On Repeat Occidental Brothers Dance Band International

I get the feeling that the priorities list for most folks at the near-East side's summer festivals looks something like this (in descending order of importance):

1. Joyful barefoot hippie dancing

2. Drinking beer

3. Watching the joyful barefoot hippie dancing

4. Eating something so you can drink more beer

5. Letting the damn kids burn off some steam by dancing with the hippies

6. Listening to music

But the folks who book the music for these events, including this weekend's Marquette Waterfront Festival (Saturday and Sunday at Yahara Place Park), reliably put together a free lineup of sounds from abroad, which helps tide us over until the annual Madison World Music Festival in September. If your priorities list is the reverse of the one above, just ignore that sun beating down on your scalp and hone in on Kofi Cromwell's thick, expressive voice and Nathaniel Braddock's nimble African-styled guitar during Occidental Brothers Dance Band International's set (Saturday, 3 p.m.).

Granted, the real guitar hero of the festival is Mali's Vieux Farka Touré (Sunday, 6:15 p.m.), who recently put out his second album, Fondo, and is just as worthy of the attention if not more so. Occidental Bros. put themselves on the spot a bit more by including their festive M.O. right there in the name, but their 2009 album, Odo Sanbra, is a compelling listen in its own right. Like Vieux Farka Touré, they've put together a set that boasts excitable percussion-pile grooves (opening track "Nyenko!") and also shows a surprising finesse on the slower numbers.

"Masanga" by Occidental Brothers Dance Band International

Braddock, raised in Michigan but a student of African highlife music, begins "Masanga" with an acoustic intro that embraces both a steadily pulsing groove and a more contemplative side. A violin, of all things, joins in, and it's not clear whether this is one of noted fiddler Andrew Bird's contributions to the album, but he's credited on a couple of songs. Asamoah Rambo's traditional-plus-drum-kit percussion contentedly bumps it along as well. About three minutes in, alto sax player Greg Ward gracefully finds his way in.

Not to fuss too much over cover songs, but the band's version of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" is addictive and charming as hell. Braddock and Ward's interlocking lines capture the original's bittersweet mood. It's also a great showcase for Cromwell's vocals, which start out frail and tender, taking the song's catchy gratification from a distance, even declining to ham it up on the chorus. No doubt the band will play up its, well, dance-inciting side (as demonstrated in "Circle Circle Circle," below) at Waterfront Fest, but just like any good sunburn or beer buzz, it knows how to slyly ease its way into a summer afternoon.