Dashboard Confessional: Dusk and Summer (Universal Music) 

Somebody should tell Conor Oberst to look over his shoulder when it comes to the indie and emo sweepstakes. Admittedly singer-songwriter and pin-up star Christopher Carraba and his rock outfit Dashboard Confessional are on a different emo-rock platform, but there is no doubt this is the band with the crossover appeal. As the frontman of this four-piece Florida band, Carraba knows what to sing about and what the demographic wants.