Flogging Molly

Much like the Dropkick Murphys — Boston's finest pub-crawling punk rockers — or the legendary Pogues, Flogging Molly brings a raucous rock bent to the galloping, Guinness-raising grooves of traditional Irish music. Swagger is where it all started, from the gang choruses of "Black Friday Rule" to the whistles and wails of "Devil's Dance Floor." But the L.A. band's 2002 album, Drunken Lullabies, is where Flogging Molly really found its footing. Don't believe us, though — believe the raw power that comes with blasting the frenzied rhythms in "What's Left of the Flag" and Lullabies' fiddle-swiping, drum-spanking title track.

Ready for another round? Our Next Steps keep things going like a marathon drinking session or a circle pit that just won't stop spinning.

Don't worry: your ears aren't playing tricks on you. "Factory Girls" is, indeed, an airy, lightly sweetened duet between Flogging Molly frontman Dave King and alt-country icon Lucinda Williams. That might seem like a surprise after hearing the breakneck chords of "Screaming at the Wailing Wall" and "Within a Mile of Home," but the truth is Flogging Molly has as much in common with Johnny Cash as Joe Strummer. No wonder both are name-dropped in the liner notes of Within a Mile of Home, the band's first Top 20 album. Their distinct influence also creeps into the head-snapping hooks that drive "The Likes of You Again," the lonesome, spare melody that opens "The Rare Ould Times," and the strummed strings of "Far Away Boys."

If you're still wondering what this Flogging Molly band is about, our Deep Cuts fill in the blanks with back-catalog classics and recommended selections from two EPs.

Anyone that still has a hint of doubt about Flogging Molly's songwriting prowess should examine how well its tracks hold up in the acoustic and live arenas of the Whiskey On a Sunday and Complete Control Sessions EPs. "What's Left of the Flag" arrives fleet-footed and foaming at the mouth, "Tobacco Island" turns a back-breaking tale of Irish plantation workers into a wild and wooly history lesson, "Whistles the Wind" pushes Dave King's hearty vocals to the foreground among a simmering stew of accordions, banjos and mandolins, and "Tomorrow Comes a Day Too Soon" floats alongside flourishes of gently grazed strings.

Dave King got his start pushing the boundaries of extreme music with former members of Krokus, Motörhead, and the Meanies during the late '80s and early '90s (see Fastway and Katmandu), earning himself enough respect in the process to score a solo deal with Epic Records. He left the contract behind when the label rejected his idea of using classic Irish instruments, however, an idea he quickly implemented after rounding out the seven-piece lineup of Flogging Molly. By giving accordions, mandolins and fiddles equal time alongside a standard bass/guitar/drums setup and King's rich storytelling — hardened by his upbringing in war-torn Ireland and losing his father at a young age — the band has struck the tightest, gnarliest middle ground between traditional and modern Celtic music since the Dropkick Murphys. So pull up a stool and keep the pints flowing — the party and the mosh pits have just begun.