Quebec's frosty folk-punks get rowdy

Les Cowboys Fringants are a populist Quebec band that channels traditional music into gritty, punkish folk—like a northern answer to The Pogues. Singer Karl Tremblay's rapid-fire delivery is matched by the giddy energy of the rhythm section and the mandolin and fiddle leads. Though the French lyrics are often topical ("La Tete a Papineau" concerns the decay of Montreal's transit system), there's a rowdy side as well: "Heavy Metal," with sawing violins and a shout-along chorus, is about finding true love at a Cinderella concert.