"The Official" Dashboard Confessional Thread

[Soot and Stars]

Dashboard Confessional


I've held off doing this thread for two reasons. First, there is a ton of material to cover on this guy and I tend to get lagged on these threads regardless of how much I love the artist. Example being the just recently revived Smashing Pumpkins thread. Second, I didn't want to hear the inevitable Emo (whiny as a substitute from the older crowd) word thrown out with an artist I've connected with on a deeper level. I hate the Emo tag and don't really understand it but just taken it in the context of "emotional" music well I've been Emo musically from the start as that melodramatic emotion is what I feel the most. In fact, everything I listen to at it's base comes from discovering that emotional connection from the Smashing Pumpkins.

Anyway, back to the artist at hand I first heard Dashboard (the project of Chris Carraba) like a large number from this single:

Screaming Infidelities


The simplicity of the single intrigued me and honestly I wasn't hooked yet. It was enough to buy the album though and then I was hooked.

The album:

Places You Have Come To Fear The Most

This album came at a crucial time for me. It wasn't until college that I found out what it felt like to be in love and have an experience you'll never quite capture again. My girlfriend at the time had made our breakup official over our summer off of all times, in separate countries, and left me to dwell on it on my own over that college break. When I got back I still had to see her as she was amongst my friends and I had a lot of feelings I was dealing with. This album was the perfect album of relatable angst and confusion and I used it over and over to vent my feelings. Dashboard purposely makes the songs simple as hell to pick up and filled with imagery and scenes that the listener can instantly picture. I would sing this through the whole album track for track.

Here are the standout tracks for me:

The Best Deceptions

I heard about your trip.
I heard about your souvenirs.
I heard about the cool breeze, in the cool nights,
And the cool guys that you spent them with.
Well I guess I should have heard of them from you.
I guess I should have heard of them from you.

Don't you see, don't you see, that the charade is over?
And all the "Best Deceptions" and "Clever Cover Story" awards go to you.
So kiss me hard 'cause this will be the last time that I let you.
You will be back someday and this awkward kiss that tells of other people's lips will be of service to giving you away.

I heard about your regrets.
I heard that you were feeling sorry.
I heard from someone that you wish you could set things right between us.
Well I guess I should have heard of that from you.
I guess I should have heard of that from you.

I'm waiting for blood to flow to my fingers,
I'll be all right when my hands get warm.Ignoring the phone,
I'd rather say nothing. I'd rather you'd never heard my voice.
You're calling too late too late to be gracious you do not warrant long goodbyes.

Places You Have Come To Fear The Most

Buried deep as you can dig inside yourself
And covered with a perfect shell
Such a charming, beautiful exterior
Laced with brilliant smiles and shining eyes
Perfect posture, but you're barely scraping by
But you're barely scraping by

This is one time, this is one time
That you can't fake it hard enough to please everyone
Or anyone at all...or anyone at all
And the grave that you refuse to leave
The refuge that you've built to flee,
The places that you've come to fear the most,
Is the place that you have come to fear the most.

Buried deep as you can dig inside yourself
And hidden in the public eye
Such a stellar monument to loneliness
Laced with brilliant smiles and shining eyes
Perfect make-up, but you're barely scraping by
But you're barely scraping by...

Well this is one time, well this is one time
That you can't fake it hard enough to please everyone
Or anyone at all...or anyone at all
And the grave that you refuse to leave
The refuge that you've built to flee,
The places that you've come to fear the most,
Is the place that you have come to fear the most.

And you can't fake it hard enough to please everyone
Or anyone at all..or anyone at all
And the grave that you refuse to leave
The refuge that you've built to flee,
The places that you've come to fear the most,
Is the place that you've come to fear the most,
Is the place that you have come to fear the most.

The Brilliant Dance


So this is odd,
the painful realization that has all gone wrong.
And nobody cares at all,
and nobody cares at all.

So you buried all your lover's clothes
and burned the letters lover wrote,
but it doesn't make it any better.
Does it make it any better?
And the plaster dented from your fist
in the hall where you had your first kiss
reminds you that the memories will fade.

So this is strange,
our sidestepping has come to be a brilliant dance
where nobody leads at all,
where nobody leads at all.

And the picture frames are facing down
and the ringing from this empty sound
is deafening and keeping you from sleep.
And breathing is a foreign task
and thinking's just too much to ask
and you're measuring your minutes by a clock that's blinking eights.

This is incredible.
Starving, insatiable,
yes, this is love for the first time.
Well you'd like to think that you were invincible.
Yeah, well weren't we all once before we felt loss for the first time?
Well this is the last time.

 

[METALPRIEST]

Really cool mellow stuff man!! Checked out all the tunes and I dug The Best Deceptions the most.

 

[Soot and Stars]

Really cool mellow stuff man!! Checked out all the tunes and I dug The Best Deceptions the most.

Thanks Metal! I actually changed the vid because it cut out theend with was kind of the climax too the song. The full version is in now. There is nothing like seeing these songs live which I was lucky enough to see myself. The best material is yet to come and Chris Carraba has had some legit rock tracks!

