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#1. MxPx
Life In General
Release Date: November 19, 1996
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I don't think it's hyperbole, or an exaggeration, to say that Life In General is the most important release in Tooth & Nail's 25-year history. The label was certainly behind MxPx at the time and the band was really coming into their own. The band started on a more aggressive skate punk kind of sound, but found themselves coming to a more "new school" punk vibe with some pop punk leanings. The group's third full-length album is phenomenal from top to bottom. It rips through 17 tracks at break neck pace and then begs to be played again. The first six songs alone are wonderful, but there isn't one skip-worthy track in the bunch. On top of that, each of the songs demands a punk rock sing-a-long. Life In General came to me as a 13-year-old in 7th grade. It changed my entire outlook on music and spawned a love for punk rock that holds to this day. Mike Herrera's songs on life and girls were so relatable to me and I fell in love with a band. I even sent lyrics to "Do Your Feet Hurt" to a girl on which I had a major crush. It worked perfectly, but the letter was sent anonymously and a friend took credit -- they started dating shortly after. You live and learn, but MxPx helped me through those times. I could talk for hours about what this album means to me personally, and I'm sure many others could too, but beyond personal learning, the album stands alone. It brought mainstream notoriety to the band and label and was a springboard for everything to come. I really don't think there was another option for the number one spot.
- Michael Weaver
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I never knew MxPx in the '90s. I was too busy doing my own thing to notice, but now that I have been seeing them live at least a few times every year and hearing the songs from Life In General, I realize the songs were always there, in the back of my mind, melodies and lyrics floating happily, reminding me of a time where innocence and punk could hold hands. You could swear Mike Herrera stole the words from your 14-year-old diary and that he reached into the sky and grabbed the melodies as if they came straight from Heaven's hand. Everything seems perfect and pre-planned in a poppy, perfect way.
- Leanor Till of the bands Five Iron Frenzy and The Fast Feeling
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