MxPx

MxPx is an American punk rock band from Bremerton, Washington founded in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. The band has skate punk leanings,^[2] with connections to the pop punk scene.^[3] Current members include Mike Herrera on lead vocals and bass, Tom Wisniewski on guitar and backing vocals, and Yuri Ruley on drums. The band's discography includes nine studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and 20 singles. A number of the group's releases have charted on Billboard, including the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Billboard Christian Albums.^[2]

History

Early start (1992)

MxPx began in July 1992 with the name Magnified Plaid. Initially, the band started playing music inspired by Descendents, Black Flag and other punk rock bands. Mike Herrera, Yuri Ruley, and Andy Husted were classmates at Central Kitsap High School in Silverdale, Washington and were 15 years old when they formed the band. The name was a tribute to the original guitarist's fascination with plaid shirts but did not fit on the band's posters. Consequently, the name was abbreviated to M.P. But in Yuri Ruley's handwriting, periods appeared as Xs, and since he made up the show posters for the band, the four-letter moniker stuck.^[4]

Tooth & Nail years (1993–1997)

Band bassist Mike Herrera performing "Move to Bremerton" in 2006.

MxPx caught the attention of Tooth & Nail Records when the band played a showcase for the label in 1993 in Herrera's parents' back yard. The band's first major album, Pokinatcha (1994), was released while the band members were still in high school. The album, though classified as Christian punk, incorporated the quick styles of hardcore punk,^[3] and is composed of influence from skate/surf punk and punk underground. The songs are characterized by their raw punk sound, catchy rhythm, and classic punk three-chord guitar style.^[5][6]

Guitarist Andy Husted soon left the band and was replaced by Herrera's longtime friend, Tom Wisniewski. Despite only knowing power chords on guitar, Wisniewski was willing to be in the band. MxPx released two further albums with Tooth & Nail: Teenage Politics in 1995, and Life in General in 1996,^[3] which features the single "Chick Magnet" and artwork by the artist Coop.^[7]

A&M years (1997–2004)

MxPx received a major distribution deal with A&M Records. This deal first saw a re-release of Life in General. MxPx then released two more studio albums jointly distributed by Tooth & Nail and A&M: Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo was the first in 1998. It ranked at No. 99 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold on January 27, 2000 by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[8] At the Show is a live album recorded by MxPx, released in 1999. At the time of the recording, the band was touring in support of Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo as well as the B-sides collection Let it Happen, also released in 1998.^[9]

This was followed by The Ever Passing Moment in 2000. MxPx gained critical recognition for this album and landed a slot supporting for The Offspring and Cypress Hill on the Conspiracy of One tour.^[10] "Responsibility" proved to be a minor radio hit, peaking at #24 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart. The video, which is directed by The Malloys, features the band messing around and causing mayhem while caddying at a golf course, and also includes an appearance by Cheers star George Wendt. The song was featured in the Daria Television Movie Is It Fall Yet?. After The Ever Passing Moment, the group had then fulfilled its contract obligations with Tooth & Nail and decided to part ways.^[3]

The band's version of the song "Scooby Doo, Where Are You?" is in the soundtrack of the 2002 movie Scooby-Doo.^[3] The group's studio album Before Everything & After was released by A&M in 2003.^[3] The album achieved the band's highest ever chart position on the Billboard 200, peaking at number 51.^[11]

The group provided the song "The Empire" for The Passion of the Christ: Songs, which won the Gospel Music Association 2005 Dove Award for Special Event Album of the Year.^[12][13]

SideOneDummy years (2005–2006)

L to R: Yuri Riley, Tom Wisniewski, Mayor Cary Bozeman, Mike Herrera (the band receiving the Key to Bremerton in 2006)

In 2005 MxPx was dropped by A&M, signed with SideOneDummy Records, and the group released its seventh full-length album Panic.^[3] This was a breakthrough album when the single "Heard That Sound" proved a minor radio hit. It also featured the Blink-182/+44 singer-bassist Mark Hoppus on "Wrecking Hotel Rooms." It also leaves the pop punk sound off of the group's previous album and returns to the band's skate punk/punk rock roots.^[14][15]

