Dagger #39 / $2|$3.50PPD / 1:15 / http://www.indiepages.com/dagger /Â
Dagger is one of those zines that I am not sure if I am comfortable reading. There are so many acts that I’ve never even gotten close to hearing (this issue features The Cat’s Miaow, Slovenly, Colin Clary, and Surefire Broadcast), and those acts that are more established are very few (Mission of Burma and The Decemberists this issue). Furthermore, I think I’m uncomfortable with how the editors of Dagger believe individuals are familiar with all of the acts that are covered. If there was more of the way of an introduction to some of these acts, I think individuals that might not have had a good introduction to the act in he past could gain an appreciation for the acts covered. I believe The Big Takeover does this well with the acts covered, and that Dagger could stand to benefit from predicating more of these pieces with reasons why individuals should focus on the acts in the magazine. The amount of advertisements in this magazine is par for the course with the large print-run magazines, and are really well suited to the coverage that Dagger gives. The price really cannot be beat, and for individuals that wish to find acts on the periphery of popularity, Dagger may just be the magazine that they first pick up in the morning. It may take a trip to the band’s Myspace or Wikipedia to find out why exactly they should listen to the act, but Dagger seems to have good decisions each issue for the fan of more indie types of music.
Rating: 5.8/10
John Sargeant, writing on NeuFutur as Sargeant, is the founder and editor-in-chief of NeuFutur Magazine, where he has covered independent music, PC hardware, consumer tech, and gaming culture since 1998. With over 25 years of continuous digital publishing experience, he has written thousands of hands-on game and record reviews, conducted in-depth hardware field testing, and analyzed digital media monetization trends. His work prioritizes first-hand evaluation and long-term product testing.
Beats: Independent Music, PC Gaming & Peripherals, Consumer Tech, Webmaster Tools
Testing & Ethics: All hardware, software, and media reviews are conducted through hands-on evaluation in accordance with NeuFutur’s editorial independence standards; sponsored consideration is strictly excluded from editorial ratings.
Contact: editor@neufutur.com