If there was ever a straw that broke a camel's back, this was it. The kids had their say and, for once, they agreed on something.

Everyone from SPIN Magazine to MTV's Matt Pinfield was marveling over this record. The Promise Ring themselves were catapulted from the tiny basement scene into the, erm, bigger basement and club scene.

On their 1997 release, The Promise Ring made emo more accessible, which laid the groundwork for the commercially successful acts that would follow. The band showed it doesn't always have to be such a pity party, and that catharsis can come in many forms, particularly in the naively optimistic power-pop of Nothing Feels Good.

The pioneering band walked the line between brusque sentimentality and uplifting hooks, making them emo's first pop emissaries. Cheap Trick for hardcore kids. If Fountains of Wayne, Sebadoh, and Jonathan Richman had an emo love-child, Nothing Feels Good might be its name.

The record was a high point for many fans of the band, and is considered one of the pillars of the genre. Perhaps because of this light-hearted yet concentrated approach, Nothing Feels Good landed with the kind of fanfare that hadn't been seen for a band from emo's sophomore class.