Fronted by Cambodian pop star Ch'hom Nimol, who sings in Khmer, Los Angeles sextet Dengue Fever [ tickets ] blends the rhythms of sixties Cambodian pop--heavily influenced by American surf, rock, and early psychedelic garage bands--with their own eclectic mix of American and international styles. Unlike the world music bands of the late eighties, Dengue Fever is more concerned with a universal groove and breaking down musical barriers than with notions of authenticity. There are echoes of Bollywood soundtracks, Ethiopian soul, American R&B, Cambodian folk, Spaghetti Western weirdness, and girl-group angst in the mix, but the resulting concoction is the band's own.