SOUNDTRACK: THE DISMEMBERMENT PLAN-Tiny Desk Concert #323 (December 2, 2013).
I always think that The Dismemberment Plan is a loud punk band (understandably with that name). But this Tiny Desk Concert sees the band with acoustic guitar, keyboards and brushes on the drums. What I didn’t realize was that the band had broken up and reunited and had made a new album in 2013:
When the newly re-formed band finally did make its way to our offices — on the heels of Uncanney Valley, its first album in 12 years — it unsurprisingly made for an odd fit. According to the group, these particular arrangements of songs from Uncanney Valley were sorted out just a day before this Tiny Desk Concert.
“Let’s Just Go To The Dogs Tonight” is a fun bouncy song full of mildly amusing wordplay and naughtiness. There’s a call and response section: “when I say ‘Outta’ you say ‘Luck’ and when I say ‘Cluster you’ say ‘Fuck'” (singer Travis Morrison flubbed the call-and-response portion of “Let’s Just Go to the Dogs Tonight,” he professed nervousness at making the NPR staff holler F-bombs. (No one seemed to mind)). I like the simplicity of the guitar chords, but I really like the fun bass line–not funky exactly, but just meandering around in a really tuneful way.
“Lookin'” is a slow ballad with a simple guitar melody. It’s a plaintive song that’s lightened by a bouncy bass line and some cool synth sounds near the end.
For the final song, “Daddy was a Real Good Dancer,” Morrison switches to keys and the keyboardist switches to guitar. They say that the guitar is brand new for the show–“we went to Guitar Center for you guys.” Bob says they need to break a string to break it in. This song is lighthearted and a bit goofy, about a dad who used to dance until he had him. Once again, the bass line really makes the song (and the drums are pretty great, too.
It’s a lighthearted and fun concert–surprisingly so for a band with dismember in their name.
[READ: June 6, 2016] Sex Criminals Volume 2
I really enjoyed Volume One of this series. I was shocked to see that it had been almost two years since I’d read it. And I was thrilled to see Volume 2 in the library.
The only problem with Volume 2 is that it assumes you have just finished volume 1, so there’s no playing catch up if you read it two years ago.
Especially since Book 6 opens with Suzie saying “So I’ve been digging in to pull off a fundraiser to make up the difference and keep the place open, so uh… The end?” But of course it is not the end. And when Jon tells us that things aren’t over, he pulls down his pants to show that he has nothing there–he’s like a Ken doll. What happened? In book 1 these two were going at it like rabbits.
It turns out that the Sex Police had a kind of tracking device–a Cumpass–that monitored everyone who had an orgasm and entered The Quiet (see book 1 review to figure out what the hell I’m talking about). Things get really stressed out for Jon over the next few days and he begins seeing symptoms of something–which he looks up online and decides is canceraids (it isn’t).
Jon has been seeing a therapist (whose office is in a mall), but he feels very unsatisfied (no, really??)
And book 6 ends with a huge roller coaster. First the bank has changed its mind and said that Suzie can have more time to pay back the money. But on the next page (through something I’m a little confused about), the bank has reversed its decision and said they have no time left–the library will be destroyed.
Book seven opens with Suzie at rock bottom, eating a muffin off the ground. She looks up to see her old friend Rach–her best friend and roommate whom she abandoned for Jon. They bond and Suzie reveals her Quiet secret. Rachel is unfazed (and even makes a very funny joke) and their friendship is restored. The whole sequence is very funny.
Then we flash back to Jon as a teenager when he first discovered his “gift.” He was a photographer but was too shy to take anyone’s pictures. Until he discovered The Quiet. But that didn’t quite work out as he’d hoped either.
Then we flash forward to the preset when Jon entered Kegelface’s house and discovered their sex room. He then gets in yet another fight where dildos are used as weapons.
Book 8 introduces a new character–Robert Rainbow. He is a gynecologist and Suzie is seeing him because her normal guy is out. Robert is a hunky black guy and he is very funny to boot. This book has some facts and statistics about birth control and which is the safest method (stats From Planned Parenthood). And then he discovers something about Suzie that he finds fascinating (and wants to share with others).
When her appointment is over she asks him for coffee. He says he can’t possibly do that legally. But she convinces him. On the way out they run into Jon and we learn that they were friends a long time ago. Flashback to Robert’s childhood. His sexual adventure began when he walked in on his parents having B&D sex. And then we learn how Robert disappointed Jon and their friendship was over.
Switch to Jon’s therapy session during which we learn (hilariously) that his shrink hasn’t been paying attention. Jon storms out to the food court where a guy is saying how much he loves the chicken. He reveals that he is a therapist himself. He thinks he can help Jon.
So things are looking up. Until the end oft he book shows a wrecking ball hitting Suzie’s library.
Book 9 introduces us to Jazmine St Cocaine, the porn star who Jon has always fantasized about. We see her history and how she got into stripping and then modelling and then porn (with a whole page of hilarious porn movie titles). And why are we seeing her? Because she too enters the Quiet when she orgasms.
Jon and Suzie want to talk to her to see if she’ll help get revenge on the sex police. This book is the most explicit one so far (despite the title, the book hasn’t been very “dirty,” but with the stripper and porn scenes, we do get some nudity.
Which is totally amped up in book 10. Jazmine St. Cocaine (who is now straight-laced with a surprising career) agrees to help. But in the side story, Suzie’s friend Rach (who has slept with everyone, we understand) is hanging out with Robert and he explains his OB/GYN decision. Which leads to many many drawings of vaginas and childbirth. This is countered with Rach’s email that is full of Dick picks. Including one from a guy named Richard Pick.
As the book (and the volume) ends, Jon and Suzie and Jazmine agree to enter the Quiet together–although not in the same room as that would be weird). Things get pretty intense in this sequence and there’s lots of flesh.
The end of the book has some extras. The first is a collection of “Sex Tips” which are pretty uniformly funny. It is followed by a “Playboyz” interview (a parody of them being interviewed by Playboy). It is informative and very funny as well.
The final pages are called “Brimpception” a hilarious meta joke in which fans took photos of themselves as Matt and Chip on their alternate photo cover. It’s really funny.
I love this series and can’t wait for more.
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