Surf Rock Instrumental Review (Holiday): Los Straitjackets- ‘Tis The Season For Los Straitjackets!

http://www.losstraitjackets.com

Admittedly, it is a little early to be listening to Christmas music. I could not help but put this on, though. By the end of the month, I will have had my fill of seasonal music to review, and I will be happy that it comes only once a year.

Surf-instrumental music has always been a personal favorite, and Los Straitjackets never fail to deliver a unique and fun experience. Their vibrant Mexican wrestling masks and infectious sound make them a joy to watch. ‘Tis The Season For Los Straitjackets!

Well then, now you can put all of that together and have yourself a CD that will get you in the mood for the season. Could there be a better way to jump-start the Holiday than to a rockin’ and twangy “A Marshmallow World”?  (Released on a red vinyl 45 a few years ago, B/W “Sleighride”) or “Feliz Navidad”? Even though it may not seem right without Jose Feliciano’s vocals, it still sounds great. Every song sounds so wonderful!

The CD is not too long or too short; it is just right, with 13 tracks, the longest one being a little over three minutes. You must love this kind of music to appreciate it fully, although there may be some converts just waiting for something different to feast their ears upon this year. Usually, the only instrumental Christmas CD I put on is The Ventures Christmas Album (who have a new Christmas CD out too). Now, I have another one to add to the list.

This CD is a joyous toboggan ride down a steep hill on a cold December day. The faster you go, the more excited you get! It’s a perfect blend of fun and the spirit of giving, which is what the holiday season is all about. Let Los Straitjackets’ music guide you to a season filled with joy and excitement.

Keith "MuzikMan" Hannaleck

November 3, 2002

Tracks:

01. Here Comes Santa Claus (Autry/Haldeman) - 2:11

02. A Marshmallow World (DeRose/Sigman) - 2:06

03. Feliz Navidad (Feliciano) - 3:10

04. Jingle Bell Rock (Prentis) - 2:41

05. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Marks) - 2:18

06. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional) - 2:23

07. Frosty the Snowman (Nelson/Rollins) - 1:57  

08. Christmas in Las Vegas (Amis/Angel/Curry/Lester) - 2:36

09. Let It Snow (Cahn/Styne) - 2:12

10. Sleigh Ride (Anderson) - 2:33

11. Christmas Weekend (Amis/Angel/Curry/Lester) - 1:53

12. Little Drummer Boy (Davis/Onarata/Simeone) - 2:40

13. The Christmas Song (Torme/Wells) - 3:16 

Surf Instro Live Review & Interview (John Blair): Jon & The Nightriders-Recorded Live At Hollywood’s Famous Whisky A Go-Go (January 10, 1981)

Release Date:  April 18, 2014

Label: VOXX

ORDER THE VINYL

Jon & the Nightriders tore the roof off Hollywood’s Whisky A Go-Go in January 1981. This legendary venue has hosted some of the most iconic live performances in music history, and that night in January was captured for this LP.

 

The Live At Hollywood’s Famous Whisky A Go-Go LP is heavyweight quality vinyl purchased directly from Jon Blair.

 

Here is the lineup of musicians for the classic surf rock recording:

Jon Blair-Lead Guitar

Dave Wronski-Rhythm Guitar

Niki Sixx-Bass (Not the Motley Crue band member. Listen to the interview)

Dusty Watson-Drums

 

What a powerhouse of talent! Wronski’s rhythm guitar is a force to be reckoned with, a fact proven by his future lead performances with Slacktone. And with his bandmate Dusty Watson on drums, this lineup is a force of nature.

 

If you’re a surf instro fan, you will immediately recognize all the classic tracks the band covered.

The recording is excellent musically and for overall clarity and crispness of sound. Additionally, you get a download card for your digital archives with four bonus tracks. These include three alternate versions of classic tracks, providing a unique perspective on the band’s performance.  It is quite the package of music.

 

This record explodes with some incredible surf rock instrumentals. “Rumble At Waikiki” kicks things off, and it’s a wild way to start. The music is blasting at full volume. This is the way this music should be played, just as Dick Dale did when the first wave of surf commenced.

 

Every track is superbly done with the vintage reverb, tremolo, and glissando riffing in the spotlight every step of the way. For instance, on “Surf Party,” the band cranks, and you get a good taste of all those aspects of this music.  

 

While every track is played with speed and accuracy, more than a few are in hyperdrive. “Force of Gravity,” a bonus track, is an excellent example of that.

 

Worthy of note are all the transitions they make within each track. Even though the music is known for its short recording times, one of the trademarks is how transitory it can be.

 

The Marketts get a nod on the other bonus track on Side B with “Outer Limits.” The Ventures’ “Walk Don’t Run” and The Astronauts’ “Baja” get their due as well on the digital download. You will hear fired-up versions of those legendary tunes, with the bass and guitar cranking it out.

 

The six-and-a-half-minute “Medley” is excellent. As “Banzai Washout,” “Surf Jam,” and “Pipeline” get the Nightrider treatment. Chances are, you have not heard these songs played live in such a way on a surf instro LP too often. They just cut loose on every track and rock out.

