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Press – Blogs – Buzz
* “Careen” By The Diggs
“I was stoked to see
a new track by The Diggs pop up in my inbox last night, and that was before I
even took a listen. Their 2005 album, Commute, was an invigorating collection
of space rock, shoegaze, and 90's alt rock with big, buzzing guitars and a
sound larger than one would expect from a guitar, bass, and drums trio. I
distinctly remember a live performance of theirs on KEXP where you'd swear they
had an extra guitarist or two hiding in the rear of the studio.
"Careen" continues exactly where the band left off on Commute, with
the tight interplay between guitarist Timothy Lannen and bassist Robert
Haussmann dueling for your attention, until some good old fashioned bursts of
fuzzy squeals hit the speakers, effectively ending the guitar vs bass
debate.” -- (September 18, 2007) ===> I Rock Cleveland
* The Early Weekend III
“The Mercury Lounge was packed last
night, with a sold-out crowd jostling for space inside the venue’s
concert room. Opening band The Diggs had just taken the stage when we arrived.
Despite receiving a clichéd New York reception from the crowd (arms crossed,
brows furrowed, and at least 5 feet of space between the stage and the
audience), The Diggs played a solid set inspired by mid-‘90s indie rock.
There were plenty of looped guitar drones and shoegazing vocals, which makes
this trio sound like the long-lost cousins of Sunny Day Real Estate. Check out
Stagg, a track from the band’s debut LP Commute.” --
(January 4, 2007) ===> Baeble Music
* CMJ with The Diggs
“The
Diggs' CMJ show at Sin-E on Friday night was one of the best shows I've
seen them perform. The packed house saw them go through some of their Commute
tracks (including "Stagg" and "Everyone's Starting Over")
and three new songs. Charlie the drummer was on fire, literally jumping up
after smashing his drums for each song. Looking forward to seeing a new album
from these guys.” -- (November 5, 2006) ===> This Twilight Garden
* “The Diggs have been
around since 2003 and don’t much appreciate the emo label that’s
oft applied to them, instead they focus on being melodic [and] have a classic
approach to classic rock instruments - they play them. So it’s not emo per
se, just emotional…The choruses are poppy indeed (though I
wouldn’t call the overall sense I get from the songs as Britpop) and Everyone’s
Starting Over will regail your 90s-rock nostalgic needs (think Sonic
Youth’s Goo).” -- (August 15, 2006) ===> Eardrums Shall Fail
* The Diggs Keep it Perfectly Simple
(MSNBC.com interview)
“Timothy Lannen fronts The
Diggs. Their songs are powerful, taut, big-guitar, ’90s-esque alt-rock.
His vocals are honest, emotional. At times he seems he’s choking down
disappointment. At others he’s letting loose with mid-rant rage.”
-- (July 15, 2006) ===> MSNBC - Independent Study, New Artists You Need to Know
Now, interview conducted by
Rob Neill
* Diggs - twice the recommended dose of
Vitamin K(ick ass)
“The Diggs are an
impressive alterna-rock trio who cram so much emotion into every track that it
leaks down the front of any stereo in which it’s played. They start each
song with nothing, and carefully proceed to build their wall of sound brick by
brick. By the interlude, buzzing guitars and wrecking ball drums swoop in to
smash the song to pieces. Their LP, Commute, is a must for fans of bands such
as Death Cab for Cutie and Built to Spill.” -- The Deli
Magazine,
Issue #6, volume #2, Spring 2006, page 9
* Mercury Lounge Review - with Midlake
“I've posted The Diggs before. The tracks of theirs I've featured
have received some of the greatest "man on the street" response of
any artists I've covered, which is saying something. I don't have too much to
add, aside from giving their live set my official seal of approval. This was my
second time seeing 'em, but my first being moved.” -- (June 29, 2006)
===> Village Indian
* Interview with Tim Lannen
“TPG: Is it about Art? Getting
Laid? Saying Something? Or free drinks?
TL: Well I can tell you right off the bat that none of this has ever been about
proving anyone wrong or overcoming obstacles. It’s about this being a
choice we all made when we were all kids. That we were going to be
hyper-involved with music for the rest of our lives even if it hurt us very
badly. It sounds dramatic and it totally is. This will be our nine to five. It
has to be. It’s good enough.
