• DOWNLOAD | THE AVETT BROTHERS “Kick Drum Heart” I And Love And You, 2009

I’ll be rolling out some new features here over the next couple of weeks or so, but today marks the first installment of the Acid Test — in which I ask good people that you may or may not know questions that I probably wouldn’t ask them in a real-life conversation. Because the best part of being a music writer, for me, is being able to ask people about their psychotherapists and childhood crushes without coming off like a creep. (The dirty secret of most feature writers: We’re creeps.)

Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba is so totally not a creep, and to prove it, he went out of his way to type these answers with his thumbs on an iPhone last night while doing a promotional tour for radio stations and, umm, real journalists. Also, if you Google “Chris Carrabba” plus “Nice Guy,” you’ll get over 224 results. In addition to a new album due November 10, Chris is working on becoming as prolific on Twitter as Ryan Adams is with, like, everything. He’s well on his way.

Whenever I’ve had friends move to New York from other places, it’s super rare that I don’t think, “Man, they’ll never make it here.” That was kind of irrelevant with you because it’s not like you were busking on Astor Place or something. I mean, you lived in the same building as Jon Stewart! So why in the world would you leave before you could get a cameo on Law & Order?

A simple and unromantic answer. I lost my lease and since I have a house elsewhere, I decided there was no rush and am waiting to find the right place in the city.

There’s a new record coming out called Alter The Ending, and the first single, “Belle of the Boulevard,” is up on MySpace. Jimmy Iovine wants to know: Is Dashboard Confessional recession-proof?

Are we? No. Have we got a record worth buying even in a recession, yes.

I don’t think the general public really understands what it means that you used to play in hardcore bands. Like, no one wants to think of Chris Carrabba as the kid who was throwing punches and stepping on people’s heads at a Gorilla Biscuits show. Do you have a good hardcore story you want to share?

I have been to countless shows of countless genres, but my beginnings were in hardcore. Post-hardcore more accurately. These shows gave me a love and need of a true connection with the audience. I still hold that as paramount.

Be honest. Do you think John Mayer ripped you off when he got full-sleeve tattoos?

I didn’t invent ‘em.

Okay, last question then: What is the one song everyone needs to be listening to right now, at this very moment?

“Kick Drum Heart” by The Avett Brothers.