In September 2006, MxPx and the City of Bremerton started a marketing effort revolving around the band's song "Move to Bremerton". The band was given keys to the city by Mayor Cary Bozeman in recognition of the group's contributions to the city.^{[16][17][18][19]}

MxPx spent the majority of 2005 and 2006 touring in support of the band's 7th album Panic. On November 21, 2006, Tooth & Nail Records re-released "Let It Happen", an earlier rarities compilation, in a "Deluxe Edition" which included a bonus DVD featuring 12 music videos, new artwork, and two new songs. Let's Rock, MxPx's second rarities album, was released on Side One Dummy Records on October 24, 2006. The album consists of many previously unreleased songs, re-recorded b-sides and acoustic demos.^[3]

Tooth & Nail and Rock City (2007–present)

MxPx released the full-length album Secret Weapon in 2007, the band's first release on its original label Tooth & Nail since 1996's Life in General. The album debuted at No. 76 on the Billboard 200; it also went to No. 1 on the Billboard's Christian chart. The album's sound goes back to the group's beginning sound.^[20][21][22]

In 2009, the released a six-song EP entitled Left Coast Punk EP,^[23] which was the first record released by Rock City Recording Company, MxPx's own record label. Also in 2009, the group released a Christmas album, titled Punk Rawk Christmas.^[24][25] In late 2009, Mike Herrera teamed up with frontman of The Ataris, Kris Roe and the drummer of The Summer Obsession, Chris Wilson (formerly of Good Charlotte) for the MxPx All Stars tour in Japan and South East Asia.

The band released a documentary entitled Both Ends Burning on December 1, 2011.^[26] In addition, Mike, Tom, and Yuri were working on their ninth studio album. On December 19, 2011, the band announced that the album would be called Plans Within Plans. It was released on April 3, 2012.^[27] In 2012, drummer Yuri Ruley announced his retirement from touring, but said that the band was not breaking up and that the group would continue to write and record new material together.^[28]

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the album, the band released the re-recorded version of Life in General free of charge for a limited time only on September 18, 2016.^[29]

Arthur

Arthur is a side project of MxPx featuring all three members of MxPx and their former tech assistant Neil Hundt, who now techs for Good Charlotte. The group released an EP called Loneliness Is Bliss in 1999. The band members went by their middle names: Arthur (where the band name came from), Edmund, Zane, and Alexander (Mike Herrera, Tom Wisniewski, Yuri Ruley, and Neil Hundt, respectively). After over ten years since the inception of Loneliness Is Bliss, the band released a full-length album called Watch the Years Crawl By on December 7, 2010.^[30] In 2013 those involved in the project announced that they would be discontinuing the project.^[30]

Musical style and influences

The band's style is mainly skate punk^[31][32][33] and punk rock.^{[31][32][34][35]} Originally a punk rock band, by the rise of popularity of pop punk in the late 1990s and early 2000s the group leaned more towards a more pop punk sound.^[36] Albums like The Ever Passing Moment and Before Everything and After were criticized by some fans for its pop punk style.^[1] The group's 2005 album Panic returned to the band's roots.^[36]

Many of the band's early releases touch on Christian themes^[37][38][39] and placed them in the front of the Christian punk scene.^[40][41][42] However, by 2012 this was a title that the band was trying to distance themselves from.^[43] As of 2015, MxPx singer Mike Herrera has said he is no longer Christian. When asked about the topic he stated "...There's a million different little nooks and crannies we can go down as to why to believe something, why not to believe. It's just one of those things was 'alright I don't believe this, this, this is sinning.' Beyond that, do I believe in god? I'm not sure. Do I believe in this exact religion? No I don't."^[44]

Band members

Current members

• Mike Herrera – lead vocals, bass guitar, acoustic guitar (1992–present)
• Tom Wisniewski – lead guitar, backing vocals (1995–present)
• Yuri Ruley – drums, percussion (1992–present)

Former members

• Andy Husted – rhythm guitar (1992–1995)

Discography

• Pokinatcha (1994)
• Teenage Politics (1995)
• Life in General (1996)
• Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo (1998)
• The Ever Passing Moment (2000)
• Before Everything & After (2003)
• Panic (2005)
• Secret Weapon (2007)
• On the Cover II (2009)
• Punk Rawk Christmas (2009)
• Plans Within Plans (2012)

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to MxPx.

• Official website