In 1997 I was working at a hand silk - screened greeting card company. I worked my way up to manager pretty quickly and that Christmas was the first time in my life I had received a Christmas bonus check. It was the first year I was able to buy my family Xmas gifts so when I boarded the bus I was taking to their rural home I was pretty pleased with myself. I lugged that army bag stuffed with presents (which had been my transient moving bag for years now) like a malnurished Santa. (What I would give to look malnurished these days)
This #knapsack disc was purchased after reading a review in a fanzine, I had put the cd on cassette and it accompanied me that dark three hour bus ride. I loved the album as soon as I got it and had put it on both sides of the tape. The album isn't pop punk, it isn't emo and it isn't indie, but it isn't far from any of those genres. It's an earnest record with a pining melancholy feel but with upbeat tempos. It's kind of a blueprint for all the 2000's emo rock that kids were falling all over and it's a shame this band never received the recognition.
When I arrived at the bus stop in the small country town and awaited my sister to drive me to my mom's house I walked inside a redneck tavern, kicked the slush from my shoes and ordered a whiskey and ginger ale (a drink I stole sips from at Xmas parties when I was little). These songs were still in my head after taking my foam covered headphones off, they made a great soundtrack for that moment.
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