Tuesday 28 July 2009

The Further Adventures of Los Straightjackets


It's hard to imagine but the infamous instrumentalos Los Straightjackets have been going twenty one years. It was back in the summer of 1988 that guitarists Eddie Angel and Danny Amis and drummer Jimmy Lester formed the trio in Nashville, aiming to bring the 60s sounds of the Ventures and Dick Dale to the masses. They mixed their high energetic surf rumble sound with a Mexican wrsetler look complete with intricate face masks. It wasn't just a gimmick though, these guys can play. I've got a couple of their albums, and as with all things instrumental, I enjoy them without going mad for it.

It's been a couple of years since their last release, and after a few experiments with vocal tracks and horn sections, it sees them firmly back in throbbing instrumental mode. There's nothing particularly new hear and I think most of these songs run better in islation than as part of an album. Viurtually without exception, these siongs could form part of a Hollywood soundtrack, any number of them sounding ideal to play as some guy gets his head blown-off on some remote Texas highway. All thirteen tracks come from within the band, the pick for me being the thunderous Blowout! and the melodious Catalina. Old fans will know what to expecta nd can buy with confidence, new fans can get the bug and start going through the back catalogue.

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