Flowdown

The Band: Patrick Halloran (vocals, guitar), Marc Wisnosky (vocals, tin whistle, banjo, bodhran), James Telfer (vocals, bass, bodhran, fiddle), John Shea (drums, vocals, bodhran). That's a three-bodhran attack!

Formed: In 1997 as Ceann Na Ca Ca (Gaelic for "Best of the Worst" or something like that) to play rowdy Irish tunes in bars and on St. Patrick's Day. Members now split between Pittsburgh and New York City.

Breaking news: The band has cleaned up its act and dropped the Na Ca Ca, apparently for marketing purposes.

More breaking news: "We added a drummer and an instrumentalist and now we play Irish Rock music," says Halloran. "It's mostly the same material but with a drummer playing a 4/4 shuffle under everything."

New CD: "Almost Irish," follow-up to "Us Drunk Live."

Style: "Yankee-Irish Drinking Music."

Sounds like: They Might Be Giants drunk on Guinness.

Songs about: Beer, beer, whiskey, beer, butt tattoos, how green beer causes shrinkage to certain parts of the anatomy.

Local references: Mullaney's Harp and Fiddle, Denny's Bar.

Best shot at product endorsement: "Pabst Blue Ribbon. ... It's the beer that keeps on givin'."

The show: CD release party Saturday at 9 p.m. at Finnigan's Wake, North Side, with Jackdaw, from Buffalo.

-- Scott Mervis, Weekend Mag editor