|
I really like The Dismemberment Plan. A lot. About a year and
a half ago they started doing a crazy song in concert called
The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich. This tune features
squealing keys, thunderous bass, mile-a-minute vocals, and wierd
samples. It seemed really cool, and eventually i tracked down
this EP, which is the only place you can find that song right
now.
In the interim i had placed a bootleged version of the song
on a tape i keep in my car, and i have seen The Plan several
more times in concert. And i must say: after about the 20th
listen the song becomes really really annoying. In fact, right
now i would say that it is my least favorite Plan song. The
samples whine and the vocals are so fast as to be incomprehensible...
Fonrtunately, there are other good tunes on this EP.
The Dismemberment Plan Gets Rich is the leadoff track,
but it is quickly followed by Non-Equivalents by Juno.
This was the first ever Juno song that i have heard, and i must
say: it rocks the rock of the righteous! It's a wall of guitar
noise with thundering drums and vocals that are screamed just
to be heard at the same level as the guitars. It reminds me
of Sugar, and that's a good thing!
The next track is also by Juno and it is a cover on a DJ Shadow
song called High Noon. Yes, Juno, a rock band, cover
a song by DJ Shadow, an electronic collage artist. It was actually
a good choice, if a wierd one. The song is dominated by an overpowering
rhythm around with other sounds whirl. In the DJ Shadow version
they are various samples, but in Juno's version the guitars
take that place. In fact, Juno turn in something that sounds
remarkably like the original. It's not too exciting when you
think about it, but it is an amazing display of skill, especially
on the drummers part.
The EP finishes with a second Dismemberment Plan song, Crush,
which is a cover attributed to somebody called Jennifer Paige.
Malimus (who claims to know more of such things) tells me that
Ms. Paige is a pop singer in the same sort of vein as Britney
Spears. Ugh. All sunshine and girlish squeals and programmed
beats. But not after The Plan get done with it. They take what
was probably a nice happy song and turn it into a dirge of resignation.
Sparse guitar arpeggios, subconscious keyboard drones, and scattered
drumming accompany vocalist Travis Morrison's voice as he stretches
the words out almost painfully. It's eerie and creepy and beautiful.
If you listen on headphones you hear somebody have a coughing
fit in the background towards the end, and there are a few false
starts that lead me to believe that this was done in one take.
Whether it was or not, it is a very very impressive song. A
fine addition to The Plan's catalog.
I wonder what Ms. Paige thinks about The Dismemberment Plan
covering her song?
So there you go: this EP is four tracks, two of which are really
amazing, one of which displays tremendous skill, and one of
which i am totally sick of. This was not an easy thing to find,
but if you are a Plan / Juno /guitar rock fan you should seek
this out.
|
