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 and formerly the Christian punk scene.[3] As of 2016, current members include Mike Herrera on lead vocals and bass guitar, Yuri Ruley on drums and percussion, Tom Wisniewski on lead guitar and backing vocals and Chris Adkins on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. The band's discography includes twelve 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]

MxPx
MxPx performing in 2008, showing Tom Wisniewski and Mike Herrera
Background information
Also known asMagnified Plaid[1]
OriginBremerton, Washington, U.S.[1]
Genres
Years active1992–present[1]
Labels
Associated actsArthur
Websitemxpx.com
Members
Past members
  • Andy Husted

History

Early start (1992)

MxPx was formed in July 1992 by Mike Herrera, Yuri Ruley, and Andy Husted, who were 15 years old at the time, and classmates at Central Kitsap High School in Silverdale, Washington. Initially, the band played music inspired by Descendents, Black Flag and other punk rock bands.

The name, originally Magnified Plaid, was a tribute to Husted's fascination with plaid shirts, but did not fit on the band's posters. Consequently, the name was abbreviated to M.P. on show posters. Yuri Ruley, who used Xs in place of periods, made the posters for the band, resulting in the four-letter moniker.[4]

Tooth & Nail years (1993–1997)
See also: Pokinatcha, Teenage Politics, and Life in General (album)
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)
See also: Slowly Going the Way of the Buffalo, The Ever Passing Moment, and Before Everything & After

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 peaked 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)
See also: Panic (MxPx album), Move to Bremerton, and Let's Rock (MxPx album)
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)
See also: Secret Weapon (album), Life in General (album), Left Coast Punk EP, Plans Within Plans, and MxPx (album)

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 was a shift back to the group's original style.[20][21][22]

In 2009, the band 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, the drummer of The Summer Obsession, and Chris Wilson (formerly of Good Charlotte) for the MxPx All Stars tour in Japan and Malaysia.[26]

The band released a documentary entitled Both Ends Burning on December 1, 2011.[27] 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.[28] In 2012, drummer Yuri Ruley announced his retirement from touring. After a brief hiatus Ruley returned as a full-time member in 2015 and continues to tour with the band today.[29]

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 on September 18, 2016.[30] Chris Adkins also joined as a second guitarist and touring musician in 2016.

In early 2018, the band announced a Kickstarter campaign to fund their twelfth studio album, although they advertised it as being their tenth album.[31][32] The album is titled MxPx and was released July 25, 2018. Before the release of their self-titled album, a music video for "Let's Ride" came out at the end of June 2018.[33] The album was performed live on Facebook on the date of its release.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band has been unable to perform live for much of 2020. On October 16, 2020, they performed a full concert via live stream. The event was titled "Between This World and The Next."[34]

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.[35] In 2013 those involved in the project announced that they would be discontinuing the project.[35]

Musical style and influences

The band's style is mainly skate punk[36][37][38] and punk rock.[36][37][39][40] 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.[41] 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.[41] MxPx's influences include Descendents, NOFX, Bad Religion, Rancid, Social Distortion, All, the Clash, the Dead Milkmen, The Who, Sex Pistols, Black Flag, and the Ramones.[42][43][44][45][46][47]

Many of the band's early releases touch on Christian themes[48][49][50] and placed them in the front of the Christian punk scene.[51][52][53] However, by 2012, "Christian punk" was a genre classification that the band was trying to distance themselves from.[54] As of 2015, MxPx singer Mike Herrera has said he is no longer Christian. When asked about the topic he stated "...do I believe in god? I'm not sure. Do I believe in this exact religion? No I don't."[55]

Band members

Current members

  • Mike Herrera – lead vocals, bass guitar (1992–present)
  • Yuri Ruley – drums, percussion (1992–present)
  • Tom Wisniewski – lead guitar, backing vocals (1995–present)
  • Chris Adkins – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2016–present)

Former members

  • Andy Husted – lead guitar (1992–1995)

