Someone honestly describe Dashboard Confessional

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I was out bar-hopping with a group of friends last night, Dashboard Confessional came into conversation, and everyone at the table started spitting out acid and negative spew regarding them. As we all discovered later, all but one had never even heard a single note of this band's music. The one guy only walked in during a live show, said he wanted to puke, and left.

I looked at Allmusic's entry for D.C.... told me absolutely nothing. I searched the ILM archives... and only found Alex NYC's diatribes, which not only described nothing, but made me especially favorable towards the band.

All of the above make me feel there might actually be some worth to Dashboard Confessional's music, invoking the ever popular "contrarian/bad press amongst the elite must mean SOMETHING" corollary.

So how about it? Can someone describe the elements, comparisons, etc. of Dashboard Confessional, right here right now.. without siting once how good or bad looking Chris "I'm the Nice Fonzie" Carraba is? If it's anything that approximates Green Day, No Knife, Mysteries Of Life, or even The Gloria Record or Sunny Day Real Estate, there's a chance I might like it.

Maybe the thing that makes me more curious about D.C. is that they're the only "emo" band these days that's often referred to as a band belonging to and centered on one frontman.... no one refers to No Knife as Mitch Wilson's band. No one refers to The Promise Ring as Davey VonBohlen's band. Weezer may be the only exception, and even then, they're just tenuously "emo", even in the colloquial sense.

So, is this a case where Dashboard Confessional are more like a less memorable Goo Goo Dolls or Lemonheads, with some minor "emo" elements?

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 17 October 2002 20:45 (twenty-three years ago)

That's just what they're like! Only the "emo" elements are completely dominant. To me, The Goo Goos and the Lemonheads write better songs, but if you want to like Dashboard, that's up to you, bitch (Mr. Bitch?). The thing to get over, if you decide to give them a listen, is that guy's voice. Overwhelmingly emo, I say.

― A.V. Alexandre (Keiko), Thursday, 17 October 2002 21:11 (twenty-three years ago)

donut bitch, you are soooooo old-skool...

go to their webpage (or their label page) and DOWNLOAD an mp3, listen to it, and make up your own description!

I like the goo-goo dolls... *whimpers*

― gygax!, Thursday, 17 October 2002 21:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Nobody refers to Bright Eyes as Conor Oberst's band. Nobody refers to Modest Mouse as Isaac Brock's band.

keith

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Thursday, 17 October 2002 21:21 (twenty-three years ago)

They sound like SHIT. It's the absolute worst orchestrated attempt at nakedly-emotional bullshit singer-songwriter garbage I've ever heard. It's a complete parody of itself. When I heard it, I couldn't decide whether to burst out laughing at the ridiculously cliche attempt at confessional lyrics or to smash the CD with a cinder block for being so godawfully bad. It sounds like your stereotypical movie soundtrack shit that moody teenage girls would listen to when they're pissed at their boyfriends.

― Manny Parsons (Rahul Kamath), Thursday, 17 October 2002 21:30 (twenty-three years ago)

keith, if you were trying to cut me one, it went over my head.

manny, aside from "singer-songwriter", you didn't describe anything.

gygax, you're right... but there's another reason I want to hear descriptions.

― donut bitch (donut), Thursday, 17 October 2002 21:43 (twenty-three years ago)

there's another reason I want to hear descriptions

DONUT BITCH IST CHRIS CARRABA!!!

― Yancey (ystrickler), Thursday, 17 October 2002 21:45 (twenty-three years ago)

It is a bit like if a really hot guy was doing an impersonation of Lili Taylor in Say Anything. With a little Alanis-speak thrown in. Also, he's the Grand Funk of emo. Except he's no good.

"you're dying to look cute in your blue jeans
but you're plastic just like everyone, just like everyone
and that face you paved is pressed, impressing
most of us as permanent and I'd like to see you undone"

That'll never be me, that'll never be me!!!

― Arthur (Arthur), Thursday, 17 October 2002 22:03 (twenty-three years ago)

I've only heard about four seconds of them from an MTV awards nominee clip. The fact that this alone was enough to make me utterly hate hate HATE the song, is a pretty impressive high on the ol' suck scale.

