Flogging Molly

U2, the Cranberries and the Corrs may be from Ireland, but they're not Irish rock. That's the terrain of bands like the Pogues, Lenahan and the Prodigals, all of whom blend bagpipes, bodhrans and tin whistles with electric guitars. Add to that list the L.A.-based Mollys, led by singer/guitarist and Dublin transplant Dave King. Combining traditional Irish folk, punk rock and pub sing-alongs, the group's most recent effort is Drunken Lullabies (Side One Dummy). Produced by Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies), it mostly features high-energy rave-ups, although the ballads of struggle, textured by King's hoarse brogue, constitute some of the best material. FM has also been tapped to play the main stage for the 2002 Vans Warped Tour, due in Houston this summer. If you go, boyo, remember this: Guinness by the imperial pint plus extreme skateboarding equals a night in Ben Taub.