Band features members of The Holy Mess, The Bella Vista Social Club, and Captain We’re Sinking. Stream a new song ‘Animal’.

Creativity begets creativity, which is why some creatives can’t stop themselves. Especially in independent circles, where artists and fans connect in powerful ways, creativity can spread like a virus, infecting and inspiring others in unexpected ways. Take Philadelphia, PA’s Five Hundred Bucks, whose members have played in bands such as The Holy Mess, Captain, We’re Sinking, The Bella Vista Social Club, The Great Explainer, Brackish, Mt. Ida and the list goes on. In fact, just as the project started taking shape, Jeff Riddle, the songwriter behind Five Hundred Bucks, was asked to take part in another creative project altogether: a movie called ‘Uncle Peckerhead’ and its soundtrack. Maybe it’s this reason that ‘$500′, the band’s first full-length, feels so narrative, full of characters and conflicts—stories that Riddle sings about both his own experience and the experiences of those around him. There’s a sepia, Americana tone that tints the punk-rock restlessness on ‘$500′ — a warbling organ solo here, a bluesy guitar lick there, stripes of acoustic guitar—and only serves to darken the already dirty the edges of this album. Film fans may recall that frontman Jeff Riddle co-produced, acted in, and wrote the music for the 2020 cult horror-comedy ‘Uncle Peckerhead’ (which, for what it’s worth, currently has a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes). The band has released ‘Animal’ a track off the album, which can streamed here:

Photo: Jared Wood

Upcoming Shows:

Richmond, VA 5/4 @ Hot For Pizza with Bashful and Dead Format
Charlotte, NC 5/5 @ Spoke Easy with Paint Fumes, Comino, ACNE, and Dipstick
Atlanta, GA 5/6 @ The Earl with Reconciler, New Junk City, and The Howdymen
Gainesville, FL 5/7 @ Loosey’s with Reconciler, New Junk City, and The Howdymen
Pittsburgh, PA 5/14 @ Polish Hills Tennis Court with Big Baby, Lizard Academy, Go. No. Go
Philadelphia, PA 7/19 @ Silk City with Signals Midwest and Downhaul