Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys

With one slash of the bow you can recognize Riley's authentic Cajun spin, and the popular accordion player/fiddler/singer hasn't let up since he and his Mamou Playboys first hit the bandstands in 1990. The counterpart to Layfayette's BeauSoleil, Riley has long embraced traditional Cajun music and consistently packed dancehalls, keeping the spirit of Cajun French music alive and well. Indeed, their dozen Rounder releases celebrate the exuberance of Louisiana's rich heritage while their unbridled enthusiasm for the material, faithful as it is to tradition, and their significant strengths as musicians have merged in an effort to bring this once marginally popular genre to the forefront. Like any successful recipe, there's a splash of rock-meets-country swing influence to keep the doors wide open to secure a larger audience, and what musical genre can't benefit from a little boundary tweaking? From the romantic elegance of "Lover's Waltz" to the ultra-energized, swamp guitar-driven "Mentuer," you're certain to catch the fever and break a leg.