Live Review: Deanna Danger on our set at The Silver Dollar

Dog Is Blue Live at The Silver Dollar in Toronto on July 21, 2012, photo by Kara DennyWe’ve both been pretty busy with artistic endeavors of the 2-D kind lately, but it’s always a shot in the arm to hear that people liked our last show! In this case, Deanna Danger wrote a very flattering review of our set at The Silver Dollar on July 21 as part of the Music Maul CD release party (with The Leonids, who were fantastic).

Check out Deanna’s review here, suffice to say that bits like this made us all gooey inside:

“The evening began with a soft introduction that swiftly changed, making me realize how pleasantly loud a two piece can be. The evening was hilarious and sweet all at once, with beautiful music that reminded me of the Civil Wars and Blue Rodeo; a perfect combination of Canadian tales and sweet harmonies.”

Not to mention her enjoyment of our cover of Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” a song we tried for the first time that night when I called an audible in the middle of the set, much to Laura’s dismay.

We’re hoping to set up a few more shows in the coming months so stay tuned for lots of updates.

Press: Popmatters Review of Tortoise

Dog Is Blue - Tortoise Album CoverThe good folks at Popmatters posted a very flattering review of Tortoise this week. Amongst the praise was this humbling quote for the books:

It’s refreshing to hear a record almost entirely free of irony and informed by a childlike curiosity that reminds us how pleasant and important the human imagination can be. Sit back, enjoy, and smile all the day long, for Dog Is Blue is as unpretentious as they come.

Read the entire review here. Suffice to say that we’d never heard of Greg Brown before, but are very happy with the comparison…

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More Press: Chart Review of Tortoise

Dog Is Blue - TortoiseI can’t stress enough just how proud we are of Tortoise. Thankfully, with good press still coming in, we don’t have to shill too much.

Case in point, Chart Magazine* just posted a positive, informative and constructive (all great “-ives,” in my book) review that digs deep to give a quick glimpse at our humble beginnings, a comparison to our debut album, as well as some points that make Tortoise what they call:

…a fun, rockin’, tuneful album from a band just finding their groove.

Check out the full review here and get ready for more news, as we’ve got remixes and music videos on the way as well as some more homemade pedals.

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*Chart actually gave us our first piece of press. Back in 2009 they briefly reviewed …Makes Ghost Noises, giving us one of our favourite quotes: “Don’t let the cover fool you into thinking it’s louder than it is.”

More Press: The Love for Tortoise Keeps Pouring In

Dog Is Blue By Karol OzechoswkiWe’re not shy about being damn proud of Tortoise. That bravado has been given a shot in the arm lately too, as we’ve been flattered by some resoundingly great press. Here are the most recent quotes:

“This Toronto, ON duo deem their sound “garage folk.” Judging by this charming second album, that’s pretty accurate. Their sparse, folk-based material is shot through with enough rock’n’roll energy to keep things from ever getting twee.”Exclaim!

“…the Toronto duo’s strength lies in taking the musical and vocal stylings of folk and stripping them of their earnestness, replacing it with garage rock’s breezy slackerdom and a well-honed sense of fun.”Sound On The Sound (Seattle)

“With this record, the two of them have succeeded in creating folk music that stands out in the crowd, which is pretty tough to do. Off hand, I can’t really think of anyone who’s got a similar sound to them, which is really a great thing. The ten songs on Tortoise vary slightly in their style and in the textures utilized, from soft beauties like Laura’s Song, to more rollicking tunes like the title track. As a whole though, the record is one big package of charming music that you’re sure to enjoy.”Sound Vat

“All in all this album is a fantastic piece of work from start to finish.”Grayowl Point

Thanks for the support everyone!

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New Video and Download: Southern Ontario

Remember a few weeks back when we went to Joey Bruni‘s farm to shoot performance videos for Tortoise? Well, here we are with Anna Atkinson playing “Southern Ontario” live on an old tractor!

Speaking of which, press for Tortoise is starting to roll in and They Wounded Jukebox had some very flattering things to say about “Southern Ontario” (and us in general). They also posted the track for download on Soundcloud, which you can listen to below or click the arrow on the right side to grab it for later.

We also added both it and “Tortoise” to our CBC Radio 3 page, so head over there to become a fan and take a listen!

Southern Ontariofrom Tortoise

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