Whiskey on a Sunday
Forever the buzz on Flogging Molly: the records are terrific, but wait until you see them live. And you can do both with the Los Angeles band's fifth record, a dual-disc CD (10 songs) and DVD (106 minutes) that pulsate with a remarkable mix of Irish pub traditional and enthusiastic punk rock. The audio CD is crammed with fan favorites--"Drunken Lullabies," "Black Friday Rules," "What's Left of the Flag"--that have been recreated either live on stage or acoustically in studio. The latter treatment strips down the wall-of-sound live band until the mandolin, accordion, and tin whistle echo like a Saturday night in Kilkenny, turning rampant rocker "Wanderlust" into a gentle waltz and "Another Bag of Bricks" into a pub-rock sing-a-long. The album's lone newcomer is a full-band studio take of "Laura," a farewell-thee love song featured on the DVD, which includes Bridge Regan's frenzied fiddle playing and vocalist Dave King's croaky Irish twang. Recorded in seven different countries, the DVD nails the genuine spirit of Flogging Molly's live performances and tracks the stories of each band member, especially King, who recalls bolting hometown Dublin for America.--Scott Holter