The Dismemberment Plan: Classic Or Dud?

They do frustrate me at times. “You Are Invited” is musically wonderful, but the lyrics are terrible, and, worse, terrible with emo leanings. “8 1/2 Minutes” is another great song that gets the rug pulled out from under it by its last couple of lines; the construct of “The Jitters” seems forced as well. When it all clicks, though, it’s brilliant, exhilertaing, a reminder that there are still bands that can filter, condense and reappropriate the best elements of post-punk and work wonders within the framework of an indie rock band and, for the most part, a verse-chorus-verse structure. “Back and Forth” is probably one of my favorite rock songs of the past four or five years. The Pixies, Magazine, Talking Heads, and Gang of Four are as evident here as the more obvious touchstones such as Jawbox or Fugazi. The difference between what I’d consider boring U.S. indie (Sebadoh, Luna) and bands such as the Dis. Plan (I still can’t being myself to call them “the Plan”) and Built to Spill and Modest Mouse is the latter are doing things that are sonically interesting.

Sometimes, like I said, they also try a bit too hard to really say something. And, like Modest Mouse, they do attempt to articulate a certain worldview -- a spiritual emptiness and confusion and ultimately resignation and disconnect -- which appeals to loads of their core audience and admittedly can be repulsive. They’re very quintessentially American indie then, an American Hefner in a way, but the ennui is built more on philospohical rather than romantic frustration.

Great party music though...

Emergency & I is one of my very favorites; ...Is Terrified is great; and I wouldn't for a minute discount Change based on what I've heard. It should be on Napster soon. Who wants to hold their breath with me?

So... classic or dud? Emergency & I is a flat-out classic, and it's because of the band's (and Travis') maturing songwriting skills; they became far more consistent at writing good pop (whatever that means) songs, instead of only writing noisy, thrashy indie rock. Their earlier records have their moments, but I wouldn't recommend them to people who didn't already love Emergency and were used to more indie rock.

The comments about the Plan being emo are misguided, I think. Don't be fooled by them. The Plan are one of the most open-minded bands, musically speaking, that I can think of, and it shows in their music. I can't really say the same for any of the emo I've heard; there are very different things at work in the genre.

And Scott -- I love the lyrics on "You Are Invited"! I would defintely consider them the best on that album by far. Maybe we're just reading it differently. I've heard zero emo, so I can't comment there, but I think those words are brilliant.

Anyway, Emergency and I is great, though I can't speak for the rest of their catalog as I haven't heard it.

As for the tunes, I didn't like them at first (E & I). They were too frantic and garbled to digest immediately, but after a few spins my brain locked onto the oddball sigs and blaring... everything, and the rest is bliss. Then I found the slower paced stuff (Ice Of Boston, parts of ....Is Terrified) and realized Travis' voice was indeed not dorky or emo or whatnot but rather wrought from the heavens of the fantabulous kingdom of Allah. Yeah I said Allah. You got a problem, talk to Prince Naseem Hamed. One Love.

as for the 'classic' issue, that's a thorny word to throw around, but i can only speak for myself that I already know that these are some records and shows that i'll look back on fondly in the years to come. as for "Change", i already love most of the songs from hearing them live, but have my dooubts as to whether it'll continue to step up their hype momentum. it's kind of one of those records that's too low-key (by their standards) to really maintain the excitement they've been generating lately, but it'll probably still be their biggest yet, although i think E&I will remain the most effective (and most flattering) introduct

We can? Good.

Emboldened by my success with Gravity's Rainbow I now feel ready to try out another one of Josh's obsessions. HOWEVER the only Dismemberment Plan album I can find is "Is Terrified". The question therefore is: should I pick this up before it disappears into the void with their other albums, or wait for a "safer" choice to turn up? Feel free to factor in any ideas you have about my tastes into the issue.

Despite what I wrote on my blog last night, Is Terrified still has a LOTTA guitars and post-hardcore music writing on it. That makes me think it would be the album of theirs (well except for ! the debut) least likely to appeal to you. Can't you order one of the next two albums or something?

And ahem. Obsessions are bad. What I have is VERY SPECIAL, not bad.

Thanks for all your help - luckily though I just discovered that the Dismemberment Plan website offers me the chance to listen to the whole album in realaudio. I'm enjoying the first track at least, though obviously not in an OBSESSIVE way... not like the CRAZY people you see in the posts above mine.

I am a professional, Ned. I have "interests" and "specializations".

And I'm not? *cries*

Look, I was ready to forget about "Heroin" but you're pushing it now.

On a side note, I think this "angry and young" idea is a little strange. It's fine as a personal preference, I guess, but it seems to me like lots of rock music is at the very least not both of those things. (I'd consider 'young', but only for a couple seconds before I thought of exceptions.)

ehhhhhhhh...not really. or, explain how.

the dis plan has an amazing rhythm section. they're also one of the few bands i expect to get even better with their next album.

