Dashboard Confessional is an American acoustic/electric guitar driven emo outfit, led by singer-songwriter and guitarist Chris Carrabba from Boca Raton, Florida. They won the MTV2 award at 2002's MTV Video Music Awards for their song "Screaming Infidelities" and appeared on motion picture soundtracks such as Shrek 2 and Spider-Man 2.

History

Dashboard Confessional was started in 1999, as a side project from Carrabba's venture with Florida punk band Further Seems Forever. The name Dashboard Confessional is derived from one of his songs, "The Sharp Hint of New Tears," which contains the line "On the way home/This car hears my confessions." Contrary to popular belief, the name Dashboard Confessional refers only to Carrabba, as he originally intended it to be only a solo project. Addressing this misunderstanding, he challenged: "What rulebook says it has to be called your name if you're one guy?"^[1] But Carrabba often brought along friends to play live shows with him, and in 2002 he decided to make the current line-up a permanent one.

The current line-up includes Carrabba (vocals, guitar), John Lefler (guitar), Scott Shoenbeck (bass), and Mike Marsh (drums). Violinist Susan Sherouse often performs and records with the group. As of 2005, they have released three EPs and four full-length albums, three of which have been certified gold by the RIAA.

In May of 2005, Dashboard Confessional entered the studio to record their fifth album with Daniel Lanois. Lanois has co-produced the landmark albums So (Peter Gabriel), The Joshua Tree (U2) and produced Bob Dylan's Grammy award winning masterpiece(album of the year 1997) "Time out of Mind". "Don't Wait" is said to be the first single from the new album Dusk & Summer, which is currently set to be released on June 27, 2006. Following the release of Dusk & Summer, Dashboard Confessional will embark on a summer tour of the United States with special guests Say Anything and Ben Lee. On June 14, 2006 the newest album Dusk & Summer was leaked on torrent websites.

Live Shows

Dashboard Confessional shows are known for their intimate atmosphere and enthusiastic participation from the crowds. Carrabba encourages the audience to sing large portions of the songs, stepping back from the mic and letting the crowd's voices be heard instead of his. This can be heard on numerous songs from the MTV Unplugged recording. Carrabba has said that this fosters a bond between concert-goers, and helps him and the audience connect on an emotional level, making all his shows intimate, personal experiences.

Discography

Albums

• The Swiss Army Romance (2000)
• The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (2001)
• MTV Unplugged 2.0 (2002)
• A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar (2003)
• Dusk and Summer (2006)

EPs

• The Drowning EP (2001)
• So Impossible (2001)
• Summer's Kiss (2002)

Non-album tracks

• "Jamie" – released on Rock Music: A Tribute to Weezer (2002)
• "The Only Gift that I Need" – released on KROQ's Kevin and Bean present: Swallow My Eggnog (2002)
• "Hold on" and "This Is a Forgery" – released on the Vagrant Records re-issue of The Swiss Army Romance (2003)
• "This Old Wound" and "The End of an Anchor" – released on non-US versions of A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar (2003)
• "I Do" – released on the UK CD single for "Hands Down" (2003)
• "Warmth of the Sand" – released on Another Year on the Streets Volume 3 and Vindicated single (2004)
• "Vindicated" – released on the original soundtrack to Spider-Man 2 (2004)
• "In A Big Country" – released on iTunes as part of the "Don't Wait" CD single (2006)

Chart performance

Albums

Singles

U.S. RIAA Certifications

• MTV Unplugged 2.0: Platinum (1,000,000+).
• The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most: Gold (500,000+).
• A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar: Gold (500,000+).

References

1. ↑  Dashboard Confessional Interview by Nate Bailey. Decapolis. Retrieved on December 29, 2005.

See also

• List of bands from Florida

External links

• Official Website
• Discography on Amazon.com
• Dashboard FAQ and Facts
• Dashboard Confessional Lyrics and Song Meanings
• Dashboard Confessional Live - Lyrics, Tabs, Forums and Live Concert Downloads
• Dashtabs.org - Fan forum and Dashboard Confessional tabs