Community Currency is a 5 piece band from Bloomington Indiana. They are a folk project with tag team vocals and a sometimes aggressive streak in their compositions. They have previously released a 13 track album entitled Labor of Love in 2011 from TWD favorite Reel Recording. Most recently, their new EP Persevere came out April 5th and is a five track release with four originals and one lovely cover of  Willie Nelson's classic Crazy.

When Will I Know from the Community Currency is a country waltz and ballad that deals nostalgia and emotional uncertainty through harmony and melody as only seasoned veterans can. 

The Bad Plus released this gem of a concert Monday of this week. It features nine tracks performed live in 2004 at the Village Vanguard. The Bad Plus has long been a favorite of TWD and a near infallible artist according to me. I have enjoyed their entire oeuvre and find myself enthralled by their continuing work. Read back to our previous articles here and then check out the band via itunes and facebook during the video. The set list is:

The Bad Plus released this gem of a concert Monday of this week. It features nine tracks performed live in 2004 at the Village Vanguard. The Bad Plus has long been a favorite of TWD and a near infallible artist according to me. I have enjoyed their entire oeuvre and find myself enthralled by their continuing work. Read back to our previous articles here and then check out the band via itunes and facebook during the video. The set list is:

Community Currency is a 5 piece band from Bloomington Indiana. They are a folk project with tag team vocals and a sometimes aggressive streak in their compositions. They have previously released a 13 track album entitled Labor of Love in 2011 from TWD favorite Reel Recording. Most recently, their new EP Persevere came out April 5th and is a five track release with four originals and one lovely cover of  Willie Nelson's classic Crazy.

When Will I Know from the Community Currency is a country waltz and ballad that deals nostalgia and emotional uncertainty through harmony and melody as only seasoned veterans can. 

The EP is available via bandcamp at the suggested donation price of only five dollars. Read on for an additional track from Community Currency.

The Texas Guitar Quartet has released their long awaited debut recording today. It is entitled Red after a three movement work of the same name from TxGQ member/composer Joe Williams. The album features music from J.S. Bach, Antoine de Lhoyer, L.V. Beethoven,  Issac Albeniz, and Joe Williams. Red is a remarkable new achievement in the world of classical guitar. The musicality is refined, their tone is rich, full, and pliable to their desires, and the repertoire is multi-faceted and unique unto the quartet.

I am pleased to present this album today not only because of how highly I regard this music and these musicians, but also because we helped Kickstart this album and the Dig Nation is nothing if not generous and gracious.

Read on for the full review TxGQ's new album Red. You dig?

Professor Penguin is a walloping nine piece band based out of London. They are gearing up to release their debut album Planes on April 9th of this year. The first single, Pilot, has already been released to great success and even got Brian Eno to gush that it was, "…such a beautiful piece." Eno may not have needed too many words to express his adoration for this project and neither do I. Professor Penguin is a promising project evocative of Andrew Bird with slick vocals, layered harmony, subtle and probably under appreciated rhythmic construction, and a relaxed groove. 

Their new single Pirate is a wonderful follow up to this composition and draws out all the strengths of the band. It's no secret that the cream always rises to the top and I expect that the early success already experienced by Professor Penguin will continue as they inch towards their album release date. Enjoy the tunes and then go reach out to the guys via their Twitter, Soundcloud, Official Webpage, and Facebook accounts.

It is no secret that we at the Dig love us some Punch Brothers. Point in fact, I've devoted more than a few articles to Chris Thile and the Punch Brothers. Their last album Antifogmatic was a near perfect pop album which blended virtuosity, song craftsmanship, and actual dynamic shaping to create something truly special. There third album, Who's Feeling Young Now? is being released tomorrow and I for one and can't hardly wait. Their label Nonesuch Records released a teaser in promotion of this project with a video clip from their song New York City. If the itunes store had a line, I'd be in it first thing tomorrow morning. You dig?

Cursive will release their seventh album I Am Gemini on February 21st on longtime label Saddle Creek Records. The first single "The Sun and Moon"  is available for download. Since the album's subject is the story of a set of twins, I thought it would be fun to talk about both this new song and an older one.

Eric & Magill – Fields

Our pals Eric & Magill have magically released a new album despite being continents apart. Kick The Covers Vol.1 is the first in a series of cover albums they're completing of songs originally written by collaborators and friends like The Snake The Cross The Crown and Shearwater. It's a perfect thank you gift and hearing the Eric & Magill spacey, heartfelt spin on each song is awesome. Head over to their Bandcamp page to download the EP for free!

The lads also just released a great video for the song "You Make It So Good" from their lovely first album, All Those I Know.

John Statz – Distance

Some more beautiful, down-tempo midwestern folk coming at you. John Statz is a songwriter who has traveled all over the world to write, record, and perform and lucky for us he returned home to cut Old Fashioned which is due out January 24.

It's hard to be wholly unique when working in such a time-worn genre as folk but the best new folk artists have learned that creating a singular sound is about subtlety and precision songwriting, not experimentation. You can hear from Old Fashioned's first single "Distance" that Statz knows what he's doing. The lovely harmonics and layered guitar work create a glass case of emotion that complement Statz's unhurried vocals.