WARSAW VILLAGE BAND: "People's Spring" (World Village) - Three stars

The six members of this Polish group have formed an innovative musical alliance that both preserves tradition and pushes the envelope with modern themes. The result is a highly unusual sound that utilizes the powerful, melodic screaming of sheepherders to communicate across vast distances, and a 16th-century fiddle played with the fingernails. "Chassidic Dance" and Polka Folkisdead" showcase this dramatic music. Songs also take listeners into the 21st century with lyrics about assumed marriage and defiance.

- Phillip Zonkel