!Viva! Los Straitjackets

The Shadows/Ventures of the '90s arrive as a quarter in Mexican wrestling masks, burgundy turtlenecks, black jeans, black Converse and bedecked in silver sun pendants. Live los Straitjackets effect an inscrutable demeanor and rock from a stage uncluttered with monitors. Because they actually listen to each other, the drummer sits in their midst at the stage's edge. The band is tight, fused and rocking. For me, there is no better guitar-based instrumental rock album of 1997. ~ Tom Schulte