Los Straitjackets

Los Straitjackets pioneered the fusion of reverb-heavy guitars with Lucha Libre theatrics, emerging as masked icons within the realm of instrumental rock. Their approach draws clear influence from established acts like the Ventures, Duane Eddy, and Dick Dale, while the musicians maintain a strict policy of never appearing onstage without their signature Mexican wrestling masks. The result combines sharp, twang-infused guitar lines treated with ample reverb, a straightforward rhythm section, confident playing technique, and a consistent vein of wit. Although most releases remain purely instrumental, the group has partnered with singers including Nick Lowe, Deke Dickerson, Big Sandy of Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys, and Raul Malo of the Mavericks. Thematic projects have included swing-era 1960s pop on the 2006 album Twist Party!!!, holiday material on the 2002 release 'Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets, Latin-inflected rock & roll on 2007’s Rock en Español, Vol. 1, and reinterpretations of well-known television themes on 2019’s Channel Surfing.

The ensemble originated in Nashville in 1988 when guitarist Eddie Angel, previously of the rockabilly revival outfit the Planet Rockers, joined Danny Amis, an alumnus of the Raybeats. Together with drummer J.L. “Jimmy” Lester they performed locally under the name the Straitjackets before disbanding after several months. The project was revived in 1994 as a quartet that added bassist E. Scott Esbeck and introduced the visual device of colorful Mexican wrestling masks. Rebranded as Los Straitjackets, the band’s retro-instrumental sound attracted attention, leading the Rounder-distributed Upstart Records imprint to issue their debut, 1995’s The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of Los Straitjackets. Following an initial national tour, they recorded the follow-up ¡Viva! Los Straitjackets in 1996. Growing recognition within roots-rock circles prompted Yep Roc Records to sign them, and their first album for the label, 1999’s The Velvet Touch of Los Straitjackets, marked the departure of E. Scott Esbeck; Pete Curry, formerly of the Halibuts, completed the sessions on bass. Their energetic stage presence was captured on the 2001 live set Damas y Caballeros!, while the same year saw an assortment of guest vocalists—among them Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere & the Raiders and “The Mexican Elvis” El Vez—contribute to Sing Along with Los Straitjackets. The holiday-themed 'Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets arrived in 2002. In 2003 the group backed blues guitarist Eddy “The Chief” Clearwater on Rock ’n’ Roll City, earning a Grammy nomination, and also issued their own Supersonic Guitars in 3-D; a compilation of unreleased material, live cuts, and rarities titled Vivos y los Raros followed in 2004. Twist Party appeared in 2006, introducing new drummer Jason “Teen Beat” Smay after J.L. “Jimmy” Lester’s exit the prior year.

Following the all-star Rock en Español, Vol. 1 in 2007, which again featured guest vocalists, the band returned in 2009 with the stripped-down The Further Adventures of Los Straitjackets, emphasizing its core guitar-driven sound without added singers or horns. The lineup expanded to a quintet in 2010 with the addition of third guitarist Greg Townson. Jet Set, released in 2012, marked Danny Amis’s return after illness; recorded at Pow Wow Fun Room Studios in Los Angeles under producer Janne Haavisto, it included contributions from the Basic Cable Horns and Finnish musician Irina Björklund, plus new drummer Chris Sprague replacing Jason Smay. In 2013 Los Straitjackets joined the Fleshtones and Southern Culture on the Skids for the horror-themed Mondo Zombie Boogaloo. The 2014 album Sings the Great Instrumental Hits again explored “instrumental music with vocals,” with Deke Dickerson supplying rarely heard lyrics to classics such as “Pipeline,” “Walk Don’t Run,” and “Honky Tonk.” That year Nick Lowe enlisted the group as his backing band for the “Quality Revue” tour supporting Quality Street; the performances were documented on the 2015 live album The Quality Holiday Revue. Still aligned with Lowe, Los Straitjackets next delivered an all-instrumental collection of his songs, What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Los Straitjackets, issued by Yep Roc in May 2017. June 2019 brought the four-song EP Channel Surfing, applying the band’s signature style to television themes including Game of Thrones; the recording was made as a quartet comprising Angel and Townson on guitars, Curry on bass, and Sprague on drums. In 2024 the musicians reunited with Nick Lowe for Indoor Safari, assembling tracks from earlier EPs alongside newly written material.