Here is the brand new music video for our latest single, Embers in the Ash. It was directed by Mighty Joe Castro

From Mighty Joe Castro:

“We filmed this on April Fools Day in the Manayunk neighborhood in Philadelphia, a few blocks from one of the band’s practice spaces. Severe thunderstorms were in the forecast, with tornado warnings for the area. As the storm blew in, we squeezed in 5 takes in 15 minutes before being pelted with hail. Good times.

To achieve the slow motion effect, I first practiced lip syncing to a double speed version of the song. We filmed it at 60 fps. This way, when the footage was slowed down to normal 30 fps, it would match up perfectly with the original recording. I wanted to make sure that people could see the rain, while giving the video a dream like quality. We shot the video with my iPhone 12 using the Filmmic app. I edited it and did the color grading as well. I hope you dig it.

Special thanks to Brandon NewLove braving the storm with me while filming. I owe you one.”

Embers in the Ash on now available on all streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music.

Ember in the Ash album cover design by artist and musician Mighty Joe Castro

Follow Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen on instagram, spotify and facebook.

Ember in the Ash song by Ameripolitan rockabilly band Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen

We are pleased to announce the release of the band’s first single of 2023. Embers in the Ash was recorded at Miner St Recordings in Philadelphia. It was produced by Brian McTear and Amy Morrissey. Mastered by Joe Lambert. With it’s folk leanings and the addition of an accordion, the song offers a slight departure for the band. The group is currently recording more songs for an upcoming album release.

Speaking about the song to American Blues Scene, Mighty Joe Castro said:

Embers in the Ash. Glimmers of last chances set against a bleak Americana night sky. It’s warm and lived in, like a musty old blanket woven by Shane MacGowan and John Prine. Maybe Tom Waits was there, too – holding some yarn while chain smoking a cigarette, I don’t know. If he was there, I’m sure his shoes were amazing.

We recorded this between cups of coffee in the waning hours of the 2022 winter solstice. It was produced by Brian McTear & Amy Morrissey at Miner Street Recordings, Philadelphia. (War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, Sharon Van Etten). This leads off the 2023 edition of our ongoing love letter to mid-century Rockabilly Americana.

More to come, so keep your ear tuned for rumblings on the train tracks.


Embers in the Ash Track credits:

MIGHTY JOE CASTRO: vocals, acoustic guitar

DALLAS: drums

MIKE STINGLE: electric guitar

IAN VOS: upright bass

JULIA ALFRED: accordion

BRIAN MCTEAR / AMY MORRISSEY: backing vocals


In-between recording sessions, the band have still been playing shows. To stay current and updated, please follow Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen on instagram, facebook and spotify.

Vintage Style, Not Vintage Values.

Happy New Year everyone! Coming in hot for 2023, the band has a few new shows booked that we’re super stoked on…

New Shows Koffin Kats with Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen + The Krank Daddies at Bar XIII in Wilmington De

Our first show for year will be opening for the Koffin Kats and The Krank Daddies. Saturday February 4th at Bar XIII in Wilmington, De. Presented by the cool ghouls over at Horror Punks USA. Don’t sleep on this one. It might sell out. Tickets are on sale now. You can get yours here.

Philadelphia, PA: We’ll be returning to Kung Fu Necktie to open for pioneering UK psychobilly band The Meteors. Wednesday March 15th. We hit the stage at 7:30 PM sharp. Presented by Dave Kiss.

New Shows The Meteors with Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen at Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia, PA

And we’ll be joining our friends Kilmaine Saints for a special St Patricks Day show at The Englewood in Hershey Pa. If you caught our show together this past December at the Sellersville Theater, then you know this is not one to miss. Start making tracks toward Chocolate City, USA. Friday March 17th. Tickets are available here.

New Shows Kilmaine Saints and Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen at The Englewood in Hershey PA on St Patricks Day.

But that’s not all. More new shows to be announced really soon…

In other news, the band spent the first day of winter with Brian McTear at Miner Street Recordings. They will have a new single, Embers in the Ash, dropping sometime in early March. More music to come after that. Stay tuned.

For all the latest news and music, follow us on spotify / instagram / facebook / youtube .

Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen open for Kilmaine Saints at the Sellersville Theater

Celtic Punks meet the Rockabilly Rebels Uptown at Sellersville Theater.

