The aptly named, ineffable wonder band, Dismemberment Plan, came screaming their way out of Washington, D.C., in 1993 into an audience salivating for anything substantial to be flung its way. Their debut, simply titled “”!”” (and rightly so), was released in 1996 by the independent D.C. label DeSoto Records. It proceeded to crack skulls in the indie world with its art-pop mentality and barely concealed garage roots.
Since then, they have released three full-length records, including last year’s “”Change.””
“”With ‘Change,’ as with all of our records, we were thinking what we could do that maybe isn’t being done right now in the general tapestry of popular music,”” said Travis Morrison, vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist. “”We would be gratified if we could fill a hole in our record collection with sophisticated songs that unfold gradually.””
While they maintain an intimate connection to their indie rock family, citing influences like Q And Not U and the Flaming Lips, their current work also references anything from Gladys Knight and the Pips to the Talking Heads. No genre terminology can pinpoint what they may do next, which can be seen in the transition from 1999’s “”Emergency & I”” — a veritable schizophrenic spazz-fest — to their latest work of moody baroque coloring.
The Plan is currently in the process of harvesting a crop of remixes from their fans. Their official Web site, http://www.dismembermentplan.com, includes an open call for mixes and even provides fans with downloadable copies of their master recordings. The best of the bunch are projected to be released sometime in the spring of 2003.
The last two years have thrown Dismemberment Plan into the echo of the emo scene’s surging popularity. They were confounded by their inclusion in a SPIN Magazine special about emo, having never really associated themselves with the genre.
“”I really don’t think about ’emo’ at all,”” Morrison said. “”It certainly seems to be a hot buzzword in the rock industry these days. But when we first started playing, people said we sounded like They Might Be Giants. Then it was Soul Coughing. And when ‘Emergency & I’ came out, suddenly it was ’emo.’ So what it all proves to me is you just can’t give a single solitary shit.””
Wherever it came from, this spurt of attention found the Plan in a state of relative commercial success: “”Emergency & I”” sold almost 20,000 copies and began appearing on best-of-the-year lists everywhere. Even Pearl Jam was asking them to open for them in 14 European cities.
So where do they go from here? Some may say they’ve paid their indie-rock dues and are ready for big time exposure. Or some may say they’ve had their taste of fame and we can all move on to our next underground-rock poster children. But the Plan doesn’t seem to be thinking along either of these lines.
“”Bands’ success levels are like a driving stick,”” Morrison said. “”You never stay in fourth; it’s a transitional gear. But a lot of musicians will tell you they’d love to stay in fourth because you can drive on the highway or you can drive on local roads. You dream of a reasonable sustainable level of success for a long time. So every day we do better and better.””