Discography
Main article: MxPx discography

References
  1. "MxPx". Ryan Cooper.
  2. "MxPx | Music Videos, News, Photos, Tour Dates, Ringtones, and Lyrics". MTV. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  3. Bush, John. "MxPx: Biography and Discography". Allmusic. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  4. "Magnified Plaid (MxPx) History". Math.ku.edu. Archived from the original on October 13, 2003. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
  5. "MxPx | Music Videos, News, Photos, Tour Dates, Ringtones, and Lyrics". MTV. July 30, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  6. "Pokinatcha (Album) reviews, artists, awards, posters, videos | Write a review for Pokinatcha". Loudreview.com. Retrieved April 19, 2012.
  7. "Coop - Interviews - Entertainment - Bizarre Magazine UK". Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  8. "RIAA Gold and Platinum Album Database". June 19, 2007.
  9. Van Pelt, Doug (September–October 1999). "Album Reviews: MXPX at the show". HM Magazine (79). ISSN 1066-6923.
  10. "Offspring Tour". Offspring.com. 2000. Archived from the original on December 9, 2004. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  11. "Charts: Before Everything After". Allmusic. Retrieved June 27, 2014.
  12. "The Passion of the Christ: Original Songs Inspired by the Film - Various Artists - Songs, Reviews, Credits - AllMusic".
  13. "Past Winners - The 47th Annual GMA Dove Awards".
  14. "MXPX, Panic". Emusic. August 12, 2005.
  15. "MxPx - Panic - Album Review". Absolute Punk. November 21, 2005.
  16. "Kitsap Sun". Archived from the original on November 4, 2006.
  17. Stagg, David (January–February 2007). "Bremerton MVPs MxPx". HM Magazine (123): 40–43. ISSN 1066-6923.
  18. Punknews.org. "MXPX working with hometown to attract young folk, awarded key to the city". www.punknews.org. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  19. "The Insider: Guitars for Growth". seattlepi.com. September 17, 2006. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
  20. "Review: MXPX – Secret Weapon". Canyouseethesunset.com. August 9, 2007. Archived from the original on May 17, 2012. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  21. "Mxpx "Secret Weapon" | Reviews". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
  22. "MxPx Secret Weapon : B | WEEKEND". Idsnews.com. February 20, 2008. Archived from the original on April 11, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2013.
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  25. "MXPX : パンク・ロック・クリスマス / BARKS ＣＤレヴュー". Barks.jp. December 16, 2009. Archived from the original on November 25, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2010.
  26. "MxPx All-Stars (Japan & Malaysia) | Punknews.org". January 24, 2018. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
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  28. "AND NOW THE BIG REVEAL! THE NAME OF OUR NEXT ALBUM!". mxpx.com. December 19, 2011. Archived from the original on January 3, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2011.
  29. Moser, John J. (July 6, 2012). "Punk rock band MxPx to say goodbye to the road after 20 years with Philly show". The Morning Call. Retrieved June 21, 2014.
  30. "MxPx - Life In General (1996-2016)". MxPx.com via Wayback Machine. September 17, 2016. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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  32. "MxPx: Full Length Album #10". Kickstarter. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  33. "Exclusive: MxPx embark on journey through life's stages in new song". June 29, 2018. Retrieved July 1, 2018.
  34. Waldman, Scott (October 15, 2020). "Here's how to see MxPx play some songs live for the first time". Alternative Press. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
  35. Kraus, Brian (2013) "Arthur (feat. members of MxPx) break up", Alternative Press, March 2, 2013. Retrieved November 29, 2015
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  42. "MxPx Jesusfreakhideout.com Interview". Jesus Freak Hideout. July 16, 2007. Retrieved February 28, 2019.
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  52. DiBiase, John (April 21, 2008). "MxPx Interview, MxPx Mike Herrera 2008 Jesusfreakhideout.com Interview". Jesus Freak Hideout. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
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