In a sense I’ve dared music to
destroy my future.” -- (June 19, 2006) ===> Thepunkguy
* “These folks turned some heads
at the KEXP in-studio performance. Straightforward indie rock, just like you
listened to in the 90’s. Are you noticing this? The 90’s are
fucking hot.” -- Mike Conklin, Hott Tickets, p. 31 The L
Magazine, May 24-June 6 Issue
* March 21st Friction - Recap
“The Diggs…WOW…never
have I heard a band blend a melody so beautifully with feedback drenching
guitars and walls of noise. They almost seemed bigger than life, putting on the
best performance I’ve ever seen from them. These guys are definitely on
the cusp of something big, very BIG.” -- (March 22, 2006) ===> Crackers United
* Losingtoday Review of Commute
“…their tastes tend to
skew more into classic guitar-heavy indie bands - the dissonant guitar sound of
Sonic Youth is given a nice salute in "Faith In Strangers" while the
"Minimum" tips a cap to both Ride and Coldplay, making it the stand-out
track on an album of good songs that are definitely worth your time.” --
(February 28, 2006) ===> Losingtoday
Reviews
* I Rock Cleveland: The Diggs
“They list their
influences simply as The Stone Roses, Sonic Youth, and Sunny Day Real Estate.
You can hear a little bit of each of those bands in "Trouble
Everyday." At its heart it's a tender ballad that would work with only an
acoustic guitar. However, it's the execution of The Diggs that make this song
great--that tender melody is soaked in waves of droning guitars and expansive
feedback. The wave of sound gradually builds to the point where it is nearly
over powering and that once tender melody becomes more forceful . In the end
the words, "I can't afford to be wrong," get drowned in sound, yet
they still stick with you well after the song ends.” -- (February 16,
2006) ===> I Rock Cleveland
* VI Interview: The Diggs
“Regardless of influences, the
band’s success in attaining its melodramatic and emotional tone is
predicated largely upon Tim’s aphoristic lyrical style.
“It's Just Like You Say” is a perfect example of Tim creating
emotional imagery, leading the listener without pinning her down in that
space. He repeatedly declares, “It’s just like you
say…your blood is in my veins,” a stylistically representative
couplet that bears repetition and never breaks down in the ear.” -- (February 14, 2006)
read the whole interview at: Village Indian
* The Diggs Frenzy
“I’m just
going crazy about The Diggs. I’m
listening to their music all the time and have to say perfect. How to explain this? Beautiful sound that
merges indie rock and Britpop, strong and emotional vocals, melodies that make
their music dreamy, atmospheric and incredibly [intense]. You’ll be
completely stunned…The sound we’ve been waiting for. They’re
not another guitar band, they’re much better than others.” --
(February 10, 2006) ===> Echo
* The Diggs @ Mercury Lounge
“I was very eager to catch The
Diggs live for this show. The trio from
* “I suggest another NYC local band, The Diggs. A few of their mp3's turned up in my
inbox last week as a tip, and while most of the stuff I get is difficult to
listen to, these guys were a welcome standout. Take a listen to
"Everyone's Starting Over" from their full length debut Commute.
The arrangement may be reminiscent of Bloc Party, but when the vocals kick in
you hear their distinctive flair... See them at Mercury Lounge at 9:30
with Field Music.” -- (January 25, 2006) ===>
Village Indian
* Interview With The Diggs
“Villains Always Blink: What is the
significance of the album title Commute?
Timothy Lannen: For a while the three of us were traveling back and
forth from Long Island to Queens to Brooklyn to
* Your weekly remedy
“...this is just one
of the awesome guitar bands trying to stay two steps ahead of competitors
creating a sound that stands out from a crowd of difficult & angular guitar
band with that stuck-in-the-80's melody that I hope becomes a fad in the next
few weeks.” (January 8, 2006) ===> Take Your Medicine – UK Mp3 Blog
* Top Ten Albums Of 2005
See how The Diggs are judged with the
year’s best. -- (January 1, 2006) ===> Concrete and
Clay
* 2005 was so
last year. And these guys are gonna be big in 2006
“The Diggs - Featuring an indiscernable
yet expansive mid-90's indie rock sound - perhaps Dinosaur Jr.'s Where You
Been crossed with shoegazer reverb? - The Diggs have had a lot of support
in NYC, especially following their recent Sin-e residency. Their debut album
Commute was just released by Sugarspun Records.” --
(December 31, 2005) ===> This Twilight Garden
* “I'm pretty sure I
first learned of this band from Rachael, who has
excellent musical tastes, so I naturally checked them out. The Diggs' sound merges mid-nineties
guitar-driven mid-western indie rock with English dream pop and some emo. My
best comparison is a Sonic Youth sound with more radio-friendly lyrics. Maybe a
little Dashboard Confessional-ly at times, but generally with more of an edge.
They’re from
* Your Blood is in My Veins
“Empty, long
corridors and boys with their brit pop hair and dirty Gibson guitars, soaked in
the rain, with the feedback ringing, with a hint of melodrama, with a hint of
angst and sorrow, and that flash of emo mixed with that 90's indie rock that
we're all so familiar with. Then, that chorus, this mocking attempt at revenge,
this faux anger, this faux I'm-so-over-you-I'm-okay-alone, this pressure of low
key volume increase, this drum line squeezing up the tempo, and suddenly, it's
gone. This flash of memories and that glance into emotions. Gone. And perhaps
you're left feeling cheated, like it should have been some rock soap opera and
the lead character walked off the set without another word. Without so much as
a goodbye.” -- (December 21, 2005) read the whole review at: The Bubble Death
* “What I hear in this
music is some 90's college radio rock, emo, and some British music influences.
