Los Straitjackets Release First New Album Of All-Original Material In Over 13 Years

09-21-2025

(MPG) Rock'n'roll veterans Los Straitjackets have released their first new album of all-original material in over 13 years, Somos Los Straitjackets, available everywhere today through Yep Roc Records. Produced by Alex Hall (JD McPherson, The Cactus Blossoms), Somos Los Straitjackets marks their long-awaited return and demonstrates why they have reigned as the kings of modern instrumental rock for over thirty years.

Highlights include the lead single "High Wire Act," a nostalgic, suspenseful track with retro surf-attack hooks and a raucous groove; the re-imagined Neanderthals classic "Spinout," featuring guest vocals from voice-over king Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants, Transformers, Rick & Morty); and "Polaris," a track inspired by the vintage tones of surf rock's golden age accompanied by an official video that follows a once-legendary luchador exiled from the squared circle, embarking on a surreal pilgrimage to play the slightly-mythic arcade game titled Polaris. Stream or Purchase Somos Los Straitjackets here

Los Straitjackets have served as America's premier surf rock band for over three decades. They have taken their combo sound around the world, making instrumental records, but also assuming the role of all-star backing band along the way, most notably with Nick Lowe for over a decade. It's that collaboration that fuels Somos Los Straitjackets. The lineup that has been touring since founder Danny "Daddy-O-Grande" Amis had to drop out of day-to-day operations because of his (winning) battle against multiple myeloma is Eddie Angel, longtime bassist Pete "Mr. Pete" Curry, drummer Chris "Gringo Starr" Sprague (The Sprague Brothers, Deke Dickerson) and Rochester guitar hero Greg "Gregario" Townson (The Hi-Risers, John Ellison).

After recording with Hall at Reliable Recorders for Lowe's 2024 album Indoor Safari, the band knew they had met the man who could capture the renewed sound of this group. They began by tracking early demos at Pete Curry's Powow Fun Room studio in LA, then continued to fine-tune the new songs at soundchecks and even peppered them into live sets. The result is a down and dirty, electrifying, and beautiful album that pulsates with wit, twang and thunderous rock n' roll. Somos also features two re-recordings of pandemic-era remote compositions (Townson's "Genesee River Rock" and Angel's "April Showers") as well as the aforementioned "Spinout," a track originally recorded by Eddie's other band The Neanderthals over 20 years ago.

"The recording process we used this time was different," stated Angel. "We got together numerous times at the studio to work up the songs, then we recorded demos to listen back to. Having some time to tweak the songs, and in some cases play them live, really helped when it came time to record."

With shimmering tremolo, relentless drum grooves, and hooks so catchy they don't need lyrics to get stuck in your head, Somos Los Straitjackets is produced with a vintage touch but packed with fresh intensity. It's both a love letter to rock 'n' roll's past and a declaration of purpose with feet firmly planted in the present. It demonstrates why Los Straitjackets have reigned as the kings of modern instrumental rock for over thirty years.

Track Listing:
01) Bumper Car
02) Polaris
03) Genesee River Rock
04) High Wire Act
05) Numbskull
06) Two Steps Ahead
07) April Showers
08) Cry for a Beatle
09) Catalina Farewell
10) Copy Cat
11) Sentimental Fool
12) Bad Apple
13) Wicker Park
14) Spinout
15) Virgon

Tour Dates:
10/03 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Moe's Alley
10/04 - Albany, CA @ The Ivy Room
10/05 - San Francisco, CA @ Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival (w/ Nick Lowe)
10/07 - Chico, CA @ Chico Women's Club
10/08 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's
10/09 - Carson City, NV @ Nashville Social Club
10/11 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
10/12 - Santa Monica, CA @ McCabe's Guitar Shop
10/22 - Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
10/23 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall
10/24 - Homer, NY @ Homer Center for the Arts
10/25 - Rochester, NY @ Temple Theater
10/26 - Buffalo, NY @ Sportsmens Tavern
10/28 - Old Saybrook, CT @ Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center
10/29 - Northampton, MA @ The Iron Horse
10/30 - South Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
10/31 - Jersey City, NJ @ White Eagle Hall
11/01 - Fall River, MA @ Narrows Center for the Arts
11/02 - Troy, NY @ Hangar on the Hudson