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Los Straitjackets
SUPERSONIC GUITARS IN 3-D
(Yep-Roc)
Stars graphics

An instrumental surf band who wear Mexican wrestling masks on stage, Los Straitjackets have never been caught short on gimmicks. In keeping with their B-movie routine, Supersonic Guitars in 3-D comes with 3-D glasses and an assortment of funky black-and-white 3-D drawings in the sleeve. But if they’ve been able to keep their shtick going for a full seven albums, that’s because their chops match their commitment to camp.

They also know when to change things up a bit. This time around, they’ve added an element of low-end blues to the mix, perhaps inspired by the fact that the disc was recorded at producer Mark Neill’s Soil of the South studio, where the White Stripes recorded Elephant. "San Diego Shutdown" and "Midnight in Salerno" do their best to live up to their titles, with the rhythm section roaring away on one and the guitars creating a bit of late-night atmosphere on the other. Everything, including the bass and the tom-tom drums, is drenched in reverb. And even the more experimental "Tarantula," which has Jon Spencer on theremin and background growling, wouldn’t have sounded too out of place in 1963.

BY NICK A. ZAINO III


Issue Date: October 17 - 23, 2003
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