The Clash track was a choice that drummer Yuri Ruley called a "'no-brainer.' Tom [Wisniewski], our guitar player, sings this one, which is fitting because he's our Mick Jones." Wisniewski, the resident Clash fanatic, has never previously sang lead vocal on any MxPx recordings, but says, "We have played this for years with me singing lead vocals and it was one of the first songs that we knew we had to put on our new cover record!"

The trio also chose more unusual songs to cover. For example, "Linda Linda," while perhaps unfamiliar to Americans, is actually a treat for the band's Japanese fans; The Blue Hearts are one of the most legendary punk bands in Japan. The song was originally intended to be released in Japan only, but the band loved it enough to not only include it on the US release, but to also record the song in Japanese for the Japanese edition.

The other surprise track, Queen's "Somebody to Love," is enhanced with feature guests Bryce Avery of The Rocket Summer and Ethan Luck of Relient K, plus the little technicality of the song being released in 1976. Despite its appearance on Queen's 1981 Greatest Hits, that still makes the track the only non-80s cover on the album.

Other, more expected selections don't disappoint with straight-up versions. The band was not afraid to experiment with other classics like U2's "I Will Follow," adding a breakdown to the bridge to make sure their stamp was on it.

And who can overlook MxPx's choice of guests - performers like Avery, as well as Chiodos' Craig Owens, represent the immense influence MxPx has had over the new generation of punk rock musicians. In some cases, right down to their beginnings: Owens and Chiodos bassist Matt Goddard formed their band after Owens saw the latter wearing an MxPx shirt in class and was compelled to talk to him.

The fans and budding musicians who look up to MxPx can expect even more this upcoming year. The band will be unveiling new recordings and are planning a special surprise this fall, all of which will be announced on their MySpace and website soon!

With all the guests announced, the band is proud to announce the complete track listing for On The Cover II to include the following covers and guests:

Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
(featuring Matt Hensley of Flogging Molly on accordion)

The Ramones - My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)

U2 - I Will Follow

Descendents - Suburban Home

The Proclaimers - (I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles

The Go-Go's - Vacation

Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is a Place on Earth
(duet with Agent M of Tsunami Bomb/The Action Design)

Kim Wilde - Kids In America

Poison - Fallen Angel
(with additional vocals from Craig Owen of Chiodos and guitar solo by Stephen Egerton of Descendents)

The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go

The Blue Hearts - Linda Linda

Queen - Somebody to Love
(with additional vocals, piano, and keyboard by Bryce Avary of The Rocket Summer and guitar solo from Ethan Luck of Relient K)