La Loi Des Cactus

La Loi Des Cactus sound familiar, but that’s not a bad thing. The Quebec-based band’s self-produced first album, Tout Pour Tout Le Monde, whips up reggae, ska, Latin and hip-hop for a tasty audio confection. The album starts off peppy and remains sway-worthy throughout. Formed in 2002, the quintet recently won Montreal’s l’Omnium du Rock 2005. "Envolee” has a mellow bass line with some lively vocals and trumpet for contrast. "Le Combat” features Quebecois heavy metal artist Marco Calliari’s delightfully gritty voice next to a more diluted ska-dipped reggae beat. "Marilynomane” is by far the most melancholic song on the album as the bass conveys angst and a dash of English makes it clear that love is a game they didn’t want to play. If you just want to skip to the head-bobbing bits, "La Vie Est Si Courte” should take you there. For seasonal context, save this music for the summertime.