Above: A surf-rock guitar band with members doing synchronized dance moves and wearing sparkly Mexican wrestler masks? Must be Cinco de Mayo!

Nashville’s Spanish-speaking instrumental surf-rock outift Los Straitjackets may not be the first thing you think of when you think of Mexican music or Cinco de Mayo, but with their upbeat sound and fun live shows, we thought their music was a fine fit for this festive day. (Yes, we know Cinco de Mayo actually marks the Mexican army’s victory over French troops at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, but let’s face it, most of you probably use it as an excuse to drink margaritas after work-and Los Straitjackets are a fine margarita soundtrack. So there.)

The band is known equally well for its oddball costumes (black turtlenecks, over-size medallions and sequined wrestler masks) and its almost mechanically tight guitar antics. (If you want to dress as your favorite Straitjacket-Daddy-O, Angel, Evil Pedro and Teen Hornet-the band sells replicas of their famous masks online, tons of CDs and 7″s, too. Replicas of their wacky guitars are also available.)

Although it formed in 1988, this instrumental outfit didn’t make its proper debut until 1994 with the release of the modestly titled album, The Utterly Fantastic and Totally Unbelievable Sound of Los Straitjackets.

Over two decades into its career, the band is still touring constantly with an unusual live revue that often includes a troupe of go-go-dancing burlesque triplets (the World Famous Pontani Sisters) and sometimes Continue reading »