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| A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 12, 2003 | |||
| Recorded | January 2003 | |||
| Studio | Bogart Recording Studios, Miami, Florida; Laundry Room Studios | |||
| Genre | Emo, alternative rock | |||
| Length | 50:54 | |||
| Label | Vagrant | |||
| Producer | Gil Norton, Chris Carrabba | |||
| Dashboard Confessional chronology | ||||
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| Singles from A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar | ||||
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A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar is the third studio album by American rock band Dashboard Confessional.
Dashboard Confessional started as the one-man acoustic project of vocalist/guitarist Chris Carrabba. The project's second album The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most (2001), [1] released through independent label Vagrant Records, [2] featured a full band on a few of the songs. [1] The album become Vagrant's best-selling release. [2] Lead single "Screaming Infidelities" became a hit at modern rock radio stations. The So Impossible EP , made in collaboration with guitarist Dan Hoerner of Sunny Day Real Estate, was released in December. [1]
It was followed by a companion piece, the Summers Kiss EP in April 2002. Later in 2002, Dashboard Confessional taped a performance for MTV's Unplugged series, which was later released as MTV Unplugged 2.0 . As Dashboard Confessional was becoming a staple at radio and on MTV, the project solidified its line-up as a group: Carrabba, bassist Scott Schoenbeck, guitarist John Lefler and drummer Mike Marsh. [1] In December, Carrabba revealed the next album's title: A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar. [3]
Carrabba lived in a condo with his brother and made over 40 demos using his Korg digital 8-track recorder. [4] Musically, the demos ranged from alternative country to pop in the vein of The Beach Boys. [5] Recording for A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar took place at Bogart Recording Studios in North Miami, Florida [6] in January 2003. [7] Gil Norton produced the majority of the songs, except "Ghost of a Good Thing" and "If You Can't Leave It Be, Might as Well Make It Bleed", which were credited to Carrabba. [6] Carrabba said Norton "really understood the basic importance" of the tracks and recognised how to improve them without needing to alter them. [4]
Carrabba said the final recordings sounded exactly like the demos he made, both note-for-note and structurally, with the exception of "Ghost of a Good Thing". Norton convinced Carrabba not to re-record the track, resulting in the demo version appearing on the album. [4] Additional tracking took place at Laundry Room Studios. Norton and Adrian Bushby, who also served as engineer, mixed the album at Strongroom Studios in London, UK. Bob Ludwig mastered the recordings at Gateway Mastering. [6]
Musically, A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar had been described as alternative rock, [8] emo [9] and pop rock, [10] touching on elements of soft rock and hardcore punk, [11] drawing comparison to Manic Street Preachers [12] and Sunny Day Real Estate. [13] It saw Carrabba leave the solo acoustic sound of his earlier work for full-band instrumentation, [14] though a few tracks were acoustically-driven. [15] The verses sections are sung with a whisper, while the choruses are yelled, with the bridges being a mix of the two techniques; Carrabba's vocal was compared to Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins. [16] He came up with the album title while pondering on the meaning of Dashboard Confessional's name. [7]
Early acoustic versions of "Hands Down" appeared on the So Impossible EP [4] and the MTV Unplugged 2.0 (2002) live album. [17] The song, which was reminiscent of Jimmy Eat World, [15] talks about being in love on the happiest day of your life. [7] "Rapid Hope Loss" was written early in the writing process, [18] and credited to Carrabba and Mike Stroud. [6] The track is about not giving a second chance to an ex-lover. [18] "Carry This Picture" was written in the Soho Grand Hotel in New York City. It talks about finding love at a resort town in Florida. [4] "Ghost of a Good Thing" discusses a languishing relationship. [15] "So Beautiful" talks about heavy drinking. [19] Carrabba considered The closing track "Several Ways to Die Trying" serves as a critique of Hollywood. [10] "This Old Wound" the darkest song he's ever written, and said it was "as literal as can be. I was having a day where I was like, 'How am I ever gonna get over this stuff?'" [5]