PS. I really like "Timebomb" *and* have noted its half- submerged rhythmic brilliance. See forthcoming blog post.

x-posting and annoying like hell, but yeah, travis morrison disses the clash today: http://www.whatwasitanyway.com

and my two cents is that emergency & i is a fantastic record but not as far and away from anything else he's done as most people act. "as we proceed" and "you make me feel like a freak" could've gone on the plan's fifth album, and it would've been a totally natural progression from change.

They were just teeing it up with 'Change' and then they broke.

Sorry, but just been listening to that last album. They were on to something.

Maritime are/were OK btw. Morrison solo was pretty poor and he's now 'retired'

I was seeking recommendations similar to the D Plan, on here about five years ago and now I'm back again after 24 more failed relationships.

Should I take up caravanning?

WHen I first joined ILX, it seemed like EVERYONE was all about this band.

http://www.slate.com/articles/double_x/doublex/2012/07/travis_morrison_and_the_dismemberment_plan_what_it_s_like_to_marry_a_rock_star_.single.html

He worked at the Washington Post and then the Huffington Post, where I met him. I asked him about his albums, and he told me that I should just listen to the one he considered the best, Emergency & I. When I asked about the others, he said he didn’t have any copies, and that I would have to buy them on iTunes. So I downloaded and listened. I enjoyed them, although I didn’t memorize any lyrics or listen to them on repeat. But that chapter of his biography didn’t play much part in our lovely blossoming romance. At the time, Travis got his singing joy largely from an Episcopal church choir.

Aw, that's kind of a sweet piece.

ya totally. she seems nice, & both of them v.levelheaded about the whole thing, hope their marriage is a happy one :)

I kinda like the fact he didn't have copies of the other ones around.

lol the dc-board of old school indie-crowd types i post on are SO OFFENDED by this article and think she's the worst person ever, like they can't even past her referring to him as a rock star

it's a cute article but i def would not have told her "yeah sure publishing that is a good idea, go for it" if i was him

B/c it reflects badly on him, or?

i think travis has given up on pleasing old school indie-crowd types except in a "give me money, i give you hits" capacity

i don't think referring to him as a rock star is like a we-r-so-indie sticking point, it's just that she sort of structures the article around that thought ('omg, a rock star?!') in a way that is kind of out of touch with the inappropriateness of referring to a moderate turn-of-millennium indie rock success as a 'rock star'. the response is like, guh? what are you talking about?

she does admit up front that she knows nothing about music and doesn't care. she also uses an analogy to a leather mini-skirt wearing fangirl from Almost Famous not once, but twice.

right. it's almost in no way about music, being a musician, a rock star.

'omg, my fiance used to be a porn star', 'omg, my fiance used to be a stripper!', 'omg, my fiancee used to play arena football!'

haha I go to bed at 10 o'clock too

B/c it reflects badly on him, or?

― Trewster Dare (jaymc), Wednesday, July 25, 2012 11:59 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark

not at all. i'm just like, i COULD write an essay about my wife's cool job, or encourage her to write one about mine, but i wouldn't.

wonder if Zooey is gonna write one of these when she realizes Ben Gibbard used to be an indie-rocker too

...wait fuck ABANDON JOKE

Ira and Georgia writing endless recursive songs about discovering one another's dark musical pasts

what level of actual (indie) rock celebrity would the fiancee have to have achieved before this would be an article to write? like, obviously it couldn't be 'omg my fiancee was in slint'. but 'omg my fiancee was in pavement'? or?

well i mean this kind of article could be written about pretty much anyone who's not a household name and might plausibly work a day job outside the music business but could sell out clubs and bring out fanatical fans if they got the old band band together. and that represents a really wide spectrum of different levels of success.

travis morrison was such a babe

i remember being crushed when he went all neo-con post-9/11

I like the idea of Trav Morrison singing in an Episcopal Church choir!

I have tickets to see them on/in a boat in Bristol. Excellent.

i remember being crushed when he went all neo-con post-9/11

Wait, this was a thing?

yeah i remember at least one long idiotic blog post advocating war in iraq etc.

this appears to be some morons discussing it but the meat of morrison's argument is roughly (and as abuard) as i remember it.

to be fair, i knew a lot of previously intelligent people who turned into chest-beating morons on September 12.

http://devonrecordclub.com/2013/10/28/the-dismemberment-plan-emergency-i-round-56-nicks-choice/

They are so awesome and dorky live.

yup

aren't they shitty at this stage?

they're basically as good a live band now as they ever were. even if you hate the new songs, they sound better live and aren't the whole show.