Panda

By combining elements of emo, punk, and alternative rock, PXNDX became one of Mexico's best-selling rock acts during the 2000s and early 2010s. The band formed in 1996 in Monterrey, Nuevo León, with frontman José Madero, guitarist Jorge Garza, bassist Ricardo Treviño, and drummer David Castillo forming the initial lineup. Jorge Vásquez replaced Castillo in 1997, and PXNDX — also known as "Panda" — released the band's independent debut album, Arroz Con Leche, in 2000. La Revancha Del Príncipe Charro followed in 2002. While both albums featured a humorous, irreverent form of pop-punk, PXNDX revised its sound for 2005's Para Ti Con Desprecio, a platinum-selling record that introduced a heavier, more dramatic sound. Despite controversies that the band had lifted some of its lyrics and guitar riffs from similar groups like Smashing Pumpkins and Alkaline trio, Para Ti Con Desprecio was a mainstream hit, peaking at Number 3 on the Top 100 México sales chart and paving the way for a chart-topping follow-up, Amantes Sunt Amentes, in 2006. Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album, Amantes Sunt Amentes featured three Number 1 singles — "Narcisista Por Excelencia," "Los Malaventurados No Lloran," and "Procedimientos Para Llegar a Un Común Acuerdo," all of which topped the Mexico Espanol Airplay chart — and earned platinum status. The band's 2007 live album, Sinfonía Soledad, also went platinum, as did the 2009 studio effort Poetics. 2011's gold-selling Bonanza represented a return to the punk-pop stylings that permeated the group's earlier work, while 2013's platinum-certified Sangre Fría marked PXNDX's fourth consecutive studio album to chart at Number 1 in Mexico. After 20 years together, the group announced their split in 2016, with José Madero launching a solo career and his bandmates forming a new band, Desierto Drive, in 2018.