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Murphy's Law (band)

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Murphy's Law is an influential American hardcore punk band from New York City, formed in 1982. While vocalist Jimmy Drescher[1] remains the only founding member of the band, the line-up has consisted of numerous musicians who have performed with a diverse selection of musical acts across multiple genres, such as Skinnerbox, Danzig, The Bouncing Souls, Mucky Pup, Dog Eat Dog, Hanoi Rocks, Agnostic Front, Warzone, Cro-Mags, D Generation, New York Dolls, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, The Slackers, Thursday, Skavoovie and the Epitones, White Trash and Glen Campbell.

Murphy's Law
Big B, Jimmy Drescher, Walter "Monsta" Ryan
Big B, Jimmy Drescher, Walter "Monsta" Ryan
Background information
OriginNew York City, U.S.
GenresHardcore punk, skate punk, crossover thrash
Years active1982–present
LabelsProfile, Relativity, We Bite, Artemis, NYHC Tattoos, I Scream, Reflex/Wolfpack
Members
  • Jimmy Drescher
  • Joe James
  • Larry The Hunter
  • Gary Bennett
  • Big B
  • Walter "Monsta" Ryan
Past membersSee below

Over the course of their career, Murphy's Law has released five albums, the last of which, The Party's Over, was released in 2001.

History

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Murphy's Law and Back with a Bong (1986–1990)

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The self-titled debut album features fast-paced, short songs with more mosh sections, but they also managed to blend in some laid-back Californian punk sounds and even blues into the stomping New York hardcore anthems. Some of the songs on this album could also be credited as an influence on the burgeoning thrash metal scene which had taken to incorporating elements of New York hardcore into their sound and general song structure – for instance, Anthrax and S.O.D., whose Speak English or Die album (even being released a year before the actual registration of Murphy's Law eponymous) predated this release. They shared a common interest in the lyrical themes of drinking, smoking, and partying with the likes of Boston hardcore band, Gang Green as well as the California-based punk band Fear – another trait which separates them from the sociopolitical leanings of fellow New York Hardcore bands. On later albums they diversified with experiments into ska. The album spawned a few live favorites which were devised to "get the party going" – "Fun", "Beer", and "Care Bear" being just a small selection.

Back with a Bong was released in 1989[2] on Profile Records, featuring the fan favorite "Attack of the Killer Beers", and subsequently re-released on Another Planet Records in 1994, with the previous self-titled album on the same disc. It came three years after the previous album and the band had undergone somewhat of a transformation with Jimmy Drescher the only remaining member.[2] Alex Morris had been replaced on guitar by Todd Youth – previously of fellow New York City hardcore bands, Agnostic Front and Warzone, and later of Danzig. Chuck Valle replaced Pete Martinez on bass, and Doug E. Beans took over drumming duties from Petey Hines. In 1989, Murphy's Law opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their Mother's Milk tour.[3]

The Best of Times (1991–1992)

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Murphy's Law ushered in the 1990s with a reinvigorated blast of their debauchery-laced brand of comedic punk.[2] Stylistically, Murphy's Law made quite a jump on The Best of Times. The band did dabble in skacore long before it exploded, but was always pretty much a flat-out hardcore unit in the 1980s. The Best of Times finds Jimmy Drescher and friends combining funk, reggae, ska, and hardcore into their own distinct brew, shedding any dogmatic restrictions applied to the standards of their genre in the 1980s.

Production by Fishbone's John "Norwood" Fisher and Philip "Fish" Fisher lends authenticity and diversity to The Best of Times, as does the added instrumentation by several members of Fishbone. Covers of James Brown and Stevie Wonder provide some insight into Murphy's Law's inclusion as a group supporting people and fellow bands of all races and creeds. While Murphy's Law continued to expand musically on The Best of Times, the subject matter doesn't otherwise stray too far from earlier work. Songs about pot, beer, girls, and cars showcase the glorious immaturity and quest for fun that pretty much define Murphy's Law. When the band does get serious, which is not very often, it's in the interest of unity and friendship.

