John Keavney video from Mules & Men

Here’s a clever video from Mules & Men, an Irish bluegrass group from Dublin, who describe their style as acid-celtgrass. It carries the rowdy vibe of this talented young band, with plenty of the Irish love for fun and whimsy.

The song is one called John Keavney, which will also be included as part of their second album, Roscommon County Line, due later this year. They envision the project as telling the stories of life in Dublin, which will be unfamiliar to most US bluegrass lovers.

Banjo player and vocalist, Luke Coffey, says this single conveys a warning for those facing hard times.

“John Keavney packs a cautionary tale into it’s two-minute running time.  A carpenter from Strokestown who becomes victim to an economic recession, John Keavney funds his wayward lifestyle by selling land that was in his family for generations. John Keavney ends up paying the price losing everything he holds dear. Be careful kids!”

The use of stop action editing gives the video a quirky, crazed look that suits the fast-moving song perfectly. Highly entertaining!

In addition to Luke, Mules & Men are Lily Sheehan on guitar, Niall Hughs on bass, and Paddy Cummins on mandolin.

John Keavney, and two other tracks from the next record, are available for download purchase from their bandcamp page.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.