Helping to bring the emo scene into the mainstream charts in the early 2000s,
Dashboard Confessional's earnest, emotional indie-rock produced a string of
hugely successful albums and set front man Chris Carrabba up as a songwriter who
distilled teenage angst and heartbreak into sing-along, punk-pop ballads.
Initially inspired by his step-brother's heavy metal music, his cousin's classic
rock records and skate board videos which used bands like Jane's Addiction and
Black Flag as their soundtrack, Carrabba started out playing at DIY punk shows
as a teenager bashing away on a bea...