Tito & Tarantula: Hungry Sally & Other Killer Lullabies

Tito is Tito Lariva of the Plugz and Cruzados, as well as the man who played Ramon in the David Byrne film True Stories. Tarantula is a bunch of other musicians, including former Oingo Boingo drummer Johnny Vatos. Together, they make music that falls somewhere between Tito's other two bands: It's good, solid guitar-rock with a western twang, like the best bar band you've probably never seen. What sets Tito & Tarantula apart, however, is that its members have clearly been at it for long enough to know what works and what doesn't. Despite roots in punk and new wave, as well as a willingness to take chances to make the music sound more interesting, Tito and company still aren't exactly radicals, but Hungry Sally & Other Killer Lullabies is bound to hold your attention. Most of the material is upbeat and straightforward, with strong vocals delivering fairly humdrum lyrics with enough conviction to make you forget their banality. "My German Fraulein" is the sort of plodding snore that turns people off to guitar-rock in the first place, but it's followed by "Betcha Can't Play," a rollicking foot-stomper that's fun enough to reaffirm your faith in rock. A bevy of similar tracks help make Hungry Sally a purely enjoyable record, even if it can't stack up to the exuberant joy of witnessing the band live.