― Kim (Kim), Thursday, 17 October 2002 22:14 (twenty-three years ago)

"This basement's a coffin
I'm buried alive.
I'll die in here just to be safe.
I'll die in here just to be safe.
'Cause you're gone
I get nothing
and you're off with barely a sigh.
I never said "Good-bye"

Does he ever get the girl?"

Now imagine legions of distraught teenage girls and a couple of teenage boys who try to look deep to impress those girls, singing along... crying.

There ya go.

― David Allen, Thursday, 17 October 2002 22:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh, I said he was hot, sorry DB. I didn't read the original post close enough. His stuff reminds me of the Burt Reynold's solo record Ask Me What I Am. Except again, it's not good.

― Arthur (Arthur), Thursday, 17 October 2002 22:35 (twenty-three years ago)

a sha na na reject.

― keith (keithmcl), Thursday, 17 October 2002 22:40 (twenty-three years ago)

"a sha na na reject."

That's the funniest thing Ive heard in a long time.

― David Allen, Thursday, 17 October 2002 23:10 (twenty-three years ago)

It is a bit like if a really hot guy was doing an impersonation of Lili Taylor in Say Anything

So they sound like Bright Eyes, only their lead singer isn't a minger?

― RickyT (RickyT), Thursday, 17 October 2002 23:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I tried to write a li'l somethin' on thee FT blog bitch, but it doesn't say much @ all in terms of what it sounds like (excepting the token emo reference - go me!).

It has all the earmarks of that particular little sect of indie rock folks call "emo", when essayed through an acoustic guitar. And the music itself isn't bad, if you're into that sort of thing - strummed chords, pleasing but unfamiliar changes here & there, brushed drums, yadda yadda. But then he sings. Mewls, really. Whines, perhaps? And it isn't so much the voice - because lordy knows there's plenty of music that's quite enjoyable despite the vocalist's lack of acceptable grace - but the fact that a) the lyrics are painfully poetic and b) they're enunciated with unerring precision so they pierce the eardrums (mine, anyway) like sharp, rusty, tactless ... wordy things. Tonight, it's not just the song, it's the goddamn singer.

This opinion was sponsored by two DC songs and the Wendy's Mozarella Chicken Sandwich combo.

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 18 October 2002 00:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Dashboard Confessional : emo :: Tenacious D : metal

Except that Tenacious D are trying to be funny, and occasionally they succeed.

― j.lu (j.lu), Friday, 18 October 2002 01:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Get Up Kids minus anything that might possibly redeem the Get Up Kids.

― Aaron A., Friday, 18 October 2002 03:31 (twenty-three years ago)

They fucking suck, and this comes from someone who actually kinda likes Saves the Day.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 18 October 2002 04:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Nobody refers to Bright Eyes as Conor Oberst's band.

Huh? Every Bright Eyes review mentions Conor in the first 5 words. (Also: ILM sux, Bright Eyes rulez.)

― bnw (bnw), Friday, 18 October 2002 05:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Donut Bitch I heard a track it had some guys playing guitars and it was kind of stoppy-starty and it had this guy sounding sort of agonised over the top in a really bogus way. It was really bad.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 18 October 2002 08:09 (twenty-three years ago)

We know your feelings about OK Computer, Tom, now to the subject at hand.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 18 October 2002 13:29 (twenty-three years ago)

A few examples to refute your premise ... just think it's a bit off, donut bitch.

Oh yeah, Dashboard Confessional sounds like Morrissey without a penis.

keiths

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Friday, 18 October 2002 15:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Uh, Morrissey sounds like Morrissey without a penis!

― Sean (Sean), Friday, 18 October 2002 20:19 (twenty-three years ago)

I heard "Screaming Infidelities" once. I didn't mind it. It warmed my heart that this music we'd fawned over, sometimes tried to make in 1995 was making it onto mainstream radio, with all the over-earnest poetic platitudes (just like the things my friends would write in their zines) about relationships we'd never experienced. It has the stops and starts and his voice goes from being this softer singing to this louder higher whine while staying in key and sounding like he's supporting it somewhat. The melody is sort of wistful-sounding. It was pleasant in its way, at least for something I heard one time on the radio. Sometimes pretentiousness feels more real?

