He’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse

The picturesque idea of The Fall, The Horrors and Iggy Pop melted together with whiskey and drowning in a booth in a dim bar in Cuba could lend a dodgy illustration of the risque, swaggering, rockabilly-swing-punk of band Five Dollar Priest. With knowing lyrics delivered by Ron Ward of the awesome Speedball Baby, also on percussion and harp; Norman Westberg of Swans and Heroine Sheiks on guitar; George Porfiris also of Heroine Sheiks on bass; Patrick Holmes on clarinet and Bob Bert from Sonic Youth and the Jon Spencer-led Pussy Galore on drums, Five Dollar Priest have some shockingly impressive credentials before you’ve even heard a beat. They rumble and jive and prod and piss off like nobody before. With a whole lot of snarling attitude, acidic, crass lyrics, all-observing and knowing, percussion tinkling and sheening and organ and guitar noodling together with the absurd clarinet gives a ’60s avant-guard-spy-movie aura of mystique and slight hilarity (though they’re by no means a joke band). They’re hilarious because they’re so good – how have I not heard them before!? Before reading the blog Built On A Weak Spot, that is. Astounding.

Five Dollar Priest – Fingered: MP3
Five Dollar Priest – Myspace

 

Posted by Sarah Gooding under New York
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