Double Dagger was a post-punk trio from Baltimore, Maryland composed of only drums, vocals, and a very loud bass guitar which fills the space a guitar would normally take. Vocalist Nolen Strals and bassist Bruce Willen also comprise the graphic design team Post Typography, which has done work for some very high profile clients, including the New York Times. Hence, Double Dagger made a habit of referring to their style of post-hardcore as “graphicdesigncore” early in their career. After finishing their October 2011 tour, the band broke up.
History
The band has been active since late 2002, and have toured around the United States, garnering a large following in the years since forming. Nolen Strals and Bruce Willen had previously been in a group called League of Death, which was initially conceived as a heavy metal outfit, but later became a hardcore band. League of Death broke up in 2002 after a final show with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, giving rise to Double Dagger. Brian Dubin joined the new band as a drummer, and played on the bands’ first few recordings, including their self-titled debut album. He left in 2005 and was replaced by Denny Bowen, then of Yukon, formerly of the band Economist, with whom Double Dagger had released a split single in 2003.
Double Dagger have played with a number of high profile acts, including Pere Ubu, Lightning Bolt, The Ex, Buzzcocks, and Matt & Kim. They have released several EPs, 7” singles, and two full length albums. The band has earned considerable critical praise as well, as evinced by positive reviews in publications such as The Washington Post, Punk Planet, Baltimore City Paper and Rolling Stone. |
