SOUND CHECK.

AMADOU & MARIAM: ``Dimanche a Bamako'' (Nonesuch) - Three stars

In the 25 years they've been together, blind Malian couple Amadou and Mariam have released a bunch of albums in Europe, where they're a steady draw on the thriving Afro-Parisian music scene. ``Sunday in Bamako,'' the duo's first disc to get a global nudge, is artfully crafted for impact a continent away from the hot clubs of France.

While fellow Malian artists Salif Keita and Ali Farka Toure inhabit a tougher but no less elegant musical neighborhood, Amadou and Mariam, produced here by Latin-rock ragamuffin Manu Chao, accent light, bouncy melodies and gorgeous vocal harmonies, underscored by the dizzyingly lyrical blues-rock fretwork West African electric guitarists are renowned for.

But there may be a bit too much sugar in Chao's united nations blend. Aside from a handful of splendid tracks like the shimmering ``Coulibaly,'' a real mover that instantly recalls Zimbabwe's much-missed Bhundu Boys, the cumulative effect suggests Sunday in Brentwood - which is undoubtedly the point. In stores Tuesday.

- Fred Shuster

VARIOUS: ``Whatever: The '90s Pop & Culture Box'' (Rhino) - Three stars

Rhino has done these sorts of mammoth boxes before - and done them well - with the '70s and the '80s. The question is: In this day of music downloads and iPods, does anyone really need this type of voluminous compilation? Our crystal ball says: The future looks cloudy. On one hand, you have Hugh Brown's inimitable art direction, the coffee beans encased in the front cover, the snarky 88-page book that flips through the tabloid headlines of the time. But the music - 130 songs on seven discs - is spotty, both due to licensing issues (no Nirvana, Pearl Jam or Radiohead) and questionable judgment (Spacehog?) The contents veer farther away from Top 40 radio than in past collections, but the album cuts vary wildly in quality (Wilco good, Ween bad). And there's only 29 songs for the decade's last four years. In the end, this box might be remembered for the arguments it inspires - and that caffeinated packaging!

- Glenn Whipp

THE KNITTERS: ``The Modern Sounds of the Knitters'' (Zoe) - Three stars

It's taken 20 years, but the alt-country spinoff from L.A.'s greatest punk band, X, has finally gotten around to its second album. ``Modern Sounds'' isn't quite as tight as zoned-out classic ``Poor Little Critter on the Road,'' but it's still great to hear guitarists John Doe and Dave Alvin, wailing Exene Cervenka and drummer D.J. Bonebrake twang it down a notch (newcomer Jonny Ray Bartel plays string bass). There are old X scorchers done slower, takes on mountain music classics and Steppenwolf's ``Born to be Wild.'' And for all you carnivores out there, ``The New Call of the Wrecking Ball'' - old-time fans will know what that means.

- Bob Strauss

TRANSGLOBAL UNDERGROUND: ``Impossible Broadcasting'' (Triloka) - Three and one half stars

This intoxicating Brit collective practically defines musical multiculturalism. The new disc mixes diverse worldly styles into a coherent, compelling and seamless noise highlighted by ``The Khaleegi Stomp,'' which finds room for sitar among electronic dance grooves. Elsewhere, ``Drinking in Gomorrah'' brings a frothy house beat and intriguing monologue, while ``Yellow and Black Taxi Cab'' meshes reggae, hip-hop and imaginative drums. TGU appears in a free concert Saturday at downtown L.A.'s California Plaza.

- Phillip Zonkel

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(1) no caption (Amadou & Mariam)

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