When you throw together brooding bass strums, electric guitars and razor-sharp techno keyboards, you get rock 'n' roll band The Dig. Composed of four guys - David Baldwin (guitar, vocals), Emile Mosseri (bass, vocals), Erick Eiser (keyboards, guitar) and Jamie Alegre (drums) - The Dig are a mashup of classic and modern rock, with songs married to shredding keyboard shrills. Clad in leather and plaid, The Dig are young with a sarcastic streak. But what kind of name is "The Dig," anyways?
"It was a collaborative idea," Baldwin said in an interview with The Eagle. "We were in Boston, and there was this big project that they'd been doing for 10 years called the Dig; one day we saw that it caught on fire and was falling apart. We were gonna be The Big Dig, but we decided we didn't want to be stuck with that name."
The band has recently been on tour, opening for acts like White Rabbit and the Walkmen. On Tuesday, Nov. 17, they performed with reggae rocker Sean Bones.
"It's been great, the shows are always sold out," Eiser said. "Not because of us; we're just riding the wave of the other bands."
Though the band have been labeled Brooklyn-based, they're actually from California and Canada. However, they've been recording their upcoming album, "Electric Toys," in Brooklyn, with famed producer Bryce Goggin, who has also worked with Sean Lennon, the Ramones and Pavement.
"Working with Bryce is great, but also kind of crazy," Mosseri, the soft-spoken leader, said. "He's really opinionated and he's right about 97 percent of the time, so in that way he influenced a lot of the record."
"Electric Toys" is titled after a lyric in their song, "She's Gonna Kill That Boy," which all the guys wrote together, like most of their songs. However, the band have had difficulty coming up with a way to describe their sound.
"It's rock 'n' roll, with a lot of energy," Eiser said. "Some of the songs are dance-y, kinda pop, but we're not pop. We're a rock 'n' roll band."
As for what they like, it varies with each member. For Eiser, it's Eagles of Death Metal; for Alegre, it's Dan Auerbach. For Mosseri and Baldwin, it's The Troggs, Betty Harris and Johnny Lee Hooker. It's evident that music is important in their lives, but they know exactly what they'd do if they weren't making it.
"Professional bowlers, for sure," Baldwin laughed. "We'd tour and compete together."
"Nah, I'd be a professional tennis player," Eiser said sarcastically.
After the interview, The Dig took to the DC9 stage to perform songs from their upcoming album. Once onstage, they shook off any vestiges of sarcastic young rascals and got serious, barely noting the sparse audience. Eiser's voice varied from low and lilting to high and clear. He shared vocals with Baldwin, whose voice was the dark and deep counterpart to Eiser.
Each song throughout the set was different from the next. "Penitentiary" was a fast rock melody, with a message of revenge and escape. Then they slowed it down with the grunge-y, synth-laden "He's A Woman," an intoxicating song with Baldwin cooing, "I know you're looking for the good times/I don't mind/I'll take you over to the other side/One more time."
One of the best songs was "She's Gonna Kill That Boy," the moody, high-powered keyboard-rock blend. The song was full of energy and had a pop edge. When not singing, each of the guys was headbanging, perfectly in tune with one another. They ended their brilliant performance on a Black Keys-sounding melody, bluesy rock, then made way for Sean Bones.
At first glance, Bones is not your typical reggae rocker. Clad in a red plaid shirt, skinny jeans and carefully tousled brown waves, he looks like your average hipster. Guitar in hand, he grabbed the mic and launched into his first number, a riff-heavy song called "Cry Cry Cry." After the reggae-doused rock number, he spoke to the audience.
"This next song is called 'Cocoa.' It's about a girl I used to babysit," Bones said with a silly grin.
The sound was alternative rock infused with ska punk and reggae. When he sang, it was with a lazy drawl that added to the indie vibe of the song.
"Now this one's a real bump and grind number," Bones shouted. "Hold onto your drinks."
With that, he launches into "Dancehall." The song is truly dance-worthy, with island reggae riffs and Bones' voice taking the audience to a place filled with palm trees and sandy beaches.
After the performance, the audience was left on a high, music still reverberating off the walls. If you haven't heard of either of the performers, it's time to get familiar - they're the new face of alternative rock.
You can reach this staff writer at ydesta@theeagleonline.com.
