Good morning Dig Nation. There's a ton of interesting things going on this weekend but I'm going to highlight just a few of my favorites going down this weekend. Read on for news, music, and videos pertaining to the weekend that will be. You dig?

Good morning Portland. I recently posted my review of Fool Moon from Mama Bird Recording Company artist Widower. Tonight at 9:00 at the Alberta Street Pub there will be a record release party for this album which will also feature live performances from Barna Howard, and Josiah Johnson from The Head and The Heart. Admission is only seven dollars and you can RSVP to the event via Facebook. Check out the album's debut single Oh Catherine, My Catherine below.

Read on for more information regarding the featured artists as well as a few tunes. See you tonight. You dig?

Here's a little secret Dig Nation, sometimes, I do judge a book by it's cover. In fact, I do it a lot. I do it at the grocery store while looking at egg cartons. I do it at the liquor store while deciding which new beers to try, and I do it while perusing through TWD submission emails. Strike that, I do it a lot while going through submissions. I don't even bother with emails that use words like remix, dub, mash up, or versus, and I hardly ever pay attention to any thing that starts their genre-title off with the word dream. In all fairness, it is awesome that starting this music blog has brought an entire world of music into my inbox on a daily basis, but let's get real, ain't nobody got time for that.

Regardless, the other day I was going through my emails, making sweeping generalizations left and right, when I encountered a very curious name – Bryan John Appleby. Read on for my full thoughts as well as a collection of videos and the a full streaming copy of Appleby's album Fire on the Vine.

Friend of the Dig Jonny Fritz is riding high in 2013 with his new record Dad Country due out April 16th on ATO Records and an expansive tour that features dates on SXSW as well as time with The Weeks, Heartless Bastards, and The Devil Makes Three. 

Read on for those dates and locations as well as a link to your free copy of Ain't It Your Birthday by Jonny from his new record.

Jonny Fritz: Ain't It Your Birthday

Friend of the Dig and all-around great rock band Palomino needs your help to make their debut album. They just started an indiegogo campaign and I encourage to check out the details of this worthy artistic endeavor. 

This year is the fourth for Maryland's Outstanding Blog competition lovingly called The Mobbies. The idea is that registered users of BaltimoreSun.com can vote once per 24 hour period for their favorite MD area blogs in 22 different categories.

Voting began Oct. 29th and will continue through November 5th at 5 pm. The announcement of winners, as well as prizes, and general good time partying will be had at the Mobbies Bash November 14th at the Creative Alliance. It's free to reregister and vote, and Those Who Dig couldn't be more pleased to be in the fine company of the other blogs in the Entertainment Category.

Read on for the full contest rules.

Bob Dylan: When The Ship Comes In

Clean rivers and delicious beer are two things that we at Those Who Dig hold near and dear to our green hearts. All of us hold roots in Erie, PA and watched the reputation of the lake water improve as we grew up. This is why I was so thrilled to see this gem from Draft Magazine this week.

Deschutes River Recordings (a subdivision of Deschutes Brewery) out of Oregon has teamed up with Deschutes River Conservancy to produce a series of videos that is ripe with rivers, beers, and music. Their aim is to give away free downloads of this music in exchange for a monetary donation in an effort to restore streamflow and improve water quality in the Deschutes basin.

Eric D Johnson of the Fruit Bats is the featured artist in this video premier and Eric Early of Blitzen Trapper and Laura Gibson are slated to follow. Read on for my full thoughts on the project as well as to see Eric D Johnson perched riverside performing The Ballad Of Easy Rider by The Byrds.

This one may be a little inside for all you non-New Yorkers, or even non Brooklyn & Queens residents, but as a regular commuter on the G train, the Brooklyn Brewery's "Brooklyn, Sweden" contest has caught my attention. Challenging musicians to capture the G in song, Brooklyn Brewery is offering a trip to Sweden for the entry receiving the most votes.

I encourage you all to check out "G Ode" by Greenpoint resident and talented musician Matthew Meyer. It's a catchy, well-written song with big hooks making the very funny and relatable lyrics sneak up on you. The video was shot "on location" and does a good job of providing insight into what is like relying on the often frustrating but always necessary G. You can watch his song and vote here – please note that you do have to log in to Facebook.

Matthew is a friend of the Dig. I had conducted an interview with him earlier this year that will be making an appearance on the site soon, so you can look forward to more great music and a good discussion in the very near future.