- Los Straitjackets
Infobox musical artist
Name = Los Straitjackets
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Background = group_or_band
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Origin =Nashville, TN , U.S.
Instrument =
Genre =Instrumental Rock & Roll
Occupation =
Years_active =1988 to Present
Label = Yep RockLoveCat Music Upstart Rounder
Associated_acts =Raybeats
URL = http://www.straitjackets.com/
Current_members = Eddie Angel Danny Amis Pete Curry Jason Smay
Past_members = Jimmy Lester Scott EsbeckLos Straitjackets is an
instrumental rock and roll group. Members includeguitarist s Eddie Angel and Danny Amis,bassist Pete Curry, anddrummer Jason Smay. They use and endorseDiPinto guitars and basses.History
Eddie Angel was a noted
rockabilly guitarist, having moved to Nashville in the early 1980s to record and perform with the Planet Rockers. Danny Amis recorded and performed with the Raybeats, then worked as a sound engineer in Nashville. The two formed The Straitjackets in1988 with Jimmy Lester, a Nashville session player who had worked and toured withRobert Gordon . They played several gigs during the summer of that year, but soon broke up.In
1994 , they reformed as Los Straitjackets, adding bass player Scott Esbeck. Their first album, "The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of Los Straitjackets", was released the following year on Upstart Records. In the post-"Pulp Fiction" surf revival, the group began attracting a following, though their music is not entirely surf-oriented.Over the next few years, the band developed a cult following through its tight instrumentation and gimmicky stage shows. When performing live, band members dress identically, wearing black clothing, gold Aztec medallions, and personalized Mexican wrestling masks. Amis (aka "Daddy-O Grande") is the only member who speaks, introducing songs in fast, badly accented Spanish.
In 1998, Esbeck left the band during the recording of "The Velvet Touch of Los Straitjackets" and was replaced by Pete Curry, formerly of the Halibuts, a 1980s surf-revival group. In 2005, Lester left and was replaced by Jason Smay (aka "Teen Beat").
They've become known as frequent collaborators, recording "Sing Along With Los Straitjackets" with a number of different artists. They were nominated for a
Grammy Award for their collaboration with blues singerEddy Clearwater , "Rock 'N' Roll City".As time goes on, their stage shows have become more elaborate. Shows frequently feature choreography, guest vocalists such as Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater, Kaiser George of the Scottish band the Kaisers,
Big Sandy , andburlesque dancing troupeThe World Famous Pontani Sisters . In recent years, they have staged festive Christmas Shows during the holiday season.Film and Television
Los Straitjackets provided some of the music for the independent film "
Psycho Beach Party ", and appeared briefly in the film. They also recorded two albums of music specifically for television and commercial use, and their work is often heard as filler or background music on radio and television shows.In the late 1990s,
Conan O'Brien had the band perform Christmas music each holiday season on his late-night television program.Discography
Albums
* 1995 - "
The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of Los Straitjackets ", Upstart Records
* 1996 - "¡Viva! Los Straitjackets ", Upstart Records
* 1999 - "The Velvet Touch of Los Straitjackets ", Cavalcade Records
* 2001 - "Damas y Caballeros ",Yep Roc Records
* 2001 - "Sing Along With Los Straitjackets ",Yep Roc Records
* 2002 - "Tis The Season For Los Straitjackets ",Yep Roc Records
* 2003 - "Encyclopedia Of Music Vol. 1", LoveCat Music
* 2003 - "Rock 'N' Roll City" - with Eddie Clearwater, Rounder Records
* 2004 - "Supersonic Guitars in 3-D ",Yep Roc Records
* 2005 - "Encyclopedia Of Music Vol. 2", LoveCat Music
* 2005 - "Play Favorites",Yep Roc Records
* 2006 - "Twist Party!!! " ,Yep Roc Records
* 2007 - "Rock En Espanol Vol. 1 ",Yep Roc Records External links
* [http://www.straitjackets.com/ Official website]
* [http://lovecatmusic.com/releaseA.php?q=3685 Encyclopedia Of Music Vol. 1 & Vol 2: 2 CDs by Los Straitjackets on LoveCat Music]
ources
* [http://www.straitjackets.com/main3.html History of Los Straitjackets]
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