Tijuana Panthers

Dishing out a witty, lo-fi fusion of surf, garage rock, and punk, Tijuana Panthers are a trio from Long Beach, California who take reverb-soaked guitar lines, attach them to stripped-down rock & roll melodies, and approach the results with a playful attitude and playfully surreal lyrics. The band's scrappy fidelity-challenged beginnings (as documented on 2014's Wayne Interest) gave way to a more polished studio approach and a greater instrumental cohesion on 2015's Poster, and they stretched their melodic ambitions on 2019's Carpet Denim. The members of Tijuana Panthers -- Chad Wachtel on guitar, Daniel Michicoff on bass, and Phil Shaheen on drums -- first met when they attended the same church camp during their days in junior high; they shared an interest in surfing and skateboarding, and grew to be close friends. Sharing a passion for rock & roll, Wachtel and Shaheen played in a two-man band called the Pencils for a while, and Shaheen and Michicoff were bandmates in a group called the Fancy Lads before the three teamed up for Tijuana Panthers. The band made its recorded debut in 2009 with a 7" single, "Girls Gone Wild" b/w "Creature," and both songs would later appear on the band's debut album, 2010's Max Baker (named for one of Shaheen's neighbors, whose exploits in Mexico also inspired the band's moniker).