Media ResourcesDolly Varden bio tour dates Do you need something you can't find here? |
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Reviews |
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The Panic Bell February 2007 |
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Demos for Dolly "The 15 songs on 'Demos For Dolly' are fully formed and stand on their own merits. 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 |
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Dawson & Christiansen - Duets “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 |
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Forgiven Now "(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 |
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The Dumbest Magnets ROLLING STONE PULSE! VILLAGE VOICE BOSTON PHOENIX "The Dumbest Magnets" makes many "Best of 2000" lists... Greg Kot / Chicago Tribune (#7) Mark Guarino / Chicago Daily Herald (#6) The Oregonian / Portland, OR (#6) Raleigh News and Observer (#2) Amy Haugsag / Miles of Music (#2) Roy Kasten / Riverfront Times (#2) Richard Milne / WXRT-FM -- (Top 5 albums of 2000) WNUR-FM -- top indie albums of 2000 No Depression Associated Press Chicago Tribune LA Weekly Chicago Daily Herald Miles of Music MoMzine CMJ E! Online |
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The Thrill of Gravity ]Austin Chronicle No Depression Memphis Flyer Pulse of the Twin Cities WXRT-FM, Chicago -Illinois Entertainer River Cities Reader Chicago Reader Iowa City ICON Chicago Tribune Chicago Daily-Herald CMJ |
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Mouthful of Lies it's really good... trust us. |