Do not miss our last show of the year. We’ll be opening for Kilmaine Saints at the Sellersville Theater. Thursday December 29th. Come shake off those post holiday blues with a night of high energy rock-n-roll. All ages welcome. Doors open at 7:30pm. We hit the stage at 8pm sharp.

Get your ticket today!

About Kilmaine Saints

Kilmaine Saints is a band formed on good whiskey and bad intentions. The brainchild of two members of a Harrisburg Pipe & Drum band, this project was originally created with the sole intent of getting them free beer at St. Patrick’s Day shows in the central PA area (and might I add – mission accomplished). After incorporating the help of fellow members from the pipe band and other notable musicians from the area, they soon realized they were in for one hell of a ride. Since 2009 they have continued to pound through blistering, high-energy live sets that keep people singing along, stomping their feet, lifting their pints and shouting for more. With several hundred shows at pubs and festivals from New Jersey to California, critically acclaimed releases under their belts, national and international airplay, and an ever-expanding and extremely loyal fanbase, it’s no wonder the world is starting to stand up and take notice. In short, The Kilmaine Saints are equal parts Irish swagger, Scottish pride, and whiskey. This explosive Celtic rock band from central PA will steal your heart, your spirit, and your pint when you’re not looking.

And, as always, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify to stay up to date on everything happening with the band.

Cheers, friends!

Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen black t shrt

it’s been a long time coming but the wait is over. The Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen T-shirt you’ve been pining for is NOW AVAILABLE. Grab one (or a bakers dozen, perhaps?) today from our online boutique or in some darken alley after one of our live shows.

2 options available:

For the bold and the beautiful, there’s the ever sleek “June Rose” black tee (pictured above).

For those who like to keep it on the down low, consider the “There Are No Secrets Here Motel Key” option, available in Pink (my personal favorite) and Gray.

There are No Secrets Here grey
 Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen T-shirt
There are No Secrets Here pink Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen T-shirt

$25 American

All are printed on Bella + Canvas Unisex Jersey T-Shirt. Screen printed by Jersey Ink in Reading, PA. Check them out.

Illustration and design by Mighty Joe Castro

And, as always, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify to stay up to date on everything happening with the band.

Cheers, friends!

“June (90 Degrees) – Live at the Parkside Lounge, NYC, Aug 27, 2002

Thank you to everyone who made it out to our recent shows in Lebanon, PA and New York City. It’s always a pleasure to play the Parkside Lounge. For those who couldn’t make it, here’s a clip of us performing June (90 Degrees). It was filmed by Simone Zimmermann and features a quick cameo by Steve Krebs and Kipp Elbaum, two of NYC’s finest gentlemen,

And we had a great time at the inaugural Rockabilly Rawkus at Scott Church’s The Church. We got more shows planned for out that way so keep your eyes peeled.

For those who weren’t there, you’re in luck. They filmed our whole set so feel free to grab a beverage and live vicariously through the medium of glowing screen. We played June (90 Degrees) during that set as well so feel free to compare and contrast.

On a side note, we’re taking some time downtime to work on songs for a new record, and to rework a few things musically. Good things are coming so stay tuned.

And, as always, you can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Spotify to stay up to date on everything happening with the band.

Cheers, friends!

Napalm Nanny and the Shack is a pirate radio style music podcast based out of California

Long time listener, first time gum flapper

Don’t miss our very own Mighty Joe Castro on the lastest episode of Napalm Nanny & the Shack! A personal favorite of the band, we’ve spent countless hours in the van, tuned in to the Shack and our ears always thanked us for it. Besides the interview, Joe also picked the music playlist for this episode as well. We hope you dig it.

Straight from the mouth of Napalm Nanny herself:

I am beyond honored to have this weeks guest, he is an artist in every sense of the word, a true gentleman and scholar, Mighty Joe Castro. Tune into the frontman of The Gravamen’s story and how he found rock n roll, picked up guitar, dealt with harsh criticism, and so much more. As always, guest pick the playlist.

Check out The Gravamen over on Instagram under thegravamen for future shows near you!