― sundar subramanian, Friday, 18 October 2002 21:21 (twenty-three years ago)

So now David R. and Sundar have said the only even vaguely positive things I've ever heard any ILMer say about Dashboard Confessional. On the last Dashboard thread, I asked if anybody out there liked them, and no one bit. Seriously-- is this the only band out there that NOBODY on ILM likes? C'mon now, I want to see a real ILM Dashboard defense. All you closet Carraba fans, strike back! Go!

― charlie va, Friday, 18 October 2002 22:09 (twenty-three years ago)

He'd make a beautiful corpse. Until it rotted.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 18 October 2002 22:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Someone on ILE on this thread managed what seemed like a fairly strong defence!

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 18 October 2002 23:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Tom, is there a link missing there? I'm checking THIS thread again, and nothing seems like much of a defense, unless you count "Dashboard Confessional sounds like Morrissey without a penis."

― charlie va (charlie va), Saturday, 19 October 2002 00:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Someone honestly describe Dashboard Confessional

The thread was double-posted and someone on ILE answered thusly.

― Tom (Groke), Saturday, 19 October 2002 00:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Ummm...DC would have been the perfect guest artist if Beverly Hills 90210 had lasted long enough to see emo's pop crossover?

― j.lu (j.lu), Saturday, 19 October 2002 00:28 (twenty-three years ago)

one month passes...

OK, so I meant to actually follow up on this. I finally heard Dashboard, and my reaction is most like Daver's. If it wasn't for that voice, I think Dashboard would be quite good. Unfortunately, that sore point is the most prominent thing in the mix. And I can only imagine the lyrical inspirations come from one too many a participation at the local Open Mic Night at Starbuck's.

So, Chris Carabas, if you're listening.. No offense, little buddy, but I would happily buy your instrumental releases.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 4 December 2002 01:57 (twenty-three years ago)

90210's Steve on DC: "You know, I'm not really a big fan of emo music, but those guys are good date rape music."

― cub, Wednesday, 4 December 2002 02:53 (twenty-three years ago)

I kid. Steve would never say such a terrible thing. He would nod his head in approval.

― cub, Wednesday, 4 December 2002 02:56 (twenty-three years ago)

He's got fake Morrissey hair.

― original bgm, Wednesday, 4 December 2002 03:07 (twenty-three years ago)

I'll only add that Dashboard make me laugh and smile if only for the plot finale in www.emogame.com

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 4 December 2002 04:10 (twenty-three years ago)

dashboard is a crybaby bitch. plain and simple.

― clinton doggett (clinton doggett), Wednesday, 4 December 2002 04:26 (twenty-three years ago)

eight months pass...

They cannot be escaped!

― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 21:19 (twenty-two years ago)

He's on the cover of SPIN this month, yes?

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I have to hand it to him, the band is aptly named.

― amateurist (amateurist), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 21:38 (twenty-two years ago)

The band is not named "Suckscum Fondleperv," I have to note.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 21:48 (twenty-two years ago)

The recent bio-epic in the NYT showed that the lead singer (I forget his name) is an ardent Dawson's disciple. I may have to check out their work. How is it that I was always seem to escape that which presumably cannot be?

― Mary (Mary), Tuesday, 12 August 2003 23:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The guy is going to be a gay porn star in the near future. (This is not an insult.)

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Who could possibly take that as an insult?

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, this is ILX after all.

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)

(ok, that was extraordinarily flippant of me. sorry)

― donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Jess got to the Bitch! Say it ain't so!

― David R. (popshots75`), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 05:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Arthur, how does the Burt Reynolds compare to David Crosby's "I Know I Am But What Are You"?