On March 25, 2003, A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar was announced for release. In May, Carrabba went on a solo tour, [20] before joining with his band for a support slot for Beck on his US tour, with dates running into June. However, they left abruptly mid-June citing "circumstances beyond our control". [21] Following this, Carrabba played a few solo shows. [22] "Hands Down" was released as a single on July 10, [23] before being released to modern rock radio five days later. [24] A music video was filmed for the track shortly afterwards in New York City with director Nzingha Stewart. [7] In early August, the band appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and Last Call with Carson Daly . [25] [26] A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar was initially planned for release in July, [20] before eventually being released on August 19 through Vagrant Records. [27] Major label Interscope Records owned a 49% percent [5] non-controlling interest in Vagrant. Label founder Rich Egan said this was to boost their marketing, and to provide his acts "the best of what a major label can offer with none of the crap." [28] Carrabba said, who had a lot of control with his marketing, renewed his contract with Vagrant after he realised the deal with Interscope allowed him the same amount of control. [29] The UK edition of the album featured "This Old Wound" and "The End of an Anchor" as bonus tracks. [6]
Between late August and early October, the group went on a headlining US tour [22] with support from MxPx and Brand New. Remedy Session and Vendetta Red appeared on select dates. [30] Later in October 2003, the band appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno . [31] [32] "Rapid Hope Loss" was released to radio on December 9. [24] A music video was filmed for the track in January 2004 with director Brian Scott Weber. Throughout the clip, the camera zooms out to show images within images. The group picked Weber's treatment after sorting through 20 other potential ideas. [33] In May and June 2004, the group headlined the Honda Civic Tour, [34] with main support from Thrice [35] and The Get Up Kids. [36] Additional support on select dates came from Say Anything, Motion City Soundtrack, The Format, Hot Water Music and Head Automatica. [34] On May 18, Vagrant Records released a deluxe edition, which included a DVD of the MTV2 Album Covers performance, where the band performed songs from R.E.M.'s Automatic for the People (1992). [37] Between July and September, the group played festival shows in Australia, the UK and the US, which included an appearance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. [36] [38] [39]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 77/100 [40] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [9] |
| Blender | [41] |
| Chicago Sun-Times | [42] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+ [14] |
| The Guardian | [8] |
| Houston Chronicle | [43] |
| Q | [44] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| Slant Magazine | [16] |
| Spin | B+ [15] |
A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 122,000 copies in its first week. [22] It has been certified gold by RIAA, meaning it has shipped over 500,000 copies in the United States. Similarly, "Hands Down" appeared on a best-of emo songs list by Vulture . [45] Alternative Press ranked "Hands Down" at number 51 on their list of the best 100 singles from the 2000s. [46]
All songs written by Chris Carrabba, except "Morning Calls" by Carrabba and Mike Stroud. [6]
UK bonus tracks
Personnel per booklet. [6]
Dashboard Confessional
| Production
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA) [51] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, formed in 1999 and led by singer Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" off their debut album, The Swiss Army Romance.
Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their first three studio albums. Original singer Chris Carrabba recorded The Moon Is Down (2001) with the group before leaving to start Dashboard Confessional. He was replaced by Jason Gleason, who performed on How to Start a Fire (2003) but left the band the following year. Former Sense Field vocalist Jon Bunch joined Further Seems Forever for Hide Nothing (2004). The band broke up in 2006 but reunited four years later with Carrabba on vocals. Their fourth studio album, Penny Black, was released in 2012.
How to Start a Fire is the second album by the Pompano Beach, Florida rock band Further Seems Forever, released in 2003 by Tooth & Nail Records. It was the band's only album with vocalist Jason Gleason, who had replaced original singer Chris Carrabba when the latter left the band to focus on his new project Dashboard Confessional. Gleason would leave the band the following year due to interpersonal tensions and be replaced by former Sense Field singer Jon Bunch. How to Start a Fire was also the band's first album with guitarist Derick Cordoba, replacing original guitarist Nick Dominguez.