The title track is basically a fan tribute, thanking a small but loyal group of followers for the support that's enabled Murphy's Law to continue the party. The ska-tinged but heavy "1%" revels in the outcast-minded punk rock ethos, giving nod to those who embrace the good and bad of surfing the fringe of culture and society. Classic Murphy's Law rage surfaces on "Harder Than Who", an attack on the mindless aggression and competition that sometimes rule the hardcore scene.[3]

Good for Now, death of Chuck Valle and two more albums (1993–2009)

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Murphy's Law in 2007

Murphy's Law collected a bunch of stomping, fast and anthem-style hardcore punk songs for this. It was their first studio album in five years since The Best of Times. The personnel differed from previous efforts, but Jimmy G's vocals still provide the sound's basis. As with prior albums, the lyrics revolve mainly around smoking, drinking, and partying. A blur of melodic hardcore eventually gives way near the end to some saxophone-led ska. Dedication was released by Another Planet on March 19, 1996.[2] The label had already picked up the rights to their previous material from Profile Records and in 1994 had released a split CD with their self-titled and Back with a Bong albums on the same disc.

The album was produced by Daniel Rey who had previously worked with The Ramones, The Misfits, and even Boston hardcore punk band Gang Green – with whom Murphy's Law share a lyrical penchant. He also wrote one of the songs for this album, "Greenbud". It follows 1993's Good for Now EP and the 1991 studio album, The Best of Times. The album Dedicated, released in 1996, was dedicated to former bass player, Chuck Valle, who was tragically killed in a knife related incident in 1994.[2] His picture appears on the back page of the CD inlay and a picture of a tattoo inscribed with the words "In Memory of Chuck" appears on the jewel case inlay. The band did not record another album until The Party's Over in 2001,[4] but had plenty of singles, compilation, and split EPs with other bands in between. In 2002 Reflex/Wolfpack Records released a European vinyl pressing of The Party's Over.

Listeners find former D Generation guitarist Rick Bacchus, bassist Sal Villaneuva (Demonspeed), and drummer Eric Arce (Skarhead) joining forces with original Murphy's Law frontman Jimmy G and producer Daniel Rey (Ramones, The Misfits, and White Zombie). The result of this 2001 collaboration is 15 tracks of blistering, rowdy, and fast club punk. The song "The Party's Over" refers to the former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's intense "clean up" of the Big Apple. There are few musical departures on this predominately speedy punk album. "Walking Alone" incorporates a bit of a reggae vibe, while a saxophone line accents "Skinhead Girl", a cover of the song originally by Symarip, that takes the tempo down a notch to a swaggering groove while staying true to punk form.

I Scream Records (2010–present)

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On April 12, 2010, Murphy's Law announced in a MySpace blog entry that they were working on a sixth studio album as well as a DVD and vinyl reissues of their back catalog.[5] On May 4, 2011, it was announced that Murphy's Law were signed to I Scream Records, who were scheduled to release the band's first studio album of original material since 2001's The Party's Over, as well as reissues of their back catalog. The reissued albums were released on CD, digital download, and vinyl in 2014 with previously unreleased bonus tracks. However, to date, the new album of original material has yet to be released.

Media

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In 2002, the band appeared in Matthew Barney's film Cremaster 3 along with Agnostic Front.[6] In 2004, the song "Vicky Crown" appeared in a music video montage featuring Nick Mondo in the game Backyard Wrestling 2. In 2008, the song "A Day in the Life" was featured, as well as Jimmy G. himself as the DJ of Liberty City Hardcore (L.C.H.C)[7] radio station in the action videogame Grand Theft Auto IV.

Members

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Murphy's Law has gone through numerous line-up changes over its four decade history with Jimmy Drescher as its only constant member.

Current members

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  • James Drescher – lead vocals (1982–present)
  • Joe James - guitars
  • Larry The Hunter - guitars
  • Gary Bennett - guitars
  • Walter "Monsta" Ryan - drums
  • Big B - bass

Past members

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Timeline

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Discography

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References

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  1. ^ "The Most Influential Figures of NYHC: Jimmy G. (Murphy's Law) | Features". Noecho.net. June 19, 2018. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e Colin Larkin, ed. (1999). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Heavy Rock (First ed.). Virgin Books. p. 311. ISBN 0-7535-0257-7.
  3. ^ a b Locey, Bill (April 9, 1992). "MUSIC MURPHY'S LAW : Suds 'n' Sounds : The band, known for its 'loud, grungy' style, is promoting a new album, which contains the tune 'Beer Bath.' So beware". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
  4. ^ Punknews.org (March 19, 2017). "Murphy's Law - The Party's Over". punknews.org. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  5. ^ "New Murphy'S Law Album, A Dvd, And Some Other Cool Shit In The Works! Van Murphy'S Law Op Myspace". Myspace.com. April 13, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
  6. ^ "Cremaster 3 (2002)". IMDb.com. May 25, 2003. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  7. ^ "Liberty City Hardcore - Grand Theft Wiki, the GTA wiki". Grandtheftwiki.com. October 21, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
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