Lost Bayou Ramblers, Albatross

[ZYDE-PUNK] Louisiana's Lost Bayou Ramblers are to zydeco what the Pogues are to Celtic music. Sharpening traditional Cajun music with a punk edge, the band mixes fiddle, accordion and the distinctively strained French-language vocals of singer Louis Michot with electric guitar and a humid, rock-club energy. At this year's Pickathon, the group turned one of the barn stages into a Southern swamp shack. Granted, that had something to do with the 100-degree weather, and the fact that fan and friend Gordon Gano joined the band for a series of deep-fried Violent Femmes covers. But despite the presence of some big names, the Ramblers' newest album, Mammoth Waltz—featuring contributions from Gano, Dr. John and Scarlett Johansson, of all people—stomps and swings on its own accord.