Tijuana Hercules

Mutant-blues trio Tijuana Hercules were led by singer/guitarist John Forbes, an Indiana native who first surfaced in the late '80s as a member of the Atlanta band Phantom 309, which also featured future <a href="spotify:artist:6r26MaDr8bqNALjXgYPXMa">Jesus Lizard</a> drummer Mac McNeilly. After a subsequent stint in <a href="spotify:artist:6nDv7aRr2vfUdvZedaJ2QL">Dirt</a>, he relocated to Chicago in 1993, founding noise merchants <a href="spotify:artist:6cDuiyqkkr7j0sfdbNQPih">Mount Shasta</a> and issuing four LPs on the Skin Graft label. In the months prior to <a href="spotify:artist:6cDuiyqkkr7j0sfdbNQPih">Mount Shasta</a>'s 1998 dissolution, the drummer's seat was occupied by Chad Smith, later Forbes' roommate. Together they co-founded Tijuana Hercules in early 2000, adding percussionist Mike Young to complete the original lineup. Fueled by vintage blues, rockabilly, and gospel, the group started as a cover band but Forbes' original compositions eventually moved to the fore. Young's tenure with Tijuana Hercules proved brief, however, and Forbes and <a href="spotify:artist:4DW34vji6G9GgGY0k2mic7">Smith</a> added horn player/percussionist Zak Piper in time to record the trio's self-titled 2001 debut EP, released on its own Black Pisces label. A second EP, When the Moon Comes Up Wild, followed in late 2002. Years in the making, Tijuana Hercules' eponymous full-length debut finally appeared in mid-2005. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi