Taraf de Haidouks

You know a band is good when they terrify you; such is the case with Taraf de Haidouks. These unpretentious Romanian gypsies can play the hell out of their instruments for hours on end. Whether ripping through an up-tempo, odd-timed traditional tune or briefly resting their blisters for a ballad, this album reminds you why people listen to folk music. Raucous and great.

I don't know whether they're the world's only great Gypsy band (funny title, no?) or just get great production advice. Their U.S. debut cherry-picked three Belgian albums; this one cherry-picks three Bucharest concerts featuring previously unrecorded material and guest virtuosos from Bulgaria, Turkey, and Macedonia. Faster than a speeding stallion, deeper than the well they'll throw your mother down, these leathery oldsters and manly upstarts alternate testosterone-packed displays of time-tested tunes and time-testing rhythms. If you liked the first one, this is just as good and different enough. If you're exploring, buy whichever's cheaper. (Grade - A-)