Based out of Philadelphia, PA, Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen is the latest musical project from accomplished collage artist and musician Joe Castro (ex-The Situation, The Lift Up). Heavily influenced by rockabilly, ’50s rock-n-roll and doo-wop, the band takes that vintage rock and roll sound but updates it with a modern lyrical approach and a healthy dose of post-modern guitar effects. Consider it a house that resides at the cross roads where Sun Records and Creation Records meet.
The Gravamen were formed after doghouse bassist H00V3r reached out to Castro about forming a new band. H00V3r enlisted Dallas, his band mate in Philadelphia punk rock stalwarts Thorazine, to play drums and later found hot-shot lead guitarist Michael Stingle floating around Mount Airy. The full band held it’s first practice together in January 2018 and shortly after recorded their debut EP, Wake Up, You’re Rockin’! that May at Cambridge Sound Studios in South Philadelphia with Grammy nominated producer Jim Salamone. The 4 song EP was released July 2018, followed by a limited edition vinyl 7″ release October 2018.
The band released their debut full length album, Come On Angels, on July 31st. It was recorded at Miner Street Recordings and produced by Brian McTear (Sharon Van Etten, Dr Dog, Dead Milkmen).
Today Glide is excited to premiere the band’s take on “Cold and Bitter Tears,” a song originally penned by the underrated and overlooked artist Ted Hawkins. Compared to the slow and soulful original song, Castro’s version speeds things up and injects a touch of brightness to the song. Giving the song a rockabilly treatment presents it in a new light. With a throwback sound that contains influences like Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and Los Lobos, the band manages to reimagine this Ted Hawkins in a fun new way, and in the process they show us how dynamic their sound can be. The video itself is also an interesting example of how artists are getting creative while during this time of pandemic.
Joe Castro describes the inspiration and process behind this song:
“I always loved this Ted Hawkins tune and it’s been a staple in our live set for some time now. Like the other videos from this record, this was filmed during the COVID-19 quarantine so we weren’t permitted to get in a room and play together. So instead I masked up and shot each band member performing the song in their own kitchen and doing their own dishes. Alone, together. Hopefully, this gives people a little peek into each band member’s personality. Enjoy. ”
WATCH:
Visit https://thegravamen.mightyjoecastro.com/ for more music and info.
Photo credit: David Norbut