The Moon Is Down is the debut album by the Pompano Beach, Florida rock band Further Seems Forever, released in 2001 by Tooth & Nail Records. It was the band's first full-length album. Vocalist Chris Carrabba had already decided to leave the band to focus on his new project, Dashboard Confessional, but joined them in the studio to record the album. Dominguez left the band the following year to start the record label Pop Up Records. The two were replaced by Jason Gleason and Derick Cordoba, respectively, for the band's next album How to Start a Fire. A music video was filmed for the song "Snowbirds and Townies."
Good Mourning is the fourth studio album by American punk rock band Alkaline Trio, released May 13, 2003 on Vagrant Records.
On a Wire is the third studio album by American rock band The Get Up Kids on Vagrant Records. Released three years after their breakout sophomore album Something to Write Home About, On a Wire was a massive departure from the band's established sound, eschewing the brighter pop-punk that helped define emo as a genre in favor of a darker, more adult sound inspired by 70's rock bands like Led Zeppelin.
Hey Mercedes was an alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois, United States, formed after the dissolution of Braid by its former members Bob Nanna, Todd Bell, and Damon Atkinson.
Stay What You Are is the third studio album from American rock band Saves the Day, released in 2001. The album received positive reviews from critics at the time of its release and remains an influential album in the emo and pop punk genres. It has been described as "channel[ling] the thrill of the pop punk, the intellect of indie rock, and the raw emotion of emo all at once." Lead single "At Your Funeral" charted in the United Kingdom and Scotland.
Christopher Ender Carrabba is an American musician who is the lead singer and guitarist of the band Dashboard Confessional, lead singer of the band Further Seems Forever, and lead vocalist for the folk band Twin Forks.
Before Everything & After is the sixth studio album by punk rock band MxPx, released on A&M Records. The album achieved the band's highest chart position on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 51.
The Swiss Army Romance is the debut studio album by American band Dashboard Confessional, released in March 2000 by Fiddler Records.
MTV Unplugged 2.0 is a live album released by American emo band Dashboard Confessional on 17 December 2002 through Vagrant. This CD/DVD package is the band's first live album. The band is also the first non-Platinum selling artist to be on MTV Unplugged. "Screaming Infidelities" was released as a single.
The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most is the second studio album by American rock band Dashboard Confessional, released on March 20, 2001, through Vagrant Records.
Dusk and Summer is the fourth studio album by American rock band Dashboard Confessional.
"Hands Down" is a song by Dashboard Confessional that was originally recorded for the acoustic So Impossible EP in 2001, which told the story of a date that Chris Carrabba had in his late teens/early twenties. It was later re-recorded and released as the lead single for the LP A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar in 2003 with a full band. Carrabba has said that this song is about the best day and date that he's ever had, and introduces it as such at concerts. "Hands Down" was released to radio on July 15, 2003.
Mike Marsh is the drummer for The Avett Brothers and formerly of Dashboard Confessional. Mike was featured on all Dashboard Confessional's albums, from The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most to Alter the Ending. He also played with them for MTV Unplugged. In 2006, Marsh and Dashboard Confessional did an AOL Sessions recording, playing not only their songs, but a cover of "In A Big Country" by Big Country. According to posts by Mike on Facebook, he officially joined The Avett Brothers as their drummer in early 2013. Mike is also an engineer and record producer. He has a recording studio in East Nashville called Papermill Studio.
The Shade of Poison Trees is the fifth studio album recorded by the band Dashboard Confessional.
Alter the Ending is the sixth studio album recorded by American rock band Dashboard Confessional, released through Vagrant, DGC and Interscope Records on November 10, 2009. The album was released in both a one disc standard version and a two disc deluxe edition which contains a second disc of acoustic versions of the 12 songs on the album. The album's first single is "Belle of the Boulevard".
Penny Black is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Further Seems Forever, released in October 2012 through Rise Records. It marks the reunion of the band's original lineup—singer Chris Carrabba, guitarists Josh Colbert and Nick Dominguez, bassist Chad Neptune, and drummer Steve Kleisath—and is their first album together since 2001's The Moon Is Down. It is also the band's first album since breaking up in 2006 and reuniting in 2010.
The discography of Dashboard Confessional, an American rock band, consists of eight studio albums, one live album, one compilation album, six extended plays and 13 singles.
Citations
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