden has now been on the circuit for 4 years, and the thrill of gravity makes me hope they'll be around for many more"

BUY IT
DOWNLOADS
LYRICS
REVIEWS

Mouthful of Lies
(mid-fi records)

it's really good... trust us.