Panic

Performer: MxPx
Artist: Mark Hoppus
Distributor: Alternative Dis. Alliance

Notes: MxPx: Michael Herrera (vocals, bass guitar); Thomas Wisniewski (guitar); Yuri Ruley (drums). Thirteen years into the game, MxPx have gone from being fresh-scrubbed high school students playing punk with a Christian bent to wizened vets in a scene where musicians barely into their thirties are practically middle-aged. For PANIC, these Washington natives have instead turned towards a more traditional, SoCal punk sound. Amid the harmonies and choppy guitar are opportunities to play spot-the-influence. "Late Again" has a cow-punk vibe melded with soccer-style chanting that comes off as Social Distortion-meets-Dropkick Murphys. Although not as breakneck as Bad Religion, MxPx does a fair approximation of the former on "Kicking and Screaming," with vocalist/bassist Mike Herrera sounding farily close to BR frontman Greg Graffin. MxPx is still a pop-punk band at heart, so angst still plays a major role in the songwriting, with Herrera lamenting life on the road within the confines of the mid-tempo, Blink-182-like "Wrecking Hotel Rooms" (featuring Blink's Mark Hoppus) and railing at love's injustice on the anthemic "Emotional Anarchist."

MxPx were a spunky trio of Pacific Northwest teenagers with discreetly Christian lyrics and a crisp, tight attack when they were signed to Tooth & Nail Records in 1994. They released three albums for the label and then defected to A&M Records, where bigger budgets afforded them grander production and a busy touring schedule. Being exposed to enthusiastic crowds during the late-'90s heyday of pop/punk paid off, and by 2005, the band had built up such a loyal following that they decided to leave A&M and record independently, pursuing a leaner punk sound. MxPx also helped pave the way for a bundle of emotionally driven pop/punk acts with lyrics that, while not expressly religious, dealt openly with matters of faith.

Click Here for Shipping Options and Policies

Shipping or Dimension weight in pounds: 0.25