Travis Morrison
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Travis Morrison | |
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Black Cat in Washington, D.C. on January 21, 2011 | |
Background information | |
Born | December 16, 1972 |
Genres | Indie rock |
Occupation(s) |
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Instrument(s) |
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Years active | 1993–2009, 2011–present |
Labels | |
Website | travismorrison.com |
Travis Morrison (born December 16, 1972) is an American musician and web developer from the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., United States. He is best known as leader of indie-rock band The Dismemberment Plan and as a solo artist.
Early life
After picking up various instruments around age 12, Morrison stuck with guitar and began forming bands throughout his high school days at Lake Braddock Secondary School in Fairfax County, Virginia. He was on Lake Braddock's English Team and claimed to be "pathetically happy" upon defeating the english team of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology one year.[1]
After "getting out of Fairfax" he attended
The Dismemberment Plan
In 1993, Morrison formed The Dismemberment Plan with old Lake Braddock friends. Despite his mother's initial reluctance, the band practiced in bassist Eric Axelson's basement frequently and began playing shows. By 1995 they released their debut album ! on D.C. based DeSoto Records. After original drummer Steve Cummings left the band, he was replaced by Joe Easley and the band's lineup would remain that way throughout their existence. Morrison was the guitarist and vocalist for The Plan from their formation in 1993 to their final show at the 9:30 Club in D.C in 2003. The band released four LPs and two EPs and gained a large following for their energetic live show, mostly due to Morrison's "booty-shaking" moves onstage.[original research?] Their final two studio albums Emergency & I and Change were some of the most revered rock albums in the late-90s and early-2000s.[citation needed] Despite this, the band continued to work freelance jobs on the side to support themselves, Morrison taking up various computer and graphic design jobs.
Solo
In 2004, Morrison moved to
In the summer of 2004, Morrison had moved back to the D.C. area and in September 2004 he released his first solo album, Travistan, through Barsuk Records. The album was co-produced by Chris Walla.
Travis Morrison Hellfighters
In September 2004 Morrison assembled a band to play his solo songs live. Consisting of Brandon Kalber (bass, keyboards), Saadat Awan (drums), David Brown (percussion), Kristen Forbes (keyboards and backup vocals) and Morrison on vocals and keyboards. At first the band's live show consisted of three synths, percussion and drums but Morrison stated "none of us could play keyboards very well, so it was kind of hard after a while." Over time, Forbes left the band, the band introduced guitar & bass to their live sound and the band would begin touring as Travis Morrison Hellfighters. Travis and the Hellfighters continued to tour for the album and demoed new songs together. By the summer of 2005, the band had come into their own and were playing shows of entirely new material, only playing the occasional Travistan song. Travis and the Hellfighters have finished a new album, titled All Y'all, that was released on August 21, 2007, [1] and is currently streaming on Travis' website[3] and was produced by Travis's former bandmate, Jason Cadell.[4] The album was mixed by Joel Hamilton.
The final Hellfighters lineup (as of 2009) was:
- Travis Morrison
- David Brown
- Brandon Kalber
- Vince Magno
- Thomas Orgren
"Retirement" and current activities
In the summer of 2009, Morrison's official website was updated to state that he has retired from making music, and that there will be no more shows, records or bands. When
Personal life
As of mid-2012, Morrison lives in the
Morrison's other singing outlet has been regular participation in an Episcopal Church choir.[2]
Trumpeter of D.C. culture
Morrison is notable for being very vocal about the culture of the Washington, D.C. area. Morrison has always insisted on touring with fellow D.C. acts, both with The Plan and solo. Despite releasing
Recently around D.C. he has also done volunteer work with We Are Family D.C., a non-profit organization and returned to his William & Mary days by DJing with
In 2005 through most of 2007 Morrison lived in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, DC with his girlfriend and worked for the website of The Washington Post, heading their advertising programming and production department.
D.C. lyrical references
Morrison frequently refers to D.C. area locations and themes in his songs. References include:
- The song "13th and Euclid" (!) is named after an intersection in Northwest D.C.
- In "Fantastic!" (!): "I wouldn't go so far as to call it escape, but I'll head my way up I-95"
- In "I'm Going to Buy You a Gun" (!): "I'm going to take you out on I-95"
- In "The Ice of Boston" (The Dismemberment Plan is Terrified): "...and I say 'oh fine, mom; how's Washington?!'"
- The song "The City" (Emergency and I) is about D.C.
- In "Spider in the Snow" (Emergency & I): "And as I would walk down K Street to some temping job, as winter froze life out of fall, I must have been having a ball."
- In "Ellen and Ben" (Change): "The Ocean City girls on the boardwalk, singing oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh"
- In "My Two Front Teeth Parts 2 & 3" (Travistan): "In front of the September 11, 2001 attacks[8]("The second I saw, but the first was sucker-punch city.")
- In "Born in '72" (Travistan): The verse which starts, "Can't ask for more so we're unfulfilled," up to, "through and through," is a lyrical and rhythmic reference to Fugazi's "Break", the opening track on their 1998 album, "End Hits".
- In "Get Me Off This Coin D" (Travistan): "You named a town, after me now, and United States coinage)
- In "Hawkins' Rock" (All Y'All): "Drivin' down I-95, son" and "Drivin' down I-81, yeah"
- In "I Do" (All Y'All): "swimming through the heat of a D.C. dawn"
- "East Side of the River" (All Y'All) is about the part of Washington, DC, east of the Anacostia River.
Discography
The Dismemberment Plan
- Can We Be Mature? (EP) (1994)
- ! (1995)
- Give Me the Cure (compilation) (1996)
- Ooh Do I Love You (compilation) (1996)
- The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified (1997)
- Fort Reno Benefit (compilation) (1997)
- What Do You Want Me to Say? (single) (1997)
- The Ice of Boston(EP) (1998)
- Emergency & I (1999)
- Dismemberment Plan/Juno (split EP) (2000)
- Change (2001)
- A People's History of the Dismemberment Plan(compilation) (2003)
- Live in Japan 2011 (2011)
- Uncanney Valley (2013)
Solo
- Travistan (2004)
Travis Morrison Hellfighters
- All Y'All(2007)
- Cruisin' (All Night Long) (single) (2012)
The Burlies
- The Burlies EP (2014)
References
- ^ Nude as the News:
- ^ slate.com, July 24, 2012, accessed July 25, 2012
- ^ "Travis Morrison Hellfighters". Travismorrison.com. Retrieved November 3, 2010.
- ^ Pitchfork: Dismemberment Plan Members Form New Band Archived July 6, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Dismemberment Plan's Travis Morrison". A.V. Club. January 12, 2011. Retrieved March 24, 2012.
- ^ "The Dismemberment Plan - Celebrating An Emergency". Glide Magazine. March 7, 2011. Retrieved March 28, 2012.
- ^ "Travis Morrison Hellfighters - Crusin' (All Night Long)". May 29, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ^ "Fortunate Son". Thenation.com. Retrieved November 3, 2010.