Dismemberment Plan & spinoffs

[lazarus]

So I had the pleasure of seeing Maritime yesterday in Chicago, which is made up of The Promise Ring's frontman Davey Von Bohlen and Dismemberment Plan bassist Eric Axelson. Great show, and the new material sounds awesome. Their new album, Heresy & the Hotel Choir comes out in October.

I also figured it was time to check up on what Plan singer Travis Morrison was up to, as I hadn't heard from his camp since those Plan benefit shows earlier this year. Apparently he's got an album coming out in a few weeks! It's called "All Y'all"and is being released under the name Travis Morrison Hellfighters. Sounds like a religious crusade, but whatever.

Anyway you can stream the whole album on his website, and it sounds like a great improvement over his solo debut, Travistan, which wasn't nearly as bad as some made it out to be (Pitchfork's 0.0 rating and accompanying review were so snobbishly condescending I wanted to blow up their headquarters for a week). Much more rocking but as eclectic as ever. Can't wait to see this live.

Just thought I'd open a discussion about the greatness of the Plan and their little offshoots. For those unfamiliar, purchase, borrow or steal 1999's Emergency & I, play about 5 times, and you will be ready to spread The Dismemberment Plan gospel yourself.

 

[zoetrope]

I haven't heard any of the stuff they've made since they broke up but Emergency & I can still amaze me. Definitely one of the best albums from the late nineties.

 

[lazarus]

I was beginning to think I was totally alone in this world.

Funny thing, Pitchfork just posted a story about Travis' new album the day after I wrote that.

 

[u2popmofo]

I miss these guys so much sometimes, I have such good memories with their music. They were on an amazing roll with Emergency & I and Change. Sometimes I just sit and try to imagine what awesomeness we would have heard these last 7 years had they stayed together. I got all excited last year when they did the reunion shows, hoping that they'd decide to get back together. I'm still hoping. Their own lyrics say it better than I do:

But I’m not unsympathetic
I see why you left
There’s no one to know
There’s nothing to do
The city’s been dead
Since you’ve been gone...

 

[lazarus]

I can't believe someone revived this thread.

I'd just like to reiterate that Travis Morrison's All Y'All is a very good album, and should have received more press.

U2PM, did you get a chance to hear it?

 

[u2popmofo]

I haven't heard anything from it, Laz. The only post-D-Plan thing I've really heard more than just clips is Born In '72, which I like quit a bit.


I had to dig this up yet again, as I was listening to some songs and 'Sentimental Man' came on and I ended up HAVING to listen to the vast majority of the Change album. Their music still hooks me that way, they were really onto a sound that was uniquely them. Someone needs to perform a mission to bring them back together similar to How Soon Is Never?

 

[If you shout...]

I just don't get The Dismemberment Plan, although I've tried my ass off to do so (to say nothing of my ears). I don't at all hate them, but I cannot, for the life of me, understand what separates them shits from the pack. What gives? Did I need to be listening while they were still making music, to understand? Cuz I wasn't, for whatever reason...

 

[lazarus]

I was going to reprint the 10.0 review Pitchfork gave to Emergency & I, but it's not on their website anymore?

I guess what you'd have to do is look at the state of indie rock in 1999, and consider how flexible and unique the Plan's rhythm section is by comparison, as well as how literate Morrison's lyrics are. They're almost emo but they're too genre-hopping, intelligent, and funny to ever be lumped in with that stuff.

It is hard to understand what the big deal is now, but I never heard them before '02 or '03 and I loved it after a few spins.

What are you listening to, exactly, IYS? Because you should really only be sampling from Emergency & I or Change.

 

[u2popmofo]

What are you listening to, exactly, IYS? Because you should really only be sampling from Emergency & I or Change.

Speaking of which, I only own "!" outside of two necessities. It's so vastly different than either of those that I have a hard time listening to it, or even wanting to. Have you heard their other pre-E&I albums, Lazasaurus?

 

[lazarus]

No, I've heard bits of it but wasn't impressed. I think there's an EP in between that's very good, though. Have you ever heard that song The Ice Of Boston?

The remix album A People's History of The Dismemberment Plan is pretty cool too.

 

[u2popmofo]

I have not heard that song....

A couple other D-Plan gems I have are an original sounding cover of The Cure's 'Close To Me', a great original Christmas song called 'This Christmas, and a Travis solo and acoustic cover of LL Cool J's 'Around the Way Girl'. Let me know if you'd like to hear them.

 

[If you shout...]

I was going to reprint the 10.0 review Pitchfork gave to Emergency & I, but it's not on their website anymore?

I guess what you'd have to do is look at the state of indie rock in 1999, and consider how flexible and unique the Plan's rhythm section is by comparison, as well as how literate Morrison's lyrics are. They're almost emo but they're too genre-hopping, intelligent, and funny to ever be lumped in with that stuff.

It is hard to understand what the big deal is now, but I never heard them before '02 or '03 and I loved it after a few spins.

What are you listening to, exactly, IYS? Because you should really only be sampling from Emergency & I or Change.

I own both, but don't really enjoy much apart from "What Do You Want Me To Say?"

