Travis Morrison
Encyclopedia
Travis Morrison is an American musician and web developer from the Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia
Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...

 suburbs of Washington, D.C., United States. He is best known as leader of indie-rock band The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan
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 , Jason Caddell ,...

 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
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...

 in Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County, Virginia
Fairfax County is a county in Virginia, in the United States. Per the 2010 Census, the population of the county is 1,081,726, making it the most populous jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia, with 13.5% of Virginia's population...

. The problem he kept running into with his high school bands was keeping a drummer. It didn't help that his mother didn't want him to ever play the drums due to all the noise it would make in the house. He was on Lake Braddock's Math Team and claimed to be "pathetically happy" upon defeating the math team of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is a Virginia state-chartered magnet school located within Fairfax County, Virginia, United States...

 one year.

After "getting out of Fairfax" he attended The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...

 for three years before dropping out to pursue a band. He worked at the campus radio station WCWM
WCWM
WCWM is a freeform radio station licensed to Williamsburg, Virginia, serving the Middle Peninsula. WCWM is owned and operated by The College of William & Mary in Virginia.-External links:*...

, which he claimed was "worth tuition right there." At WCWM he became well versed in many types of music, "from John Coltrane to German art rock." He continues to have wide ranging musical taste to this very day, having claimed to enjoy everything from Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...

, Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...

, XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...

, Fugazi, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...

 and Go-go.

The Dismemberment Plan

In 1993, Morrison formed The Dismemberment Plan
The Dismemberment Plan
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 , Jason Caddell ,...

 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 !
! (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...

on D.C. based 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...

. 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
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...

 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. Their final two studio albums 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:*...

and Change were some of the most revered rock albums in the late-90s and early-2000s . 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 Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...

 and began working closely in the studio with both Ben Gibbard
Ben Gibbard
Benjamin "Ben" Gibbard is an American musician known as a member of several successful indie rock bands. He is the lead singer of Death Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service, and is also known for his project ¡All-Time Quarterback! and his first band, Pinwheel.-Personal life and career:Gibbard was...

 and Chris Walla
Chris Walla
Christopher Walla is an American musician and music producer, most notable for being the guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie. He is also a former DJ of KCWU, 88.1 The Burg...

 of 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 ....

, a frequent tourmate of The Plan. Morrison then began doing a nationwide tour of a solo show with just him and an acoustic guitar. The shows consisted of him doing mostly covers of songs varying a wide variety of genres (from Spoon to Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...

and beyond). He also began playing some songs he was working on for a solo album. Around this time, he posted up mp3s of songs he was working on for his solo album as well as a cover of Ludacris's "What's Your Fantasy
What's Your Fantasy
"What's Your Fantasy" is the first single off the Ludacris album Back for the First Time . It debuted at #89 on September 30, 2000, entered the Top 40 on November 4, and peaked at #21 on December 16. The original version features Disturbing tha Peace member Shawnna, who is featured in the chorus...

" which was listed as a "must download" in Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...

.

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
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 ....

, through 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...

. The album was co-produced by Chris Walla
Chris Walla
Christopher Walla is an American musician and music producer, most notable for being the guitarist for the band Death Cab for Cutie. He is also a former DJ of KCWU, 88.1 The Burg...

.

Travis Morrison Hellfighters

In September 2004 Morrison assembled a band to play his solo songs live. Consisting of Brandon Kalber (bass, keyboards), Saadat Awan
Saadat Awan
Saadat Awan is a Washington DC native, by way of Pakistan and Afghanistan. He is a member of The Cassettes, Metropolitan band, and Thievery Corporation side projects International Velvet and I.C.U...

 (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 http://www.hatesomethingbeautiful.com/?p=960 and is currently streaming on Travis' website and was produced by Travis's former bandmate, Jason Cadell. The album was mixed by Joel Hamilton
Joel Hamilton
Joel Hamilton is a producer, engineer, and musician originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Since the late 1990s he has been based out of Brooklyn, NY. He shares a studio with partner Tony Maimone named Studio G. He has worked with a number of well known artists, as well as writing for various...

.

The final Hellfighters lineup (as of 2009) was:
  • Travis Morrison
  • David Brown
  • Brandon Kalber
  • Vince Magno
  • Thomas Orgren

Retirement

Morrison's official website states that he has retired from making music, stating that there will be no more shows, records or bands. Despite this, Dismemberment Plan reunited for shows in early 2011.

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 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 ....

on 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...

, he remains supportive of D.C.-based 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...

