Waltham (the band) took their name from their hometown, a quintessential New England factory city nine miles west of Boston, MA, complete with a hard-working blue collar ethic and emphasis on community. Their imaginations were fueled by staple 80s teen flicks like Fast Times At Ridgemont High and the early John Hughes movies. The music they bought on Moody Street was their soundtrack to these fantasies, which eventually manifested themselves as Waltham songs: guitar-driven, hook-laden, fist-pumping classics that blend together the best elements of 80s rock and the never changing ennui of being a teenager. When Waltham debuted, the scene was populated by hyper-cynical and painfully introspective post-grunge. The members of Waltham adopted a more upbeat tone and sound, dressing in work clothes that reflected not only their roots and their outsider high-school fantasies, but their commitment. The sound and image that Waltham presented was a complete 180 from the music that was currently clogging the airwaves. Kids and scenesters alike instantly hailed them as daring and fresh, a return to feel-good rock and roll. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.