The bouncer at the door feels you up, convinced
that you are clean he nods and lets you pass. Once inside, you
hand your ticket to another man, and step into a hot-boxed night
club. In front of you is an island bar but the only spirits here
are from the crowd's anticipation. In the background you can here
the clink of pool tables, and the sound of Offspring being played
on the stereo. As you look around you can see a large range of
people. The dance floor is already packed with spiked hair, body
piercing, and the smell of smoke. The scene is hardly what you
would expect from a Christian band. But this is not an ordinary
Christian band, the band is MxPx.
MxPx was formed five years ago and at the time, called themselves
Magnified Plaid. The band consisted of three 15 year-olds from
Bremerton, Washington. Yuri Ruley played drums, Mike Herrera sang
and played bass, and Andy Huestead played guitar. The band
pounded out music inspired by The Descendants and other 80's
Southern California punk rock bands. They called themselves
Magnified Plaid in honor of an ugly plaid shirt that Andy used to
wear. None of the members particularly liked the name, so they
abbreviated it to M.P. Yuri used x's as periods and since he
designed the band's posters and t-shirts, they appeared to say
MxPx. The band liked the nickname and kept it.
In 1993, the band played a personalized showcase for Tooth and
Nail Records in the Herrera's garage. The record company liked
what they heard and signed the band.
Then in 1994, Pokinatcha, the band's first full length record,
was released. The album featured songs about how TV is a waste of
time, thinking too much, and just being yourself. At the time the
three young men were merely juniors in high school.
Later that same year, Tom Wisniewski replaced the aesthetically
offensive former guitarist. Tom was relatively inexperienced at
guitar, having only played for one year, but his drumming
experience allowed for tight, quick rhythms.
Their next major release was Teenage Politics in 1995. The album
addresses such issues as democracy, devoting your life to God,
alienation from the popular group, and disgust at trend
followers. The album was released shortly before their high
school graduation and the day after school was out the band left
on tour.
I feel this album is their best. It provides a look into their
lives before they became popular. They still sang about God and
letting him into your life. It isn't as fast paced as Pokinatcha,
but more punkish then their newer albums.
The next release was a 20 minute long album called
On the Cover. This album sports eight cover tunes from bands like
AHA, Joy Electric, Bryan Adams, Buddy Holly and the Cootees (Mike
and Tom's side project.)
The band's latest release, Life In General has made a large mark
in the music world. The album was released at the end of 1996 and
has sold more albums than any other Tooth and Nail record. The
album focuses more on everyday life, hence the name. There are
only one or two songs about God, a few about living, and the rest
are about girls. The reverse was true on their other albums. This
album has really boosted the band to stardom. They recently
signed with A&M Records.
Their integration of God into their Punk style was best stated by
Herrera himself. He said that his Christian lyrics are consistent
with the spirit of punk rock. "It's about self-expression, I
gottta have integrity. I can't just say,this is punk rock so I
have to do what other punk rock musicians do.' We're Christians,
but we're not missionaries. We're not trying to save everybody.
It just happens to be what we believe. Christianity is seen as
not punk rock and that is getting away from what punk rock was
originally about. Going against what's normal, the system."
One of the unique aspects of the band is Mike Herrera. He plays
bass and sings lead vocal, a job usually taken on by the
guitarist. Herrera also writes the majority of the band's music
and lyrics. The uniqueness runs through his family as well. His
mother, Michelle, is the band's business manager.
MxPx is often compared to Green Day. The only similarities
between the bands are that they are both punk bands, they sing
upbeat, punk songs, and they have catchy tunes that get stuck in
your head.
Though only 21, the members of MxPx are nearly punk rock
veterans. They have shared a stage with the Sex Pistols (1996
Bumbershoot) and already have seven releases, including three
full length albums.
Seeing them in concert is quite the experience. They have such a
secure hold on their songs that they can improvise both the
lyrics and the rhythms. They seem right at home on stage and
treat their audience with respect.
If you are looking for a punk band whose lyrics your parents can
read and not ban the CD from the house, check out these guys from
Bremerton.
Check this out,
you can make money just for being online!
I didn't believe it at first, but I got a check for $24 the other day.
