- The Darkest Places
- Young and Depressed
- Heard That Sound
- Cold Streets
- The Story
- Wrecking Hotel Rooms
- Late Again
- Kicking and Screaming
- Grey Skies Turn Blue
- Emotional Anarchist
- Call in Sick
- Get Me Out
- Waiting for the World to End
- This Weekend
MxPx has been playing together well over a decade and remains one of today's most popular punk rock acts. This trio from Washington was already making waves in high school before signing with Tooth & Nail in the early '90s. Their popularity soon attracted the attention of A&M Records, who brought the band to mainstream audiences beginning with 1998's
When A&M suddenly closed its doors in 2004, it left many wondering about the future of vocalist/bassist Mike Herrera, guitarist Tom Wisniewski, and drummer Yuri Ruley. Though some hoped the band might return to Tooth & Nail, they've simply grown too big for such a small label—today, they're headlining the prestigious VansWarped Tour '05. Instead, MxPx now finds themselves on Side One Dummy Records, the punk rock label home to Slick Shoes (also originally a Christian band) and The Casualties (most definitely not).
Depending on the listener's interpretation,
Herrera sounds almost as prayerful and confessional as the Psalms on "The Story," likening inner turmoil to alcoholism and post-war trauma: "Can I get a new soul? The one I got's been trampled on/The push and pull like a bottle of gin at Al Anon/Can I get a new heart? Cause the one I got works way too hard/Like a prisoner of war that's come home bruised and scarred/We get lost, lost along the way/It happens every day." For "Late Again," the band charmingly blends Southern gospel lyrics with slacker sentiment, pleading to be counted among the heavenly host despite tardiness. And though "Waiting for the World to End" initially sounds like a generic apocalyptic rocker, it talks of "searching for signs" while concluding, "All creation will collide and then begin again."
Most of the songs, though, dwell on generic subjects of romance and heartbreak. Some listeners may disapprove of the line, "You're pissed because you never been kissed" in "Emotional Anarchist." Others may balk more over a crummy rhyme like, "You're young and depressed but you're pretty well dressed," apparently meant to be an encouragement in "Young and Depressed."
Much like P.O.D., this band has seldom been one to prominently proclaim their Christian beliefs for the sake of ministry. MxPx's lyrics have been general for some time, favoring actions over verbalizations to articulate their faith. Many regard them as the rare mainstream punk band with a positive attitude and wholesome lifestyle, and that behavior can be attributed to their Christianity.