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Cats Not Dogs rock Corktown Tavern Madison, Wis., rock band Cats Not Dogs will perform at the Corktown Tavern tonight as part of their summer tour. The Midwest trio will be supported by Detroit rock bands Nico Blue and Hellen. Doors will open at 8 - Detroit News
Madison, WI, band that's shared stages with Metric, the Kills, the Paybacks, the Fever, the Reputation and Los Straitjackets. 11 pm. - Now Weekly, Toronto
"The force-forward design of Rouge, the new release from Madison indie love children, Cats Not Dogs, is a crashing, belligerent and overdriven statement of straight-up aggro-rock. The disc doesn't falter with failed attempts at moody sentimentality or overwrought lyricism but instead holds onto the obvious draw of tasty, distorted and simple riffs punctuated by frantic drums and vicious vocal simplicity. Rouge is right up front, racing through each track with determination, drive and straightforward, uncomplicated hooks" - by Tim Thompson - Rick's Cafe, Madison WI
"Standout cuts like the soft-then-loud Bleach-era Nirvana analog "Ask You Instead," the more desperate slop-rocker "Perfect Skin" and the clear-eyed critique of media-saturation, "Magazine" (the obvious radio cut in a better world), don't waste a note or a beat. Better still, this isn't simply Detroit-style garage rock. Cats Not Dogs write actual hooks, and singer-guitarist Jason Loeffler has both an appealing voice and a good ear" - by Tom Laskin - The Isthmus - Madison WI
"Surrounded by a culture of self-promotion through elaborate packaging and attention-grabbing gimicks, Cats Not Dogs members take a minimalist approach to appearance...the band (gasp) allows the music to take center stage. From the very first note of album opener "New Song ..1" there is an explosion of intensity demanding a listen. This and subsequent attacks are as precise in dispensing that intensity as they are luring." -by Christine Holm - The Badger Herald - Madison WI
"Cats Not Dogs appears to be the geniune article, a band whose often-times elliptical lyrics, laconic vocals and alternately head-bobbing and banging guitar riffs place them somewhere between convention and improvisation. Loeffler's disinterested, ironic drone stands in strict opposition to his forceful guitar playing and Sawyer's spirited drumming." -by Will Gartside - Core Weekly - Madison WI
"A three-piece outfit, Cats Not Dogs was immediately engaging. They possess that paradox of detached passion that elicits some timeless feeling you forgot you could have.... "Ask You Instead" and "Magazine" are particularly memorable and leave the listener restless and oddly moved. The irony in Loeffler's voice seems anything but contrived as he sings "I found my dream in a magazine"... Sawyer is a self-taught drummer, and must be a natural." -by Ann Sautter - Rick's Cafe
Discography
EP - All Hail - [2003]
EP - Swat the Flies, Save the Babies - [2003]
Compilation - WSUM, Loud and Local [2004]
LP - Rouge [2005]
EP - 20th Century Masters [2006]
Photos
Bio
Influences.
Bands: the Cummies, The Bamboo Kids, The Detroit Cobras, Cake Like, The Gun Club, The Paybacks.
Events: Greyhound Racing
Conditions: Heartburn and Urinary Tract Infections
Other pertinent influences:
A lot of sympathy for the record industry releases, some KRS, old UK punk, ect. If you want more well-known inlfuences: Verbena, Nirvana, Sleater-kinney, Babes In Toyland, The Clash, Sex Pistols, The Stooges, Johnny Thunders, ect. We've been a band for a few years. Wisconsin is boring and has a lot of bad music that isn't even remotely in the range of literacy or social relevance. We're one of the few bands in the state with lyrics that deal directly with gay issues and poverty, but we're not an agenda-driven band.
We read a lot, we like Emily Dickensen but not Plath, we like Blake but not TS Elliot (if that doesn't sound too pretentious to say) Is that pretentious? Probably. We like to travel and tour outside of this state whenever we can afford to.
We've toured the Midwest extensively, and the East Coast twice.
We plan on recording and releasing a whole slew of EPs to compliment our discography in the near future.
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