Washington-based skate punks MXPX have never released a Christmas album. And yet, here we are. Why? Because this spirited trio - who sound similar to loud, pop-savvy bands like Green Day or the Descendents - has released a series of fantastic Christmas CD singles, mostly as annual freebies for their devoted fan club. My fondest desire - after one night alone with Ann-Margaret, a '65 Ford Mustang ragtop, and, of course, world peace - is that one day MXPX will compile all those great songs (and more?) onto one incredibly slammin' CD. This is about as likely to happen as world peace and that other stuff. So you, dear reader, will have to scrounge for them in dusty record bins and on the internet (check Amazon and eBay) like I did. Most of the discs aren't terribly rare (MXPX must have a big fan club) but are nevertheless highly sought after by collectors and latecomers (such as I).

Actually, MXPX are one of a growing number of Christian punk groups, though they've kept their religious beliefs increasingly understated - so much so you wouldn't guess from a cursory listen to their music. And, I'm pretty sure the word "Jesus" appears nowhere on their website... Anyway, more than anything, you'll notice what's not there - pointless ranting, foul language, or overt violence ("Christmas Night Of The Zombies" notwithstanding).

Take a gander, for instance, at what constitutes being "naughty" in this excerpt from "You're The One I Miss (This Christmas)"...

Let's drink hot chocolate,
and eat some candy.
Let's open all our presents early.

Wow, dude, that's living on the edge. But, they rock like crazy, so MXPX can comfortably straddle the cultural fence, appearing with the saints on Happy Christmas Vol. 2 (1999), then alongside the sinners on A Santa Cause (2004).

Written (sometimes with band input) and sung by bassist Mike Herrera, the MXPX Christmas songs tackle mainly interpersonal concerns apropos to most pop punk (or even emo). The first single, "Christmas Day" (1998), is one of their best, and it's fairly typical of the band's approach - a hard-driving, chunky chord progression layered with simple harmonies, relating a story tinged with faith and sexual longing. "Christmas Day," by the way, is one of the only MXPX Christmas tracks available on a commercial CD (the aforementioned Happy Christmas volume).

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