Find Mighty Joe on Instagram for all your Rockabilly Against Racism sticker/merch needs under Mightyjoecastro

Find Mighty Joe Castro and The Gravamen music at Apple, Spotify, and Youtube

For all your Gravamen merch needs, find it over at Mighty Joe Castro

  1. Purple Mountains. That’s Just The Way That I Feel
  2. Joe Strummer. Burning Lights
  3. Sean Rowe. Squid Tattoo
  4. Howling Wolf. Howling For My Darling
  5. Ray Charles. Ring of Fire
  6. Public Enemy. Rebirth
  7. Antonio Badalamenti. The Pink Room
  8. The Flamingos. I Only Have Eyes For You

Click here to listen to the full episode

I was heartbroken to learn that Hoover, our former bass player in Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen, passed away Saturday morning, on his 53rd birthday. It’s a punch in the gut that will take some time to truly process.

Hoover doghouse player for Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen
Hoover at Ardmore Music Hall. Photo by Jimmy Faber

Hoover and I formed the band together in 2017. In the first few months, it was just us, squeezing in 9am Sunday rehearsals in Roxborough. When he stumbled in late one morning, a little worse for wear, I yelled “Hey man, wake up, you’re rockin’!” He smiled and said “there’s your title for your next song.” So I went and wrote that one for him.

He was an early champion of my songwriting and a staunch supporter of my artistic vision for the band, which meant a lot to me. We discovered a shared love for The Godfathers, so we covered “Birth School Work Death” and decided to wear suits. And it was Hoover who brought in Dallas on drums, as well as Mike Stingle on guitar. He played upright bass on all of our recorded material and always kept it tasteful. He had a great ear for harmony.

Live at the Parkside Lounge, NYC

He was stubborn and could often be a real pain in my ass, but he offset that with a sick sense of humor, which I loved. A character for sure, with great taste in footwear. And despite all the walls and gruff exterior he put on, he was a generous person with a soft heart. Sadly, his leaving the band last year left a bitter rift on his end that was never healed.

Hoover said to me many times, “ Look, I don’t have any kids. So this music I’m playing is my legacy.” Please raise a glass and go listen to his music today, whether it’s The Gravamen, Thorazine, or Cthuhlu Martini.

Thank you for getting this wreck up and running, h00v3r. You are not forgotten. My sincere condolences to Alaina Gurski and to the rest of his close friends. Your loss is our loss. Rest in Peace Daniel Hoover.

Hoover at Roxy and Dukes, New Jersey.
Hoover recording at Miner Street Recordings, Philadelphia.

Americana Rockabilly act Mighty Joe Castro and the Gravamen perform at the Nitro Bar in West Reading, PA

We had a blast performing at Nitro Bar in West Reading, PA last week. This one was a long time coming. The band was booked to play there April 2020, but then COVID hit and the doors were closed. Almost two years later, it was an honor for us to help kick off their grand reopening. The Nitro Bar Tuesday Night music series is really something else. The crowd is great. Sincere thanks for the love, Reading, PA – we plan be back soon. For everyone who couldn’t be there in person, here is a clip of us performing Wake Up, You’re Rockin’! It was filmed and edited by Michael Haas. Thanks again to Frank Phobia for setting up the show.

For those keeping track, our next show will be in New York City for Get Weird! We’ll be playing with our friends, The Rover Boys Trio and Wiped Out. No cover. Music starts at 9pm. Saturday March 26th. Ottos Shrunken Head.

Things are cooking here behind the scenes, so stay tuned for more show announcements soon.

Want to stay up to date? Follow us on instagram, facebook and twitter. Might as well do us a solid and throw in youtube and spotify for good measure.

Mighty Joe Castro and ther Gravamen and Saudia Young perform Bo Diddley at Get Rhythm

Thank you to everyone who made it out to “Get Rhythm” at Franklin’s Glenside. We had a fantastic time performing on the legendary Blue Comet Stage. To top things off, we even got to play an hour long set backing the great Saudia Young. Above is a clip of us performing the Bo Diddley classic, You Can’t Judge a Book By Looking at the Cover. The night was a blast. And since it was our last show for 2021, we went out on a high note. That spot is really starting to feel like a second home for us.

So what’s new for the band?

The plan is to take a few weeks off for the holidays and then get back right to it. Mighty Joe Castro is working on songs for the next record. If all goes well, hopefully we will release new music later in 2022. And we hope to hit the road and see new towns, playing more shows. We will be back in New York City at Otto’s Shrunken Head in March for Get Weird.

We also have new “Come On Angels!” prayer candles available for purchase at all of our live shows. Pick one up when you can.

Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, Spotify and Facebook.

We hope everyone has a great holiday season. Happy New Year. Cheers!