Relix.Com Premieres Tommy Castro And The Painkillers’ “The Devil You Know”

Relix.com will premiere award-winning guitarist/ vocalist/
songwriter Tommy
Castro’s turbo-charged new album THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
beginning Monday, January 6. The
full-album stream will remain available through the album’s January 21 release
date, and can be heard here.

Castro
is famed for his signature brand of tough, rocking rhythm and blues, thrilling
fans around the world with his incendiary live performances. With his eyes and
ears firmly on the future, Castro has stripped his music down to its raw essence
as he rockets into the next phase of his storied career. “I’m always moving
forward, going outside of my wheelhouse, listening to new music and
incorporating new ideas,” says Castro. “The contemporary blues scene is full of
fresh, new sounds. It’s an exciting time.”

THE DEVIL YOU
KNOW, recorded in the Bay Area with his fiery new band The
Painkillers and produced by Castro and Bonnie Hayes, is a contemporary blues
tour-de-force. The album is an untamed, high-energy set of 13 songs, including
nine written or co-written by Castro. “For the new album I challenged myself to
add different sounds and new rhythms to my style while remaining true to my
roots. I wrote using ideas for songs and ideas for sounds together in a way I’d
never done before,” explains Castro, “using drum rhythms to drive the lyrics.”
The tracks — melodic and biting, energetic and fun — are brought to life with
sonic authority by bassist Randy McDonald (from the original Tommy Castro Band),
keyboardist James Pace and original Painkillers drummer Byron Cage.

In addition, many of Castro’s friends and admirers, including Alligator
label-mates Marcia Ball and The Holmes Brothers, add their talents to the
proceedings. Other guests include guitarists Joe Bonamassa and Mark Karan,
guitarist/vocalist Tab Benoit, vocalists Samantha Fish and Tasha Taylor, and
harmonica player Magic Dick. Each song comes loaded with emotional depth and
muscular hooks courtesy of Castro’s soulful singing, insightful lyrics, and
dynamic, potent guitar playing. With THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Castro — The Painkillers blazing behind him — unleashes an
instant classic. According to Blurt, “Castro is one of the greatest
blues guitarists, songwriters and entertainers in the world today.”

After years of playing guitar-driven blues and R&B backed by a tight horn
section, Castro introduced The Painkillers live in 2012, creating a lean, mean
four-piece lineup, with the drum chair now held by David Tucker. Fueled by
Tommy’s voice and guitar plus bass, drums and keyboards, the band released the
45rpm single Greedy / That’s All I Got later that year (both songs are
included as bonus tracks on the new CD). Greedy quickly became one of
Castro’s most-requested songs. An attention-grabbing video for Greedy
has already received over 150,000 views on YouTube.
The Chicago Sun-Times calls his music “fiery and
soul-drenched.”

Castro views the harder-edged sound of The Painkillers as a natural extension
of the music he’s been making since he was a teenager. “The Painkillers really
get me back to my roots. It feels to me a lot more like it did when I first
started playing with my friends as a kid. Bands were always just three or four
guys playing for the fun of it,” Castro recalls. Now, Tommy Castro And The
Painkillers are pushing the music to another level.

Tommy Castro And The Painkillers are looking forward to performing songs from
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW starting with their January tour
dates, and personally connecting with their fans all over the world. “A lot of
folks are having hard times these days,” Castro says, “and they need something
to lift them up and make them smile. Our music kills the pain.” With
THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, Castro, along with The
Painkillers, will unquestionably be easing pain, lifting spirits and filling
dance floors the same way he’s been doing for decades – only now he’s packing a
far more feral punch.

Confirmed tour dates are below:

TOMMY CASTRO AND THE PAINKILLERS THE
DEVIL YOU KNOW TOUR:

1/17/2014 Boca Raton FL, Funky Biscuit
1/18/2014 DeLand FL, Café
DaVinci
1/19/2014 – 1/26/2014, Ft. Lauderdale FL, Legendary Rhythm &
Blues Cruise
1/30/2014 Teaneck NJ, Mexacali Live
1/31/2014 Bay Shore NY,
YMCA Boulton Center
2/1/2014 Somerville MA, Johnny D’s Uptown Resturant &
Music Club
2/3/2014 Woonsocket RI, Chan’s
2/4/2014 New York NY B.B. King
Blues Club & Grill
2/5/2014 Northampton MA, Iron Horse Music Hall

2/6/2014 Sellersville PA, Sellersville Theater
2/7/2014 Falls Church VA,
State Theatre
2/8/2014 Annapolis MD, Rams Head On Stage
2/9/2014 Blawnox
PA, Moondog’s

2/11/2014 Cincinnati OH The Redmoor
2/12/2014 Cleveland OH, Beachland
Ballroom
2/13/2014 Auburn Hills MI, Callahan’s Music Hall
2/14/204 Berwyn
IL, FitzGerald’s
2/16/2014 Evanston (Chicago) IL, SPACE
2/19/2014
Galesburg IL, Fat Fish Pub
2/20/2014 Bloomington IL The Castle
Theatre
2/21/2014 Milwaukee WI, Shank Hall
2/22/2014 Minneapolis MN,
Famous Dave’s
2/23/2014 Lincoln NE, The Zoo Bar
2/25/2014 Littleton CO,
The Toad Tavern
2/27/2014 Regina SK CANADA, Mid-Winter Blues
Festival
2/28/2014 Saskatoon SK CANADA, Mid-Winter Blues Festival
3/7/2014
Modesto CA, State Theatre
3/8/2014 Petaluma CA, Mystic Theatre
3/13/2014
Agoura Hills CA, Canyon Club
3/14/2014 San Juan Capistrano CA, The Coach
House
3/15/2014 Solana Beach CA, Belly Up
3/16/2014 Hermosa Beach CA,
Saint Rocke
3/21/2014 Sacramento CA, The Assembly
3/22/2014 San
Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall
3/27/2014 Chico CA, Sierra Nevada
Brewing Company
3/28/2014 Eureka CA, Redwood Coast Music Festival

4/12/2014 St. Petersburg FL, Tampa Bay Blues Festival
5/8/2014 Austin TX,
One World Theater
5/10/2014 San Angelo TX, Simply Texas Blues
Festival
5/11/2014 San Antonio TX, Sam’s Burger Joint