Tinariwen: "Amassakoul" (World Village)

If they had had their way, Tinariwen wouldn't be considered Malian musicians. They are Tuaregs from the southern Sahara, a group that fought a separatist rebellion but was overwhelmed by the Malian government. Tinariwen, formed in a refugee camp in Libya, turned to music that's stripped to the basics. Stark, raw-boned electric guitar riffs carry rough-edged lead vocals (and an occasional rap) with ululating women's responses. The songs contemplate the lessons of life in the desert, and they still carry an angry undercurrent.

By JON PARELES