Boiled in Lead may be a rock band steeped in Irish tradition, but it would be hard to mistake them for The Pogues, Black 47 or most other bands that proudly wear the green. The Minneapolis group forged its own links between pub music, rock 'n' roll and Anglo-Celtic folk, coming closer to Fairport Convention at a rowdy Irish tempo than anything else. Boiled in Lead keys into the most powerful elements of all the genres the band pulls from, finding a hypnotic common denominator in ancient Irish drones and rock rhythms, a similar energy source behind electric guitar solos and the shrill piping of penny whistles.
Boiled in Lead performs Aug. 30 at Shank Hall.