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PRESS >>DOUBLE DAGGER "PRESS KIT + BIO">> >>PROMO PHOTOS>> The Washington Post Ragged Rubble review "One of the toughest things about being an amazing live band is transferring the in-person experience to CD. And there aren't many better live bands than Baltimore trio Double Dagger... There's simply no way to recreate that infectious live energy, but the aptly-titled Ragged Rubble comes pretty close... This is the kind of record that probably won't make it onto the radar of too many people, but will leave a lasting impression on those who take the time to listen." The Mobtown Shank Ragged Rubble #6 Top Album of 2007 "Once upon a time, after I'd get 2 or 3 drinks in me, all you'd have to do is mention Double Dagger and I'd go off on a rant of about just how important, relevant and incredible this band is. My opinion has only greatly increased with the release of Ragged Rubble - where now I don't need any drinks to go off and one need not even mention the band as a catalyst. Oh, and anyone writing an article about "The Baltimore Scene" who doesn't mention Double Dagger needs to get their head out of their ass. DD, for the unfamiliar, play minimal punk (they make an impressive amount of noise for only having a bass, drums and vocals) that has a clear perspective - whether it was their prophetic take on the overdevelopment of the city, or design theory that transcends design and can function as a operating philosophy for daily living." RollingStone.com "Skull-fuckingly loud." Baltimore City Paper Best of Baltimore 2007 : Best Song "Postpunk trio Double Dagger's mordant lament for the health of Baltimore's landscape, "Luxury Condos for the Poor," howls with the feedback-drenched ennui of classic Unwound as singer Nolen Strals fingers these high-priced blights that seem to mock the city's institutional poverty as another sign that "if you've lived here your whole life, it's time to get out." But it's simplistic to think you could move anywhere on the East Coast now and not run into these ugly tombs of drywall and hardwood. "Urban renewal": It's a motherfucker." -Jess Harvell Pitchfork 7.3 - Ragged Rubble "Give Double Dagger credit for doing it the hard way-- when you're a two-piece band and your third man is a vocalist, there's not much margin for error. So their sparse take on punk rock is either minimal by design or necessity, and, given their background as graphic designers and their thoughtful lyrics, it's probably the former." The Washington Post Ragged Rubble top albums of 2007 "2007 album that made me feel most alive, this is stripped-down but plenty-loud post-punk with a message, not too far off from Fugazi. (Ian MacKaye watched approvingly at their August D.C. show.) The band achieves a unique sonic assault by forsaking guitar in favor of just drums and heavy, overdriven bass, so you feel it in your gut every song." Dan Deacon on Pitchfork: Ragged Rubble top albums of 2007 "This is another CD that was played at least once a day this summer. Bruce's bass playing is outstanding on this record. The way he makes one bass make that range of tones and textures is bonkers to me. Set to solid fucking drums and intense lyrics about graphic design and urban planning: What else to you need in a rock'n'roll album?" Rolling Stone Best of Rock 2008, BEST SCENE: Baltimore ">> Double Dagger, one of many edgy acts hatched at the Maryland Institute College of Art." Catholic University Rag Interview "Double Dagger is one of the most forward-thinking punk bands in the country, and one of the American independent scenešs best kept secrets." San Francisco Bay Guardian CMJ show review "These guys channel the nerdy anger of Shellac and the slanted guitar riffs of Swell Maps in a convincing way, and form yet another piece of evidence that the Baltimore music scene is blooming." Baltimore City Paper Ragged Rubble review "Double Dagger has always provided dark, frenetic, politically charged punk rock for people who enjoy using their brains." Paper Thin Walls Review "Luxury Condos For The Poor" "Baltimore's most important band." -The Mobtown Shank The Washington Post Whartscape show review "[M]any stars of the city's vibrant underground rock scene played five-plus hours of consistently fun, riveting and out-there music at the second annual Whartscape gathering. It was sweaty, it was loud, it was a bit too crowded -- and it was definitely the best party of the summer... The best performance of the night came from post-hardcore trio Double Dagger, which played on a makeshift side stage and worked the crowd into a moshing frenzy with its invigorating bass drums and screaming assault." The Village Voice doesn't get it "I'm not sure I know what the point is, and I don't care. That shit gets on my nerves." Beatbots Review Luxury CDR-EP Sold by Volume Show Review "The effect [singer Nolen Strals] creates is like one of the more manageable forms of autism..." PUNK PLANET Review Double Dagger "Po-mo as a motherfucker. At what point does hyper self-consciousness and self-awarness become severe enough to cause the universe to fold in on itself? Hipsterism, internet message boards and design (even their name is a typographic reference) are just some of the subjects tackled by this deconstructed rock combo in an aware of self and audience and place of self within audience (am i over doing it enough yet?) fashion. Songs with titles like "My Dad Has a Theory That The Internet Is The Roman Coliseum Of Our Times" or "Punk Rock vs. Swiss Modernism" probably wouldn't work as well without the minimalist artcore approach Double Dagger employs. So perhaps it is you who writes reviews, yes?" Metropolis Magazine Interview & Feature "The unholy union of hard-core punk and graphic design may have been inevitable." Baltimore City Paper Critics Pick Ragged Rubble Release Show "DD is the only band in town that can make just bass, drums, and a dude shrieking about Helvetica and Times New Roman sound like the rapture is upon us--and make you want to sing along, to boot." Splendid Magazine Review Double Dagger "Double Dagger offer a unique thrill ride best described as Graphic Design Rock... Their sound combines the artsiness of no-wave, the raw emotion of hardcore and the smugness of punk rock. You can pick out reference points throughout the disc..., but Double Dagger have built upon the foundations their idols laid, forging a uniquely belligerent sound. It stands firmly in the present, but will please a lot of old-school devotees. You don't have to be a graphic designer to enjoy it, but it definitely helps." Baltimore City Paper Top 10 In Local Music Baltimore City Paper Best of Baltimore 2003 "Best New Core" (see also Best Record Label) Baltimore City Paper interview/article JHU Newsletter Best of Baltimore 2005 "Best Band in Baltimore" |