Five Dollar Priest

Featuring a cavalcade of underground luminaries, Five Dollar Priest cast bright sparks on their self-titled disc. Former Pussy Galore and Sonic Youth drummer Bob Bert joins forces with musicians who’ve served with the likes of Swans, Speedball Baby and Heroine Sheiks. Together, these NYC players create a whirlwind of sound that echoes another of Bert’s stellar former bands: the Chrome Cranks. Broken bottle blues and jagged blasts of noise make up much of Five Dollar Priest’s sound. On certain tracks, vocalist Ron Ward’s warbling recalls the venomous speak-singing approach of the Fall’s Mark E. Smith. Guests such as Jon Spencer and Cristina Martinez also lend their talents, while clarinet player Patrick Holmes throws in some wild notes. From the sinister, barbiturate-laced grooves of "Bobby Chen” to the quick-paced, jugular-lunging "Fingered,” the group’s album adeptly rumbles with a range of styles.