 

[lazarus]

You can say that you're wrong, for starters. That's like the most generic thing on there!

Back & Forth? A Life of Possibilities? Sentimental Man? Time Bomb? Face of the Earth? Spider in the Snow? The City? Gyroscope? You Are Invited? Ellen & Ben?

Sigh.

 

[the tourist]

The only song I've heard by them is The Ice Of Boston.

 

[If you shout...]

You can say that you're wrong, for starters. That's like the most generic thing on there!

Back & Forth? A Life of Possibilities? Sentimental Man? Time Bomb? Face of the Earth? Spider in the Snow? The City? Gyroscope? You Are Invited? Ellen & Ben?

Sigh.

Yeah, I just don't hear what so many others seem to hear. Dunno what it is, really.

 

[LemonMelon]

I listened to Emergency & I for the first time tonight...you can pretty much count me as a fan now. What a cool record. I'm listening to it again right now.

Memory Machine

 

[lazarus]

Man, if you liked it a lot the first time, it's only going to get better and better. Welcome to the club.

And I'd recommend getting ahold of the followup, Change, as soon as possible.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I like the song You Are Invited.

Does that constitute enough for me to post in this thread that involves people who are actually fans of the band and have heard more than one or two of their songs?

No, probably not. I'll leave now.

 

[LemonMelon]

Ordered Emergency & I via amazon. Need to check out Changes next.

 

[lazarus]

I like the song You Are Invited.

Does that constitute enough for me to post in this thread that involves people who are actually fans of the band and have heard more than one or two of their songs?

No, probably not. I'll leave now.

YOU are invited...to listen to more of the Plan!

/sales pitch

 

[u2popmofo]

YOU are invited...to listen to more of the Plan!

/sales pitch

lolzorz and stuff


LemonMelon, please tell me your favorite songs from Emergency and I, as I'm a sentimental man and want to bask in the album's glory from a new fan's eyes all over again.

I second Laz in a major way about getting Change ASAP as well.

 

[LemonMelon]

LemonMelon, please tell me your favorite songs from Emergency and I, as I'm a sentimental man and want to bask in the album's glory from a new fan's eyes all over again.

I second Laz in a major way about getting Change ASAP as well.

One of the main reasons I'm loving Emergency & I so much is that the songs are not static; they tend to evolve as they go. This means that the album is more about moments than full songs. However, if I were to name a favorite, it's probably The City. Memory Machine is up there for its chorus alone, which is one of the best I've heard in a long time.

 

[u2popmofo]

Can't argue with those choices. 'The City' may be my overall favorite track of theirs, but it's hard to say.

I'd probably say my favs from E&I are:

A Life Of Possibilities
What Do You Want Me To Say
You Are Invited
Gyroscope
The City

I know I've mentioned it before, but for some weird reason I have really good memories about listening to both Emergency & I and Change, and I can't help but to get taken back to that good mood when I listen to them or even think about them. Kinda weird I guess.

 

[LemonMelon]

The weakest are definitely I Love A Magician and 8 1/2 Minutes...I love the chorus of the latter, but the thing doesn't cohere right, and it's not long enough to develop.

You Are Invited is incredible lyrically.

 

[u2popmofo]

Agreed. Like you already mentioned, all of the album (and songs) have good moments. Some of them aren't as good "overall" as some of the others though. Considering the album is as solid as it is though, it's forgivable.

For some reason I liked Gyroscope at first, but it was never a favorite. Only in the last year or so I realized that it's their most listened to song according to Last FM, and I gave it more of a chance. Great song.

Now you've got me listening to the D-Plan instead of getting any work done. Curses!

 

[LemonMelon]

Gyroscope is still one of the weaker tracks for me, but its energy is irresistible.

Anyway, Changes is next. I'm not expecting to love that one as much (I've listened to E&I at least 5 times in the last two days, which never happens with new albums for me), but it would be nice.

 

[u2popmofo]

As long as you listen to Change knowing that it's not E&I pt. 2, I think you'll dig it.

It's honestly difficult for me to say which album I like more.

 

[lazarus]

I can't believe neither of you are giving a shout-out to Back and Forth. That is one of the most intoxicating songs I've ever heard, and the lyrics are some of Travis Morrison's best.

The final verse FTW:

So in the end, whatever, we die, we dissolve
Equations unbalanced, riddles unsolved
And we were never connected or involved
Except for the intersections and crazy mathematics
With no time and no space and no schedule and no place
And we pass right through it without a trace
And sometimes that music drifts through my car
On a spring night when anything is possible
And I close my eyes and I nod my head
And I wonder how you been
And I count to a hundred and ten
Because you’ll always be my hero,
Even if I never see you again.


ies:

 

[u2popmofo]

LeMeL and LeLaz (and anyone else who's interested), if you don't have D-plan's 'This Christmas', let me know and I'll hook you up. It's pretty great.

 

[LemonMelon]

Say yes, Laz. It's made of Superwin.


Also, I did end up purchasing Change used. It's a great album, although it didn't have the initial "who the fuck is THIS" factor that Emergency & I did, obviously.