by Richard SkellySteve Riley and his band, the Mamou Playboys, have quickly risen to the top of the Cajun music heap in recent years, and the band is now as well known on the festival and club circuit as Beausoleil. Clearly, the band's 1990s-styled Cajun rhythms and melodies have touched a nerve with crowds around the U.S., Canada and Europe. The band sings only in French, reflecting their serious attitude about maintaining the Cajun music tradition as practiced in southwest Louisiana. Riley plays accordion, writes songs, and sings, but he shares songwriter responsibilities with the other members of his band: David Greely on fiddle, Peter Schwarz on bass, fiddle and harmony vocals, Kevin Dugas on drums, and Jimmy Domengeaux on guitar. The band's early albums reflect their respect for tradition, as they do a lot of covers of well-known and obscure Cajun tunes; later albums, especially 1995's La Toussaint, reflect the band's growth as a...