The Dismemberment Plan
Encyclopedia
The Dismemberment Plan is a Washington D.C. based indie rock
band formed on January 1, 1993. Also known as D-Plan or The Plan, the name comes from a stray phrase uttered by insurance salesman Ned Ryerson in the popular comedy Groundhog Day
. The band members included Eric Axelson (bass
), Jason Caddell (guitar
), Joe Easley (drums
) and Travis Morrison
(vocals
and guitar
). Axelson, Caddell, Morrison and original drummer Steve Cummings formed the band while attending various Northern Virginia high schools (Axelson, Cummings, and Morrison attended Lake Braddock Secondary School
together in Burke, Virginia
). Cummings left the band after the recording of the Plan's debut album !
and was replaced by Easley, who had attended Woodson High School. That cemented the band's lineup for the rest of its existence.
, the band recorded for local label DeSoto Records
. Their breakthrough album, Emergency & I
, was actually created during their time at Interscope. However, they were dropped from the label shortly after its completion, and thus took it back with them to DeSoto, where it wound up being released. The EP
for "The Ice of Boston" is the only item of theirs Interscope actually released during their tenure there. The band somehow managed to avoid being in debt to the label, effectively being able to record on a major label budget with no consequence. The band referred to their situation in a later interview as "slipping through the cracks".
Following the massive underground success of Emergency & I, the band received an even higher profile after being invited to open for the European leg of Pearl Jam's
2000 tour. A co-headlining tour in 2002 with Death Cab for Cutie
(cheekily called the "Death and Dismemberment Tour") also worked well to raise both bands' profiles and cross-pollinate their fanbases, as well as forge creative ties between several members. Later that summer and fall the Dismemberment Plan started to debut songs for their follow-up to 2001's Change. In 2002 the band put all the music tracks from their last two albums on their website, encouraging fans to remix
the songs. The result was 2003's A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan
. On January 19, 2003, however, the band announced on their website that they had decided to break up after a few tours that year. A final show was planned for July 28, 2003 in Washington D.C.'s famous outdoor show space, Fort Reno Park
. However come show-time a heavy rain threatened to damage their electronic equipment and drove off all but the most devoted fans, leading the band to add one more final show. On September 1, 2003, they closed out their career with a sold-out show at the renowned 9:30 Club
, dubbed the "one last slice" show. Morrison took the post-Change songs with him for further work, and released many of them on his first album, Travistan
, released in 2004. Eric Axelson started a band called Maritime
with former members of The Promise Ring
. They released three albums: Glass Floor
in 2004, We, the Vehicles
in 2006, and Heresy and the Hotel Choir
in 2007.
On March 1, 2007, the band announced they would be playing a one-and-off reunion show on Saturday, April 28, 2007 at Washington D.C.'s venerable Black Cat
nightclub. The event was a charity
concert benefiting Callum Robbins, son of J. Robbins
, frontman for DeSoto Records
labelmate Jawbox
. Fan reaction to the decision was overwhelmingly positive, and tickets to the concert sold out within minutes of being offered online. In response to the high demand for tickets, a second show was announced for April 27. Travis Morrison has stated that the band probably won't be getting back together, "except to drink beer". (http://www.travismorrison.com)
On September 13, 2010, The Washington Post
's Click Track reported that the band would reunite for a tour, in support of Barsuk Records
' reissue of 1999s Emergency & I
. "We're not planning a new record," bassist Eric Axelson told Click Track. "But we're doing these shows and taking it day to day after that."
While drawing heavily from previous Washington-based art-punk
acts such as Fugazi and Jawbox
, the Dismemberment Plan were significant for incorporating R&B
(in stage banter, Morrison often talked of his obsession with Gladys Knight
) and hip-hop
influences to their sound. Influential indie rock criticism website Pitchfork Media
has called them the fathers of the late-1990s/early-2000s dance-punk
movement, which in turn fostered the current New Wave
revival. Ironic humor was also a major component of the band's aesthetic, as displayed in songs such as "The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich" (Dismemberment Plan/Juno) and "The Ice of Boston" (...Is Terrified).
The band toured Japan three times and Europe twice, along with many tours of North America.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band formed on January 1, 1993. Also known as D-Plan or The Plan, the name comes from a stray phrase uttered by insurance salesman Ned Ryerson in the popular comedy Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day (film)
Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
. The band members included Eric Axelson (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
), Jason Caddell (guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
), Joe Easley (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
) and Travis Morrison
Travis Morrison
Travis Morrison is an American musician and web developer from the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., United States...
