Pine Leaf Boys: Back Home

Pine Leaf Boys’ latest release really takes one back home—if you feel right at home in the middle of a swamp, that is. For most of us, this album is an exploratory taste of traditional Cajun culture from one of the world’s most influential young Zydeco groups. This band has created its own blend of Zydeco, Creole and boogie-woogie for years. The group recently appeared on the Grammys and have twice been invited by the U.S. State Department to tour their music the world over.

Back Home is a healthy combination of tunes that could turn any night into a sweaty dance party: traditional Cajun two-steps all over the place, balanced with the band’s fantastic blend of all-out boogies, woozy waltzes and blues-inspired cuts. These guys are students of traditional Cajun music, and it comes across with a vibrant, youthful energy, assuring any Louisianan that this sound will live forever. pineleafboys.com

Essential Tracks: “Je T’aime Toujours,” “Whiskey C’est Mon Ami”

Recommended if you like: Dennis McGee, Bonsoir Catin, another whiskey