Los Straitjackets: Jet Set (Yep Roc, 8/7/12)
“Space Mosquito”
Los Straitjackets: “Space Mosquito”
Every team gets a shot in the arm from the return of its leader, and the same must hold true for instrumental surf-rock quartet Los Straitjackets. Buoyed by the return of guitarist Danny Amis from a battle with multiple myeloma — a plasma-cell cancer that manifests in bone marrow — the ‘Jackets are back, luchador masks in hand (er…on face).
Tuscon-based singer/songwriter Howe Gelb has made a name for himself by collaborating with an ever-changing cast of players. As Giant Sand, Gelb has released more than 20 records, with contributions from the likes of Neko Case, PJ Harvey, Vic Chesnutt, and Steve Wynn.
Nearly torn apart on multiple occasions due to drug abuse and infighting, New York-based rock band Mercury Rev is still together, asking the big questions, and enjoying every opportunity to play another song.
Despite increasingly miserable mainstream hits (how can the radio get any worse?), 2007 was an excellent, indulgent, fulfilling year of music. Here is a look at our favorite ten albums of the year.