ALBUM: Double Dagger - More

At first listen, Double Dagger's music is easy to place: Washington DC, 1992. But there is a depth to this garagey post-hardcore that goes beyond the first listen and the easy comparison to Fugazi. There's also a bit of Q and Not U in there, albeit with a bit more bass.

In fact, its all bass, but pleasingly the sound is ultimately filled by the distorted bassline or the contorted chanted vocals, coupled with the frantic drumming of a man possessed. They have more than a passing resemblance, probably through common influences, with our very own Dananananaykroyd.

Those common influences, apparently, besides The Dismemberment Plan, are clearly the discography of the world (in)famous Dischord Records, invoking the attitude of Fugazi beside the rhythm of Q and Not U.

While this album is not perfect, and other preferred bass/drum/vocal combinations are out there (See: Death From Above 1979), it is certainly somewhat of a hidden gem that fans of noise and American Indie in general should check out.

My personal favourite tracks are opener "No Allies" and the first track that I listened to "The Lies/The Truth".

7.5/10

More is out now on Thrill Jockey Records.

Double Dagger

So a for the last few months, up until a couple of weeks ago at least, I was totally in love with the American Underground music scene from the 80s, after a friend gave me the awesome book "Our Band Could Be Your Life" chronicling the scene(s) from the Hardcore punk of Minor Threat and Black Flag through to Grunge and the beginnings of "Indie" becoming mainstream. It helped me listen to a lot of bands I may never have listened to, including Butthole Surfers, The Minutemen and The Replacements. All brilliant bands I would heartily recommend.

So when I heard Double Dagger, I immediately assumed that they were just another of the hundreds of bands from this time, long split up after playing to a crowds of dozens and self-financing vinyl EPs with hand-drawn covers. So when I realised that they are a band of the here and now, with a slightly new twist on the sound I currently love, I thought that I should share it here.

Sounding like the Dismemberment Plan if they had signed to Dischord instead of Interscope (i.e. better), this Baltimore, MD outfit have been plodding along for a fair few years now and have a couple of albums already released on indie labels in the US.

Their most recent album More contains my favourite track "The Lie/The Truth", which touches on just about every American Indie band ever yet somehow still finding its own voice.

Check them out here.

More is out now on Thrill Jockey.