. In his lyrics he makes mention to the area (see below), the liner notes to Change feature photos taken around Washington, D.C., notably of The Uptown Theatre. The logo for Travistan resembles the flag of the District of Columbia. He's a very active fan of Washington area sports, mainly the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...

. He placed a link on his website to an online petition to change the name of the Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...

 to the Washington Grays
Homestead Grays
The Homestead Grays were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 by Cumberland Posey, and would remain in continuous operation for 38 seasons. The team was based in Homestead, Pennsylvania, adjacent to Pittsburgh.-Franchise...

 in honor of the old
Homestead Grays
The Homestead Grays were a professional baseball team that played in the Negro leagues in the United States. The team was formed in 1912 by Cumberland Posey, and would remain in continuous operation for 38 seasons. The team was based in Homestead, Pennsylvania, adjacent to Pittsburgh.-Franchise...

 D.C. Negro Leagues team. Both with The Plan and solo he frequently played and continues to play shows at D.C. live venue staples Black Cat, Fort Reno and the 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...

. He has kicked around the idea of doing a tour of the outlying suburbs of D.C since he once lived in Lorton, Virginia
Lorton, Virginia
Lorton is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population is 27,709 as of the 2008 census estimate.-History:...

 and knows how difficult it can be to get downtown for a show.

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 WMUC at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The 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...

. He has also sung in several D.C. area church choirs, including a recent season with the National Cathedral.

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 town's most famous paper, 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...

 heading their advertising programming and production department. He moved to Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

 in late 2007 and now works for Huffington Post as their director of commercial development.

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
    Interstate 95
    Interstate 95 is the main highway on the East Coast of the United States, running parallel to the Atlantic Ocean from Maine to Florida and serving some of the most populated urban areas in the country, including Boston, Providence, New Haven, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore,...

    "
  • 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
    K Street (Washington, D.C.)
    K Street is a major thoroughfare in the United States capital of Washington, D.C. known as a center for numerous think tanks, lobbyists, and advocacy groups.-Location:...

     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
    Ocean City, Maryland
    Ocean City, sometimes known as OC, or OCMD, is an Atlantic Ocean resort town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Ocean City is widely known in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is a frequent destination for vacationers in that area...

     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 Gap
    Gap (clothing retailer)
    The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...

     at the corner of M and Wisconsin" - the song illustrates a Georgetown
    Georgetown, Washington, D.C.
    Georgetown is a neighborhood located in northwest Washington, D.C., situated along the Potomac River. Founded in 1751, the port of Georgetown predated the establishment of the federal district and the City of Washington by 40 years...

     mugging, in which the narrator loses his two front teeth
    World Trade Center
    The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...

    , as a metaphor for the September 11, 2001 attacks
    September 11, 2001 attacks
    The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...

     ("The second I saw, but the first was sucker-punch city.")
  • In "Get Me Off This Coin D" (Travistan): "You named a town, after me now, and no one there can vote" (from the perspective of George Washington
    George Washington
    George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...

    , the last of a series of songs commemorating the four presidents on common United States coinage
    United States coinage
    United States coinage was first minted by the new republic in 1792. New coins have been produced every year since then and they make up a valuable aspect of the United States currency system. Today circulating coins exist in denominations: $0.01, $0.05, $0.10, $0.25, $0.50, and $1.00. Also minted...

    )
  • In "Hawkins' Rock" (All Y'All): "Drivin' down I-95, son" and "Drivin' down I-81
    Interstate 81
    Interstate 81 is an Interstate Highway in the eastern part of the United States. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 40 in Dandridge, Tennessee; its northern terminus is on Wellesley Island at the Canadian border, where the Thousand Islands Bridge connects it to Highway 401, the main freeway...

    , 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
    Anacostia River
    The Anacostia River is a river in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States. It flows from Prince George's County in Maryland into Washington, D.C., where it joins with the Washington Channel to empty into the Potomac River at Buzzard Point. It is approximately long...

    .

The Dismemberment Plan

  • "Can We Be Mature?" single (1994)
  • !
    ! (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)
  • Give Me the Cure compilation (1996)
  • Ooh Do I Love You compilation (1996)
  • The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified
    The Dismemberment Plan Is Terrified
    The 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)
  • Fort Reno Benefit compilation (1997)
  • "What Do You Want Me to Say?" single (1997)
  • The Ice of Boston 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...

     (1998)
  • 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:*...

    (1999)
  • Dismemberment Plan/Juno split 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...

     (2000)
  • Change (2001)
  • 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...

    (2003)

External links

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