 

[METALPRIEST]

Cool! I'll check out the replaced vid!!

 

[gregjohnson1229]

Hey Soot thatnks for giving props to Chris Carrabba's brilliant songwriting. Did you now Dasboard started as his side project? Anyway Chris has been a huge inspiration to me becaus he showed me that people still want to hear melodramtic ballads with just an acoustic guitar to accompany. He among others like Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz showed me yeah I can go out do my own thing.

 

[Soot and Stars]

Hey Soot thatnks for giving props to Chris Carrabba's brilliant songwriting. Did you now Dasboard started as his side project? Anyway Chris has been a huge inspiration to me becaus he showed me that people still want to hear melodramtic ballads with just an acoustic guitar to accompany. He among others like Jack Johnson and Jason Mraz showed me yeah I can go out do my own thing.

No problem Greg! Thanks for checking it out! Actually I do know that Chris originally came from an actual band which brings me to the next part of my thread!

 

[Soot and Stars]

After becoming obsessed with the album I made it a point to pick up everything Dashboard. I went to the store and picked up his prior album and two EPs. Then I went even further back and found out he was part of a band and I picked that up! The band was:

Further Seems Forever

Further Seems Forever is one of those bands constantly in rotation and in the three c.d.s they've released the vocalist has been different every time! Chris Carraba was their first vocalist!

The c.d. that he was on was called:

The Moon Is Down


Here are the standout tracks:

The Moon Is Down


Snowbirds and Townies


New Years Project
(love this one, so much pure emotion)

 

[gregjohnson1229]

I have always like this song.

 

[Soot and Stars]

I have always like this song.

Dude, it's my favorite and a great lead in to my next post! Out of the three albums I got right after the "Places....." this EP stands out!

So Impossible EP

This EP is 4 song of the perfect time capsule for the innocence, purity and beauty of first love. All the songs are connected and tell a story and reach their climax with Hands Down which is the best song i've ever seen capture that moment when you are happiest. Check it out!

For You To Notice


I'm starting to fashion an idea in my head
where I would impress you
with every single word I said.
Would come out insightful or brave or smooth or charming
and you'd want to call me
And I would be there every time
you'd need me
I'd be there every time...
But for now I'll look so longingly
waiting...
For you to want me, for you to need me, for you to notice me


So Impossible


So she says
"Everyone's going to the party,
won't you come if I come
with a friend for your friend?
I'd be so pleased to see you
out of the classroom wearing the smile that I'll bring you.
I was hoping to learn a few things like..
Do you do you like dashing the dirt
on the whole class or
talking the big smack or
playing the fool or
wearing all of the latest fashions
or bucking the new trends
wearing your old threads or
if you like coffee in the evening
These are a few things that I'd like to know
that I'd like to know"

So I say...
"I've been scheduled to work but I'll call in
and my friend isn't busy
he'd be happy to join me
and maybe my friend
and your friend
will hit it off or maybe we will?"

I'm dying to know
do you do you like dreaming of things
so impossible or only the practical
or ever the wild or waiting through all your bad bad days
just to end them with
someone you care about
and do you like making out
and long drives and brown eyes
and guys that just
don't quite fit in
yeah do you like them
So yes, I'll see you there.

Remember To Breathe

She fixes her lips they
Always look perfect
never a smudged line
never too much
I try on my blue shirt
she told me she liked it, once
she wonders what I'll wear
she knows just what she'll wear
she always wears blue
so, sneakers or flip flops?
I'm starting to panic
remember she asked you
remember to breathe
and everything will be okay
okay [x2]
Alright [x6]


Hands Down

Breathe in for luck,
breathe in so deep,
this air is blessed,
you share with me.
This night is wild,
so calm and dull,
these hearts they race,
from self control.
Your legs are smooth,
as they graze mine,
we're doing fine,
we're doing nothing at all.

My hopes are so high,
that your kiss might kill me.
So won't you kill me,
so I die happy.
My heart is yours to fill or burst,
to break or bury,
or wear as jewelery,
which ever you prefer.

The words are hushed lets not get busted;
just lay entwined here, undiscovered.
Safe in here from all the stupid questions.
"hey did you get some?"
Man, that is so dumb.
Stay quiet, stay near, stay close they can't hear...
so we can get some.

My hopes are so high that your kiss might kill me.
So won't you kill me, so I die happy.
My heart is yours to fill or burst,
to break or bury, or wear as jewelery,
which ever you prefer.

Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember,
I'll always remember the sound of the stereo,
the dim of the soft lights,
the scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers
and the time on the clock when we realized it's so late
and this walk that we shared together.
The streets were wet
and the gate was locked so I jumped it,
and I let you in.
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist
and you kissed me like you meant it.
And I knew that you meant it,
that you meant it,
that you meant it,
and I knew,
that you meant it,
that you meant it.

 

[Soot and Stars]

The other EP I got that same day was an earlier one called

The Drowning EP


Here's the title track:

Drowning