Travis Morrison
The witty, nervy frontman of The Dismemberment Plan, a band that fused dance-punk energy with hyper-literate anxiety for a cult following.
Born 1972 (age 54)·Musical artist·Birthday: December 16·Generation X
Biography
Travis Morrison, with his conversational yelp and sharp pen, led The Dismemberment Plan out of Washington D.C.'s post-hardcore scene in the mid-90s. The band didn't just play music; they engineered frantic, rhythmically inventive soundscapes over which Morrison unpacked the minutiae of modern life—awkward parties, failing technology, and social panic. Their 1999 album 'Emergency & I' became a touchstone for a generation of indie fans, a perfect document of pre-millennial tension that felt both danceable and deeply anxious. After the band's initial hiatus, Morrison pursued a solo career that leaned into piano-based songwriting and, notably, a parallel life in web development, reflecting a pragmatic creativity distinct from typical rock mythos.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Travis was born in 1972, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Travis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1972
#1 Movie
The Godfather
Best Picture
The Godfather
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Travis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1972Born
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1977Started school
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1985Became a teenager
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1988Could drive
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1990Could vote
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Turned 21
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2002Turned 30
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 40
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 50
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 54 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Fronted The Dismemberment Plan, whose album 'Emergency & I' is consistently cited as a landmark of indie and dance-punk.
- Authored the band's uniquely literate and anxious lyrics, capturing the mood of turn-of-the-millennium youth culture.
- Maintained a dual career as a musician and a professional web developer after the band's initial dissolution.
Did You Know?
He holds a degree in English from the University of Maryland.
He has worked as a web developer and software engineer for various publications and organizations.
The Dismemberment Plan's music was famously used in a 2004 episode of the television show 'The O.C.'
“I'm not a rock star; I'm a guy who writes songs about grocery stores.”
