Tijuana Panthers - "Red Headed Girl"

My introduction to Long Beach, California's Tijuana Panthers was via their San Diego neighbors, the Soft Pack. Recording a live acoustic set over at Stereogum, the Soft Pack threw in a cover of the Panthers' "Red Headed Girl"—a riff-centered surf rock song with a chorus that's easy to remember but hard to forget.

Tijuana Panthers - "Red Headed Girl" (from Golden Hour Box Set)

Look Out For: The Soft Pack

The Soft Pack—the band formerly known as the Muslims—is a mash of Replacements-style brash and smarts with the space and minimalism of the Velvet Underground. The San Diego quintet isn’t out to reinvent the wheel, but its battered drum kit, fervently plucked bass and guitar, and singer Matt Lamkin’s no frills punk rock voice together make it spin. 

The band, which has already made international waves in the blogosphere, is sure to grab even more ears when it releases its first full-length album this summer. In the meantime, the Soft Pack is touring the States and Europe with pop acts the Friendly Fires and White Lies.

Click here for dates, including a 3/24 stop in DC. 

Here's one of the band's best originals and two classy covers:

The Soft Pack - Bright Side

The Soft Pack - Red Headed Girl (Tijuana Panthers)

The Soft Pack - Grinding Halt (The Cure)

Graphic ⓒ Matt Carr.