Los Straitjackets

By PHIL GALLO

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Los Straitjackets (Viper Room; 168 capacity; $ 10)
 
Band: Danny Amis, Eddie Angel, E. Scott Esbeck, Les James Lester.
 

TX:Presented inhouse. Reviewed July 18, 1996. After the laughter subsides over their appearance, Los Straitjackets deliver the goods with immaculate splendor; they have taste and articulation on their side, a welcome improvement to the many who have attempted to usher in speed and volume as the future of surf music. Out of legions of wannabes, Los Straitjackets have found instrumental surf music hardly limited to a one-note tubular twang. The quartet follows the '60s paradigm (matching outfits, guitarists flanking the drummer with bass in back) and adds the outrageous (Mexican wrestlers' masks, stage announcements in Spanish) to punch up and expand a genre that's been rejuvenated through soundtracks and a recent primo boxed set from Rhino.

Hardly a novelty, the Nashville-based band has delivered improved shows in each of their L.A. visits (this was their fourth), and a show July 27 at Jack's Sugar Shack promises to be an even bigger ball of delight than Wednesday's workout.

As well as they deliver the rapid-fire attack and exaggerated tremolo of standard surf, Los Straitjackets also lather on some Memphis soul, Link Wray-inspired chicken squawking and a romantic yet tough take on Santo & Johnny's classic "Sleepwalk."

Concert is a powerful enhancement of songs from the band's two albums on Upstart, "Los Straitjackets" and the new "Viva! Los Straitjackets."