MxPx is an American punk rock band from Bremerton, Washington (USA), founded in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. Initially, they started playing music inspired by Descendents, Black Flag and other Southern California skate punk bands. The trio – 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 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.
They were signed by Tooth & Nail Records in 1993 and released their debut album ‘Pokinatcha’ in 1994. Andy Husted left the band after this release and was replaced by Tom Wisniewski. Two further albums – ‘Teenage politics’ (1995) and ‘Life in general’ (1996) followed, then they received a major distribution deal with A&M Records. They continued to release albums in a quick pace: ‘Slowly going the way of the buffalo’ and the B-sides collection ‘Let it happen’ were released in 1998 and the live album ‘At the show’ in 1999. 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.
Their version of the song ‘Scooby Doo, where are you?’ appeared on the soundtrack of the 2002 movie ‘Scooby-Doo’. Their sixth studio album ‘Before everything & after’ was released by A&M in 2003. The album achieved the band’s highest ever chart position on the U.S. Billboard 200, peaking at number 51. Curiously, they were dropped by A&M Records after this, leaving the band to sign with SideOneDummy Records, releasing their seventh album ‘Panic’ that same year. MxPx spent the majority of 2005 and 2006 touring in support of the album. MxPx released their eighth album ‘Secret weapon’ in 2007, their first release on their original label Tooth & Nail since 1996’s ‘Life in General’.
In 2009, their ninth album ‘On the cover II’ was released. This album features cover versions of many eighties songs, including Kim Wilde’s Kids in America. The album is a sequel to ‘On the cover’, an EP which they released in 1995.
Later in 2009, MxPx released ‘Punk Rawk Christmas’, a holiday-themed punk album. Their next studio album ‘Plans within plans’ followed in 2012. Although the band announced they wouldn’t be touring, the band was not breaking up and that they will continue to write and record new material together.