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America's post O Brother romance with old-time music rages on, but these four singers are all non-traditionalist folkies, each tweaking folk idioms to come up with a sound that's uniquely theirs. Zanes, the former leader of the 80's roots-rockers the Del Fuegos, has re-invented himself as pre-teen America's hootnanny master, offering up exuberantly played versions of old Leadbelly and Carter Family tunes (as well as his own engaging compositions) on his three albums, the latest of which is Nighttime! On paper, Williams appears to be a boilerplate coffeehouse folkie - New England - based, liberal, into health food - but her music has always been refreshingly free of solemnity. She'll have a new release, Beauty Of The Rain, out in February. From the get-go, the stalky, sad eyed Orton was a folk fusionist, collaborating with such electronica maestros as William Orbit and The Chemical Brothers. But songs form her new album, Daybreaker, are lushly orchestrated showcases for her sleepy, regualr-gal alto. Johansen is now living through his fourth professional incarnation: first he was the witty front man for the New York Dolls, then he was a solo rocker, then he became the pomaded Buster Poindexter, and now he;s the front man for the Harry Smiths, using his menacing baritone to convincing effect on the old plaints and murder ballads collected on the landmark Anthology of American Folk Music.