(vocals
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
). Axelson, Caddell, Morrison and original drummer Steve Cummings formed the band while attending various Northern Virginia high schools (Axelson, Cummings, and Morrison attended Lake Braddock Secondary School
Lake Braddock Secondary School
Lake Braddock Secondary School is a combined junior-high and high school in Burke, Virginia, United States, administered by Fairfax County Public Schools . It is one of four secondary schools in Fairfax County; the other three are Hayfield, Robinson, and South County.Opened in 1973, Lake Braddock...
together in Burke, Virginia
Burke, Virginia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 57,737 people, 19,215 households, and 15,756 families residing in the community. Burke is the largest community in Virginia recognized by the Census Bureau, other than counties and incorporated cities . The population density was 5,008.0 people per...
). Cummings left the band after the recording of the Plan's debut album !
! (album)
! is an album by The Dismemberment Plan. It was released on October 2, 1995 on DeSoto Records. The band's original drummer, Steve Cummings, played on this album but left shortly after its release.-Track listing:#"Survey Says" – 2:08...
and was replaced by Easley, who had attended Woodson High School. That cemented the band's lineup for the rest of its existence.
Band history
Aside from a brief interlude in 1998 and 1999 when they were signed by Interscope RecordsInterscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
, the band recorded for local label DeSoto Records
DeSoto Records
DeSoto Records is an American record label based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1989, it is run by Bill Barbot and Kim Coletta, both formerly of the band Jawbox. It was first founded by members of the band Edsel to release their first single. Jawbox next used the name DeSoto for their first EP. It...
. Their breakthrough album, Emergency & I
Emergency & I
"A Life of Possibilities", "What Do You Want Me to Say?", "Jitters" and "The City" are all also featured in remixed form on A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan with bonus tracks "Just Like You" and "The First Anniversary Of Your Last Phone Call" being on The Ice Of Boston EP.-Personnel:*...
, was actually created during their time at Interscope. However, they were dropped from the label shortly after its completion, and thus took it back with them to DeSoto, where it wound up being released. The EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
for "The Ice of Boston" is the only item of theirs Interscope actually released during their tenure there. The band somehow managed to avoid being in debt to the label, effectively being able to record on a major label budget with no consequence. The band referred to their situation in a later interview as "slipping through the cracks".
Following the massive underground success of Emergency & I, the band received an even higher profile after being invited to open for the European leg of Pearl Jam's
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
2000 tour. A co-headlining tour in 2002 with Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
(cheekily called the "Death and Dismemberment Tour") also worked well to raise both bands' profiles and cross-pollinate their fanbases, as well as forge creative ties between several members. Later that summer and fall the Dismemberment Plan started to debut songs for their follow-up to 2001's Change. In 2002 the band put all the music tracks from their last two albums on their website, encouraging fans to remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
the songs. The result was 2003's A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan
A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan
A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan is a 2003 album by Washington D.C. indie band The Dismemberment Plan, issued on DeSoto Records. The album is a compilation of songs from three of the band's previous releases, The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified, Emergency & I and Change, remixed by...
. On January 19, 2003, however, the band announced on their website that they had decided to break up after a few tours that year. A final show was planned for July 28, 2003 in Washington D.C.'s famous outdoor show space, Fort Reno Park
Fort Reno Park
Fort Reno Park is a park in the Tenleytown neighborhood of Washington, DC. It is the highest point in the city, and was involved in the only Civil War battle to take place in the District of Columbia...
. However come show-time a heavy rain threatened to damage their electronic equipment and drove off all but the most devoted fans, leading the band to add one more final show. On September 1, 2003, they closed out their career with a sold-out show at the renowned 9:30 Club
9:30 Club
Foo Fighters Promise to come back to D.C. and play the 9:30 ClubNightclub 9:30 is a nightclub and concert venue in Washington, D.C. Originally located at 930 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C., in the 1970s it was called the "Atlantis Club", and hosted primarily rock, New Wave, and punk bands...
, dubbed the "one last slice" show. Morrison took the post-Change songs with him for further work, and released many of them on his first album, Travistan
Travistan
Travistan is Travis Morrison's solo debut album, released in 2004 by Barsuk Records. The record is named after the van that Morrison rode in during his former band The Dismemberment Plan's last tour ....
