After a wildly successful 17th anniversary summer, complete with a fan “favorites” live broadcast performance, the punk-pop gurus of Bremerton, WA are back at it again. Now, MxPx are set to release Left Coast Punk, their latest EP (the band’s first in five years), through their very own label, Rock City Recording Company.
MxPx has always been the harder-and-faster variety of punk playing bands, the band coined the phrase “Left Coast Punk” as a simple way to describe their sound, and those similar, residing from the Left Coast. It is that particular sound that is evident within the new tracks and MxPx vocalist and bassist, Mike Herrera felt the name just seemed to fit, “It just made sense to use the term, it’s been around awhile, something I believe we coined, but it perfectly describes the clash of pop sensibility with the fast and hard playing that we are known for.”
That clash of sounds is what hardcore MxPx fans will get; however the band did add in a melodic soft touch on a couple of tracks including the first single, “End,” a tribute to some great punk and rock shows of the past. Using a style of play not performed by the band very often, melodic and fast, mid tempo and powerful, but fans will notice the signature MxPx sound. Other tracks, like “Broken,” carry a more serious, personal tone, a rhythm that drives the lyrics – peering deep into feelings of being, well, broken inside. And then there’s “Desperate to Understand” featuring classic MxPx style lyrics about lifting each other up and by sound alone, “One Step Further” kick starts the EP with its fast tempo, while the lyrics delve into becoming a better person.
Left Coast Punk is the band’s fifth EP, but the first to be released through the band’s own label, Rock City Recording Company. The band admits there is more work at hand, but Herrera puts it all into perspective, “It was about time we took this leap into the darkness, after all, we’re musicians, there’s no retirement in punk rock.” With that new leap of faith, the band will be releasing the standard 6-song EP through major online digital retailers. As a bonus the band will be releasing a limited edition physical version of the EP as a 10-track CD, which includes an additional 3 instrumental tracks (a first for the band) and “On a String,” a previously unreleased demo track. With only 500 in the limited edition run, each copy will come with an autographed poster, and will only be available on the band’s website: www.mxpx.com.
First single, “End” will debut on Friday, November 13 on the band’s MySpace page: www.myspace.com/mxpx at 9 am PST.
MxPx is Mike Herrera (bass/vocals), Tom Wisniewski (guitars) and Yuri Ruley (drums). In the span of 17 years, the band has sold over 2.5 million records world-wide and is ready to continue that success as they release this EP as well as their special Christmas album, set to be released this holiday season.
MXPX-LEFT COAST PUNK EP (Digital)
1. One Step Further
2. Desperate to Understand
3. Broken
4. Shanghaied in Shanghai
5. Hopeless Case
6. End
MXPX-LEFT COAST PUNK ENHANCED EP (Physical)
**Includes all the tracks listed above, plus the below
7. One Step Further (instrumental version)
8. End (instrumental version)
9. Broken (instrumental version)
10. On a String (previously unreleased demo from LCP sessions)
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