 

Recorded Live At Hollywood’s Famous Whisky A Go-Go is not just a look at surf music history; it’s a visceral experience. The passion, color, and precision with which each track is played are a testament to the enduring power of live music.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-Surf Music and Art Reviews Founder

August 4, 2025

Tracks: A1. Rumble At Waikiki 2:44 A2. Mr. Moto 1:58 A3. Surf Party 2:21 A4. The Nightrider 2:03 A5. Surfin' And Spyin'1:31 A6. Hawaii Five-O 1:39 A7. Force of Gravity * Bonus B1. Baja 2:34 Medley (6:13) B2.a Banzai Washout B2.b Surf Jam B2.c Pipeline B3. Church Key 2:15 B4. Squad Car 1:55 B5. Outer Limits* Bonus Digital Download Bonus Tracks: 15. Walk Don't Run 2:41            16. The Nightrider (alt) 2:15       17. Squad Car (alt) 1:55 18. Baja (alt) 2:47

        

Surf Rock Review: The Fuzziyama Surfers-Nagahama / Chanbara Ogin EP

Release Date: August 2025

Website

After their debut album Wild Echizen (Otitis Media Records, 2022), The Fuzziyama Surfers from Japan’s megapolis Nagoya are back with a small CD. The four-track EP was successfully launched at the Surf Guitar 101 Festival in Long Beach, California, in August 2025. This marked the band’s inaugural live performance on American soil. Following this, the silver disc will only be available in their homeland.

We know today that surf music was smuggled into Japan many decades ago by the secret agent Mr. Moto. There, he handed the electronic circuit diagrams over to the custodians of the three-string long-necked lute. This led to the electrification of plucked instruments in the Far East, and “Eleki” was born. The rest is history.

 

Fuzziyama is, as electric guitar players will immediately notice, a portmanteau of "Fujiyama" and "Fuzz Box". The latter is an essential distortion device used to create sawing sound effects on the guitar. Here, this marvelous thing is equated with the sacred mountain of the Japanese.

 

The band’s mastermind and composer is Masumi Fujio, who is known to everyone in the scene as “Fuzzio”. He already rocked with the “surfin’ instrumental band” The Windows and did his finger exercises diligently. He has long deserved a place in the “Nippon Guitars” hall of fame. No one else in the Far East plays “Misirlou” more in tune across the frets than he does.

 

In any case, the artwork for his new sound carrier, designed by Chiaki (the band’s second guitarist) using the two-color duplex process, is a success. The reduction in color makes it stand out from other record sleeves. But what’s even more striking is that the Fuzziyama Surfers have a female drummer.

 

It is said that Karen Carpenter from the Carpenters is the reason why there are comparatively many female drummers in Japan. During their successful 1974 tour (see Live at Budokan), a woman was seen drumming for the first time in Japan, triggering a boom that continues to have an impact today.

Nakkie from the Fuzziyamas is currently one of the best live drummers on the scene. Her playing swings, which is so crucial to surf beat. Through her personality and her spontaneous screeches, she also brings a lot of energy and vitality to the band.

 

This blood-pressure-increasing stage sound is captured unadorned on all of the band’s recordings. The following four tracks were frantically taped in spring 2025 in Geru Matsuishi’s earthquake-proof recording studio on the outskirts of Japan’s “motor city”, Toyota.

 

(1)“Nagahama” (長浜) means “long beach” in Japanese and possibly refers to the location of the band’s first guest performance in the US. Unusually for surf music, the piece begins with a piano chord progression, which immediately calls to mind the forgotten oldie “Nut Rocker” by B. Bumble and the Stingers. Although the piano was a vital element of early style-defining surf bands such as the Bel-Airs and the Challengers, it is reviled in the genre today and has largely been replaced by the organ. The fast-paced interludes in “Nagahama” even evoke progressive rock, revealing that the composer is a “child in time” who floats in deep purple spheres.

 

(2) “Oh! Showgatsu” (お正月) is a traditional Japanese lullaby sung to young children on New Year’s Eve. Shōgatsu, the turn of the year, is one of the most important holidays in Japan. However, a night’s sleep is not on the cards here. The band pulverizes the bedtime song with an unbridled “lock’n’lol” attitude.

 

(3) “Chanbara Ogin” (チャンバラお銀) is a nod to Kagerō Ogin, a female ninja character from a light-hearted Japanese soap opera who is adept at cheating and poisoning. “Chanbara” is the Japanese genre term for samurai films. Not entirely inappropriately, the track has a spaghetti western feel. However, the guitars remain as sharp as the blade of a katana longsword.

 

(4) Things continue to be martial in “Kita-Kaze” (キタカゼ). The title means “North Wind”, but also refers to the eponymous Japanese Tier IX destroyer of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Second World War ship has long since been scrapped, old rivalries have blown away in the wind, and a pacific friendship has developed between Americans and Japanese people.

 

Japan may well be the main factor why the surf music community is global today. Bands like the Fuzziyama Surfers are continuing the instrumental rock tradition that Takeshi Terauchi and the Blue Jeans started so gloriously in the early ’60s.

 

Although their EP has only four tracks, it introduces you to a wide range of Japanese popular culture. Want more? This sample CD is meant to whet your appetite for the band’s upcoming LP. You could say it’s the miso soup before the sashimi.

 

Jimmy Dee, Staff Writer at Surf Music and Art

Tracklist:

01. Nagahama (長浜)

02. Oh! Showgatsu (お正月)

04. Chanbara Ogin (チャンバラお銀)

05. Kita-Kaze (キタカゼ)