, released in 2004. Eric Axelson started a band called Maritime
Maritime (band)
Maritime formed in 2003 out of the ashes of The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan. After these two bands broke up, singer/guitarist Davey von Bohlen, drummer Dan Didier and bassist Eric Axelson hooked up and started a band called In English. The group quickly signed a deal with the record...
with former members of The Promise Ring
The Promise Ring
The Promise Ring is an American emo band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In their early years, their music was usually classified as emo, but their later albums could be described more accurately as indie pop. They split up in 2002 and temporarily reunited in 2005...
. They released three albums: Glass Floor
Glass Floor
Glass Floor was the debut full length album by the indie pop group, Maritime. It was the follow-up to Adios EP, which contained five tracks...
in 2004, We, the Vehicles
We, the Vehicles
We, the Vehicles is the second album by Maritime. This is the band's final album featuring bassist Eric Axelson.-Track listing:# "Calm" - 3:23# "Tearing Up the Oxygen" - 3:57# "People, the Vehicles" - 3:41# "Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts" - 3:27...
in 2006, and Heresy and the Hotel Choir
Heresy and the Hotel Choir
Heresy and the Hotel Choir is an album from indie pop band Maritime. It is the band's third full-length album and was released on October 16, 2007.- Track listing :# "Guns of Navarone" – 3:02# "With Holes for Thumb Sized Birds" – 2:45...
in 2007.
On March 1, 2007, the band announced they would be playing a one-and-off reunion show on Saturday, April 28, 2007 at Washington D.C.'s venerable Black Cat
The Black Cat (nightclub)
Black Cat is a nightclub in Washington, D.C., located on 14th Street Northwest in the Shaw/U Street neighborhood. The club was founded in 1993 and quickly established itself as a venue for independent music...
nightclub. The event was a charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...
concert benefiting Callum Robbins, son of J. Robbins
J. Robbins
James Robbins is an American rock music artist. He began his career as a bassist for Government Issue, and has also led four of his own bands: Jawbox, Rollkicker Laydown, Burning Airlines, and Channels. He was a touring bassist for Scream and played bass on the debut 7" from Jack Potential, which...
, frontman for DeSoto Records
DeSoto Records
DeSoto Records is an American record label based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1989, it is run by Bill Barbot and Kim Coletta, both formerly of the band Jawbox. It was first founded by members of the band Edsel to release their first single. Jawbox next used the name DeSoto for their first EP. It...
labelmate Jawbox
Jawbox
Jawbox was an alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., U.S.. Its original members were J. Robbins , Kim Coletta and Adam Wade...
. Fan reaction to the decision was overwhelmingly positive, and tickets to the concert sold out within minutes of being offered online. In response to the high demand for tickets, a second show was announced for April 27. Travis Morrison has stated that the band probably won't be getting back together, "except to drink beer". (http://www.travismorrison.com)
On September 13, 2010, The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
's Click Track reported that the band would reunite for a tour, in support of Barsuk Records
Barsuk Records
Barsuk Records is an independent record label based in Seattle, Washington, started and still managed by the members of the band This Busy Monster, Christopher Possanza and Josh Rosenfeld, who created the label in 1994 to release their band's material. Its logo is a drawing of a dog holding a...
' reissue of 1999s Emergency & I
Emergency & I
"A Life of Possibilities", "What Do You Want Me to Say?", "Jitters" and "The City" are all also featured in remixed form on A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan with bonus tracks "Just Like You" and "The First Anniversary Of Your Last Phone Call" being on The Ice Of Boston EP.-Personnel:*...
. "We're not planning a new record," bassist Eric Axelson told Click Track. "But we're doing these shows and taking it day to day after that."
Musical style
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
acts such as Fugazi and Jawbox
Jawbox
Jawbox was an alternative rock band from Washington, D.C., U.S.. Its original members were J. Robbins , Kim Coletta and Adam Wade...
, the Dismemberment Plan were significant for incorporating R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
(in stage banter, Morrison often talked of his obsession with Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
) and hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
influences to their sound. Influential indie rock criticism website Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
has called them the fathers of the late-1990s/early-2000s dance-punk
Dance-punk
Dance-punk is a music genre that emerged in the late 1970s, and is closely associated with the post-punk and No Wave movements.-Predecessors:...
movement, which in turn fostered the current New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
revival. Ironic humor was also a major component of the band's aesthetic, as displayed in songs such as "The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich" (Dismemberment Plan/Juno) and "The Ice of Boston" (...Is Terrified).
