This young trio plays the Celtic-influenced music of Quebec, creating a sound that the casual listener may think is Irish but with something sounding not quite right. Most obviously, song lyrics are in French, but even the instrumentals have a slightly different swing.

Underneath the melodic instruments are the steady patter of Pascal Gemme's feet, which are shod with a kind of tap shoe, a Quebecois tradition usually played out by a seated fiddler. The group's sound is a sweet and rustic, leavened with bits of humor, but the playing is serious, making the album a wonderful little gem.

Download this: "Le Brandy Culotte"

-- Marty Lipp