The Dismemberment Plan - Emergency & I
This is easily one of my favorite five albums of the last ten years, and in strong contention for #1. If you were listening to indie-rock in the late '90s, you almost certainly heard (of) these guys, but I'm sure there are quite a few that are either totally unfamiliar or just haven't taken the time to get into them. To those people I say: GET THIS ALBUM.
Musically, this album is very jagged and angular, yet makes me want to get up and dance (then I remember how white and uncoordinated I am, and reconsider). I've listened to quite a few albums that incorporated angular rhythms and syncopated time signatures (e.g., Slint, June of '44) and even more that incorporate funky poppy riffs, but I think this is the only band that manages to do both at the same time. This album starts with a high level of energy and actually manages to maintain it throughout the album. Aside from
The Jitters, which is kind of a faux-Radiohead throwaway track, each and every song on this album is remarkable and different, and if you listen to the album repeatedly, will all get stuck in your head at one point or another.
Lyrically, The Plan is equally remarkable. In a time where the emo-indie scene's lyrics consisted almost exclusively of whiny, introspective, extended metaphors (I guess that's pretty much any time, isn't it), Travis Morrison manages to explore similar feelings with lyrics that are actually original and accessible.
I absolutely love this line:
There are folks that say to have a soul you’ve got to suffer
Well lately I’ve had my RDA of that
And call it fascist but I know that someday happy
Will be all that matters
Also, anyone who ever had the opportunity to see these guys live know that they put on an awesome show.
LINK TO ENTIRE ALBUM FOR FREE. This is from their website BTW, so it's all legal and stuff.