Murphy's Law

Emerging from New York City’s mid-’80s hardcore scene, Murphy’s Law took shape in Astoria, Queens, with vocalist Jimmy Gestapo at the center while straddling the divide between obnoxious skatepunk and sodden metal. The band’s constantly rotating roster featured guitarists Todd Youth, Alex Morris, and Jack Flanagan alongside bassists Pete Martinez, Chuck Valle, and Dean, plus drummers Doug E. Beans and Eric Arce. Its self-titled debut appeared on Profile in 1986 and addressed familiar ’80s themes such as boredom, alienation, weed, and beer, yet delivered solid songs that grew stronger on the follow-up, 1989’s Back with a Bong! After moving to the Profile-affiliated Combat Records for 1991’s The Best of Times, the group stayed largely inactive through the early ’90s. Murphy’s Law resurfaced in 1995 with the EP Good for Now, then issued the full-length Dedicated the next year. A combined edition titled Best of Times/Good for Now surfaced in 2000, and The Party’s Over followed in spring 2001.