I can't quite put my finger on what well-known bands their music reminds me of
but somewhere in there is a taste of The Verve and Sugar...their songs
are beautiful blends of mood and melody that build to a powerful climax. To
call these guys shoegaze would be close to valid but then it would also sell
short some of the varied goodness you'll hear in their music.” --
(December 21, 2005) read the whole review at: Ear Farm
* The Diggs – Orange EP
“The word on the street is
* Brooklyn-based The Diggs have been getting a lot of press
around
* “The Diggs’
new CD Commute (Sugarspun), which they unveil tonight, embraces a
‘90’s college-rock sound while adding just a dash of emo.” --
(December 9, 2005) Time Out
* “Sometimes The Diggs sound like
a rougher cut of Jimmy Eat World, but then they’ll play an intense,
trippy meditative song to screw with your psyche.” -- The Village Voice, December 7-13,
2005 Vol. L NO. 49, p.89
* “The Diggs. I had been
waiting to see them for about 2 years since I first got their original 3 song
demo. They delivered. Wonderful performance. Tight, rocking, great songs, nice presence.
Their new album is coming out in two weeks I believe. Interested to hear what
that will sound like. Highlight of the night was their Just Like You Say which
has been a mixtape staple for me for 2 years. I actually sang along with raised
arms and pointing fingers.” -- (November 19, 2005) ===> Gillmoreboy
* “First up is The Diggs who hail from
* GRAB A SHOVEL AND TAKE IT TO THE STREET
Read the recently published interview
with the entire band here. Taken from Underrated
Magazine, Issue 7. Interview conducted by Rachael Darmanin.
-- (November 4, 2005)
* 
“The
Diggs were brilliant as always, and every time they play and there is a friend
of mine in the room who hasn't seen them yet, they will ALWAYS come up to me
and say "WOW you were right this band is GREAT." But don't take my
word for it, go see them for yourself. They just finished their new [LP] that I
can't wait to get my hands on -- big things to come for these three.” --
(September 28, 2005) ===> I Rock I Roll
(photo taken from The Underrated Blog)
* I heart The Diggs
“Let me just say, I've
never had that much fun conducting an interview before. I think I told them
that maybe 4 times throughout the evening. You know The Diggs by now from this
blog. You've read about them in other blogs. You've heard them through their
website, and maybe you've even had the chance to check them out live (which is
the icing on the cake). But get a couple rounds with this band and let the fun
begin.” -- (September 23, 2005) read the
preamble to the full interview at: the Underrated Blog
* “So, The Diggs'
final residency show on Friday was by far the standout of the four…Now,
you know I'm a sucker for good lyrics. And The Diggs, if I've never touched on
this before, have a way of incorporating into their lyrics poignant expressions
of the most universal human sentiments…This band's live performances get
better every time I see them. Although to my dismay, the drummer didn't break
anything this time. I know, I was disappointed too. I am shamelessly stuck on
them. Not a bad band to be fixated on, you know.” -- (September 12, 2005) read the whole
review at: Chronically Hip
(and in denial)
* I dig music
“The
Diggs completely
and utterly blew me away. My ears are still ringing. Recordings do this band no
justice -- you must see them live. I thought other bands that only had three people
were impressive, but the sound this band blasted into Sin-e was more than I
ever imagined. In fact it was so intense that guitar strings were broken,
symbols knocked over. Watching that drummer pound on that set with the water
splashing. My god.” -- (September 10, 2005)===> The Underrated Blog
Metro – September
2, 2005, page 14
* “Brooklyn's The Diggs have been getting quite a few rave reviews in their
hometown for their live performances, which earned them a current residency at
NYC's Sin-e (including a show tomorrow night). I
especially like "Trouble Every Day", an atmospheric, dreamy
pop-rock ballad that slowly gains momentum and swells into a huge wave of sound
that is indicative of the band's style. Look for the The Diggs
upcoming LP, Commute, to be released later this year
(hopefully).” -- (August 31, 2005) ===> Gorilla vs. Bear
* You Did Nothing Wrong (The Diggs, Sin-é)
“The Diggs have a really great song: It’s called
“Trouble Everyday,” and you can listen to it here. It’s so good
it’s almost a psychosis. Simple and minimal and vague enough to
successfully persuade you it’s about everything. Draws you in with a
single, quivering note, a tight, regular snare, a reluctant riff. Quiet
contemplation turns into internal melodrama, the sound swells, scattered
specifics give way to desperate, decisive aphorisms. “Don’t
apologize for anything.” And, “I can’t afford to be
wrong.” Then, after you’ve fooled yourself, the self-made shitstorm
dies back down and you can crawl back out of your head. There are probably a
billion songs just like it, but this one is so effectively consuming that for
six minutes and twenty-three seconds the others don’t matter, any
more.” -- (August 26, 2005) read the whole review at: Heartonastick
* “I went to Sin-e
and saw them last night. Great show. Almost all of their songs quietly build up
into a great crescendo of sound. I was impressed by the powerful sound that
came from a three-piece band, something that a lot of three-pieces cannot do.
