Have you ever wanted to hear Beatles songs like “Eleanor Rigby” performed by kids with so much energy you’re sure they’re going to break through your computer screen and give you a big hug? Well The Castillo Kids must just be that group.

The Castillo Kids consist of Julie (10), Jessie (12), and Joey (14). They play lots of Beatles songs and some originals quite well, and with such energy that you’re sure to want to take them home. The girls play bass, violin, guitar, and probably more. Joey seems to mostly play guitar, but also the sax and he takes lead vocals more often than not. The girls provide great backup and have tons of energy that we all wish we still had, not to mention some groovy choreography.

I read that they auditioned on America’s Got Talent, but haven’t found the results as of yet. A simple search on YouTube will yield a plethora of results, however. These kids have been doing this for years, one would guess with the guidance of their parents (who else is holding the camera?). Some of the older videos show a lot of promise; hell, I wish I could have played guitar so well at age nine! Not to mention the complexity of the harmonies on some of these songs. The Beatles didn’t really phone it in too often.

Check out their website with tons of video links, pics and more. And keep an eye out for these kids to make some moves in the future!

P. S. They’re playing the Largest Beatles festival in the world Abbey Road on the River from May 27-31 in Louisville, KY. Check them out if you can!

Baby You Can Drive My Car:

Eleanor Rigby

“1234”

“When I’m 64”

 

 

Punk rock is tailor-made for kids to play – it’s a lot easier to bash out one-chord anthems when you’re hopped up on Sugar Smacks (as opposed to the other kind). The greatest prepubescent punk band of all time, of course, was Madison, Wisconsin’s legendary Old Skull.

 

 Founded by ten year old J.P. Toulon and his nine year old brother Jamie, the pair recruited two friends and released the band’s debut, “Get Outta Skool” in 1989. Unfortunately, drummer Graham Lindsey’s parents gave him a month of detention for playing with the band without their permission, and the group split up soon after.

 

Tackling issues from homelessness to hot dogs, rumors swirled that the Toulon brothers had a little ghostwriting help from their father Vern, but the inept sludge punk was 100% kid-generated.

 

 

For every Jackson Five that comes from the diabolical union of a Svengali father and a group of musically talented offspring, there’s a dozen other kid bands that don’t make it. One of my all-time favorites is Jr. & His Soulettes, a sibling quartet from Oklahoma.

 

 

The oldest member of the group, Harold Moore Jr, gets top billing, and his guitar plucking isn’t bad for a pre-teen as he leads his three sisters (on drums, bass and “waw-waw organ”) through fourteen original songs including the immortal “Thing, Do The Creep” and “Momma Love Tequila.”

 

 

Only three hundred copies of the album were pressed in 1971, and legend has it most of them were ruined from being shrinkwrapped on a meatpacking machine! Thankfully, a CD reissue bubbled up from the underground for all true fans of garage kid funk.

 

 

Listen here.