Here at Dying Scene, we’ve been talking a lot behind the scenes about how to maximize our content—not only covering more, but covering better. We’ll be making some changes to our output in the coming months, and the end goal will be to provide our writers with more opportunities to write in-depth reviews, editorials, and interviews. Part of this is adapting our review format—there is simply too much out there to cover and full-length reviews just aren’t time effective. That doesn’t mean we’re getting rid of longform reviews (we’d rather die), only that when we do them, we’ll be investing more in them and treating them as we would a feature. For the rest, we want to cover the multitude of bands that are working hard out there but might get squashed under the great wheel of the album submissions game. Short-form reviews—as short and loud as punk itself—will be a way for us to cover more while still providing honest, dependable feedback. Let us know what you think of the new format, we plan to roll out capsule reviews as they accumulate from here on out.
Dollar Signs have been flying under the radar for a couple years now, poised for something bigger. This Will Haunt Me may very well be that something bigger. The Charlotte quintet pride themselves on their tongue-in-cheek sad sack anthems that straddle the lines of hardcore, pop punk, and folk punk. They drive forward with a garagey energy that brings to mind the likes of Jeff Rosenstock (who singer Erik Button is a vocal dead ringer for), while being self-deprecating, young, and painfully open. This Will Haunt Me continues the grand tradition of punk rock as talk therapy, and Dollar Signs work through their shit with talent to spare.
Check out: “Cryhard,” “Tears/ Beer/ Fears”