Performances
The Dismemberment Plan's live shows were generally high-energy affairs, with Morrison frequently inviting audience members to dance on stage during "The Ice of Boston." One of the band's most iconic songs, "Do the Standing Still," mocked indie rock fans for their reluctance to move during even the band's most frenetic performances, though Morrison himself would occasionally discourage fans from moshing.The band toured Japan three times and Europe twice, along with many tours of North America.
Studio Albums
- !! (album)! is an album by The Dismemberment Plan. It was released on October 2, 1995 on DeSoto Records. The band's original drummer, Steve Cummings, played on this album but left shortly after its release.-Track listing:#"Survey Says" – 2:08...
(1995) - The Dismemberment Plan Is TerrifiedThe Dismemberment Plan Is TerrifiedThe Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified is an album by The Dismemberment Plan. It was released on March 17, 1997 on Desoto.-Track listing:#"Tonight We Mean It"#"That's When the Party Started"#"The Ice of Boston"#"Academy Award"#"Bra"...
(1997) - Emergency & IEmergency & I"A Life of Possibilities", "What Do You Want Me to Say?", "Jitters" and "The City" are all also featured in remixed form on A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan with bonus tracks "Just Like You" and "The First Anniversary Of Your Last Phone Call" being on The Ice Of Boston EP.-Personnel:*...
(1999) - Change (2001)
Live Albums
- Live In Japan 2011 (2011)
EPs
- Can We Be Mature? (1994)
- The Ice of Boston (1998)
- Juno & The Dismemberment PlanJuno & The Dismemberment PlanJuno & The Dismemberment Plan is a split EP by The Dismemberment Plan and Juno, released in 2001 on DeSoto Records.-Track listing:Tracks 1 & 4 were recorded by The Dismemberment Plan, while tracks 2 & 3 were recorded by Juno....
(Split EP) (2000)
Compilations
- Give Me the Cure (1996)
- Ooh Do I Love You (1996)
- Fort Reno Benefit (1997)
- A People's History of the Dismemberment PlanA People's History of the Dismemberment PlanA People's History of the Dismemberment Plan is a 2003 album by Washington D.C. indie band The Dismemberment Plan, issued on DeSoto Records. The album is a compilation of songs from three of the band's previous releases, The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified, Emergency & I and Change, remixed by...
(2003)
Members
- Eric Axelson (as of 10/11/06) Recently ended a two-year stint playing bass in MaritimeMaritime (band)Maritime formed in 2003 out of the ashes of The Promise Ring and The Dismemberment Plan. After these two bands broke up, singer/guitarist Davey von Bohlen, drummer Dan Didier and bassist Eric Axelson hooked up and started a band called In English. The group quickly signed a deal with the record...
, which featured with Davey and Dan from The Promise RingThe Promise RingThe Promise Ring is an American emo band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In their early years, their music was usually classified as emo, but their later albums could be described more accurately as indie pop. They split up in 2002 and temporarily reunited in 2005...
. Justin Klug will take over his bass duties, although he appears on the band's second album We, the Vehicles. Axelson currently lives in Washington D.C. and in mid-2006 joined a band with Easley called Statehood.
- Jason Caddell (as of 2/4/09) After a brief stint writing and performing short instrumental pieces for use in small-time films, Caddell has settled as an in-studio producer, mixer and engineer. He is currently working on the new Pash record (www.pashband.com) at Inner Ear Studios and Silver Sonya Studios in Arlington, VA. More info can be found at www.jasoncaddell.com. Caddell currently plays guitar in the band Poor But Sexy with David Brown, Brandon Kalber, David Durst and Bruce Falconer.
- Joe Easley (as of 04/11/07) successfully completed his BSBachelor of ScienceA Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Aerospace engineeringAerospace engineeringAerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
from the University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
. Musically, he is currently playing in a new D.C.-based band with Axelson called Statehood.
- Travis Morrison (as of 1/25/10) "No shows, no records, no band. Just relaxing in Brooklyn."
- Steve Cummings (as of 04/16/07) is married to Eric's sister and is the father of three girls - they live in Richmond, Va. Steve works for a PR firm and writes and directs videos for various organizations.
External links
- Official site
- The Dismemberment Plan collection at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
's live music archive - Pitchfork Feature: Live: The Dismemberment Plan. Black Cat, Washington, D.C.; 28 April 2007
- Travis Morrison interview on Radio CPR, Washington, D.C.; April 2007