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 08:21 (twenty-two years ago)

God damn it, I demand that this thread be Googled by Dashboard fans immediately

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

The guy is going to be a gay porn star in the near future. (This is not an insult.)

i dont think he's got the stomach for this. carrabba would totally get his anus destroyed.

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 12:21 (twenty-two years ago)

seriously, some of those gay porn guys are BIG

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Wednesday, 13 August 2003 12:25 (twenty-two years ago)

one month passes...

I LOVE DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL... chris sings about the most heartfelt stuff, and sorry to break you "dashboard are shit" thread.. but i love them soooooo much. sorry

― DASH FAN, Sunday, 21 September 2003 12:19 (twenty-two years ago)

A year for the first google post?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 12:27 (twenty-two years ago)

He used to sound like the male Lisa Loeb ("Stay" vs. "Screaming Infidelities"?), now he sounds like Jimmy Eat World trying to tell you a secret (I cannot STAND his "whisper" voice). Either way, the dude is such a fucker. Every emo boy and his left nut talks about the most heartfelt stuff these days, so why does Dashy get so much attention? Answer: James Taylor in the body of a Social D fan. Ooh la fuckin' la. Though I'm glad he's milking it. People will get sick of him quicker that way. Knock on wood.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, and for wryly stealing AC/DC's logo he should get his arms ripped off.

The rudest and possibly funniest thing I ever read about Dashboard Confessional was from Budyhead. They basically said the worst part about hearing DC's music was realizing all that his ugly fans are going to be losing their virginity to it.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:54 (twenty-two years ago)

But they didn't say who or what with.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 15:56 (twenty-two years ago)

undoubtedly...
http://schools.4j.lane.edu/roosevelt/studentwork/cproj/music/weezer/rivers.gif

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:00 (twenty-two years ago)

They'll lose their virginity to a flowerpot? Don't want to know.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:03 (twenty-two years ago)

so I've never heard of this band but the ILM consensus is that the singer guy is hot, so obviously I'm interested. but no, NOT HOT.

from all the descriptions of the music, that seems innocuously uninteresting.

― The Lex (The Lex), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd like to give it up for Donut Bitch's use of the phrase Chris "I'm the Nice Fonzie" Carraba. Cheers!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey, here's a ripe slice of hell to ponder -- Chris Carraba and Conor Oberst on a duet of "Endless Love."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:27 (twenty-two years ago)

leave Conor out of this.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Chris and Conor sitting in a tree.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

what is it with the emo guys and those silly black rimmed glasses?

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

it's called modern fashion, dawg. my mom says they used to call them "birth control glasses." I tried a pair on once, but I just couldn't switch. ironically, it felt vain.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 21 September 2003 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

See, the thing about it is like Morrissey owned that look in the eighties...and I'm not surprised that Carraba is trying for a bit of that.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

morrissey's a god though.

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Sunday, 21 September 2003 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not denying this!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 21 September 2003 17:58 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

http://www.vh1.com/shared/media/news/images/d/Dashboard_Confessional/sq_carrabba_newhair_epk_int.jpg

CHACHI!

― donut christ (donut), Thursday, 23 December 2004 10:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Morrisey is funny though. He danced with flowers and claimed he was celibate.

I'd love emo if it was funny like that.

― David Allen (David Allen), Thursday, 23 December 2004 14:38 (twenty-one years ago)

wah, I'm a good-looking guy who has sensitivity issues, wah

― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 23 December 2004 14:50 (twenty-one years ago)

The mouth needs to be more slackjawed in that photo.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 23 December 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Morrisey is funny though. He danced with flowers and claimed he was celibate.
I'd love emo if it was funny like that.

-- David Allen (Davidalle...), December 23rd, 2004.

hahaha OTM

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 23 December 2004 18:37 (twenty-one years ago)

I like "Screaming Infidelities" and "The Good Fight."

― Atnevon (Atnevon), Friday, 24 December 2004 04:40 (twenty-one years ago)

HOW HArd can it be to find dashboard mp3s

doosh

― TITS.JPG (ex machina), Friday, 24 December 2004 06:19 (twenty-one years ago)

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