You should see this band on one of the next three Thursdays.” -- (August
19, 2005) read the whole review at: This Twilight
Garden
* Digg This!
“Wanting to spread their music far and wide
is the goal of most bands and the diggs are no exception. Coming out of
* The Diggs: NYC's Newest Kept-Secret?
“The Diggs opened their set with “Trouble
Everyday”, a great opener that begins kinda
atmospherically, and builds in intensity as it progresses, and returns to
it’s original diminished state. I hear resemblances of the Wrens
in this song, but Angela, who has been a longer Wrens fan than I, disagreed. I
still hear it……As a fairly new band, I think they
might just be one of
Try to catch them at their residency at Sin-e, Thursdays from Aug.
18- Sept. 1, and Friday September 9th.” –- (July 25, 2005) read
the review in its entirety at: Yeti Don’t Dance
* “…I ventured out to the LES
last night to see Brooklyn band The Diggs, wondering how a band that was so
celebrated a fixture in the local scene could have passed under my watch for so
long. I discovered them under some odd and random circumstances, but it was
serendipity, for here was a band that offered originality. You'll want to think
"brit-pop" upon initially hearing their material but there aren't distinctly
British elements prevalent in it. Present in some of their songs is the
suggestion of shoegaze, though absent are many of the quintessential components
of the sound we know as "shoegaze", so it isn't quite that. (Still,
anglophiles tend to LOVE The Diggs.) They've established enough of a musical
identity of their own to constitute being described as "innovative"
rather than being likened to five other bands.” –- (July 23, 2005) read the rest of the review
at: Intricate Lie
* "I’d agree that their faster tracks
like Stagg has that 90’s-ish angularity. Their quieter ‘English
dream pop’ songs, like ‘Trouble Everyday’ and ‘Just
Like You Say’ seem to have too much melody and luxury for anti-melody
90’s comparisons. Very new millennium." ===> Hellthy.com
* The Diggs Will Break Your
Heart
“Was lucky enough to catch a set by The Diggs last night
at The Delancey. Pure emo bliss done to perfection. I mean, watch
that intro for their website! Is there anything that could make you more
want to be an angst ridden suburban teenager? I don't normally
listen to this kind of stuff...didn't even when I was a kid, but these guys are
real good. You can listen to some of their stuff on their MySpace
page, and download some MP3's here. I thought
they sounded even better live.
They have a few shows coming up next month at Mercury Lounge and
the Cake Shop before they start a late summer residency at Sin-e. Go see
them if you can.” -- (June 24, 2005)===> Central Village
* “Next stop: The Delancey. We arrived around 11:30 just in time to catch The
Diggs’s set. Impressed I was. We
grabbed some drinks, sat down, listened, whispered “I kind of like
it”, got up and moved to the front. At this point the place was pretty
empty. When they finished I turned around and bam! Where did all of these
people come from?” -- (June 24, 2005) ===> Loose Record
* “I had every intention in walking the 3 blocks to Pianos
last night to check out Brooklyn boys The Diggs play at their EP release party.
Certain things came into play, however, before their 11 PM set time. I began
drinking at 3 PM. I fell asleep on my couch at 9:30 PM. Pitiful. I heard they
were great, and I'm really 'digging' their EP. So next time I will be sure to
delay happy hour and actually stay awake past primetime TV. Here's what I
missed: MP3s (right click, save as, you know the drill) Stagg, Trouble Everyday. I got their EP in the mail a week ago to
find it all cracked, so I was disappointed. Luckily I got a new copy yesterday
and although it's only three songs, it's very intriguing. Listen to the drums
on ‘Trouble Everyday’. It adds so much to a simple melancholy song.
I hear these guys live are out of this world, damn.” ===> The Underrated Blog
* “This week was a pretty good one, all things considered.
The DEATH DISCO show was a success and the bands played their hearts out as
usual. Of special mention would be THE DIGGS who captivated a crowd who spent
most of the night asking me who they were. Well, they found out. Probably one
of the more interesting/mature/innovative bands happening now.” -- DJ
Mojo, NYC Legend, April 16, 2005
* “The Diggs give off highly dramatic/melodic lyrics that
don't seem to fit with anything that is going on in this decade. Instead they
seem to flavor sounds of the mid 1990's. Keep listening for these guys.”
===> Crashinin.com
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