Fingers LIke Saturn

Black & Wyatt Records kicked off its first record release party with a full length 12 inch vinyl gatefold (and live performance) of FINGERS LIKE SATURN, a Memphis rock & roll band from 2006-2008. Original members on the recording are George Cole (Distemper, Pig Star, Rockroaches), Steve Selvidge (Bash & Pop, Big Ass Truck, Sons of MudBoy), Suzi Hendrix (Viva L’American Deathray Music), Shelby Bryant (The Clears, Cloud Wow Music), Jonathan Kirkscey (Mouse Rocket, Memphis Symphony) Mike McCarthy (Distemper, Nehilistics) and singer Cori Dials (The Splints, Cigarette Girl). The line-up for this show featured Jeff “Bunny” Dutton on lead and Aaron Brame on keys. The Faces cover band THE RODULATORS opened at 7:30 p.m. sharp with FLS hitting the stage at 8 p.m. The 8 song LP includes a bonus download card with 41 demos and live recordings!

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reviews + articles

A similarity to the college rock of that decade has been mentioned, and is surely extant, but their album’s opening track “Heaven,” partly due to the fully developed frontwoman swagger of Cori Dial, strikes my ear like the output of ambitious ’80s bands who honed their original songs in bars and cut their initial records for regional indies before being ushered into the major label lifestyle, however briefly, and by extension getting a taste of commercial FM radio play.

Fingers Like Saturn’s sound blends sophistication with toughness and heft that could win over the inevitable “I came here to drink” club denizens as the sax blowing of Suzi Hendrix intensifies the ’80s angle, though I don’t want to imply that the record is calculatingly throwing back to that era. There are additional motions suggesting the Alt rock ‘90s and numerous spots pointing to the heart of the ’00s, with these up-to-date passages occasionally blended with Memphis rock roots (think Chilton) and general neo-’60s-isms (e.g. “All Ages Show,” where Tom Petty meets up with Ted Leo).

Fingers Like Saturn’s highlights would’ve made a killer mini-LP, but altogether the set’s weak point is that the punch gets diminished by a duration that’s a smidge too long, and in fact longer as a digital album, with two bonus cuts. Complicating matters a bit is how the first of those, “Four Arms to Hold You,” is amongst the strongest tracks. Additionally, the vinyl download expands the ten-song total to 41 from demos sessions, including a visit to Sun Studios (the grade below pertains to the core record and its two extras). -The Vinyl District | READ

I seriously doubt that this Memphis band was consciously trying to remind listeners of Bryan Ferry’s Boys and Girls LP, but the cover art is similar. The music, however, ain’t. It’s much closer to early ’80s college/indie rock. The songs are wordy, showcasing Cori Dial’s strong vocals, and the band is razor-sharp. Songs like “Satnin (Pine Box Lullaby)” trick the listener into thinking they’re acostic folk number, but then they go off and rock out, and change again to sound like a female Alex Chilton covering Kris Kristofferson’s “Me and Bobby McGee” (or at least lifting its melody). Bratty fun. - Musoscribe | READ

Filled with Memphis heavy hitters and held together with Mattice’s powerful alto, the glam influence is palpable, especially in songs like the Bowie-worshipping “Glam Lies.” But, since it’s Memphis, the sounds are more eccentric. “Satin (Pine Box Lullaby)” dabbles in Mexicalia by way of Johnny Cash. “Black Ray of Sunshine,” a ballad about the Black Dahlia, is an early example of the string-arranging skills that have made Kirkscey a sought-after soundtrack composer. - Memphis Flyer | READ

podcasts + interviews

Lead vocalist Cori Dials (aka Betty Butcher) returns to Memphis and is interviewed by Kacky Walton on local radio 'Checking on the Arts' (WKNO) along with guitarist and songwriter Mike McCarthy on the eve of their record release party.

“On December 30th 1986 when Stephen Selvidge was fourteen he joined Mike McCarthy and George Cole on stage at the Antenna Club to sing “Sex, It’s Great!” (George and Mike’s band DISTEMPER were opening for STRANGE FLESH). It was the last DISTEMPER show and not unlike a science fiction convention. Stephen Selvidge became quite gifted as a guitar player but we knew that was going to happen way back at DISTEMPER HOUSE (189 N. Auburndale). Young Selvidge would sit on the couch arm and finger complicated riffs that we still can’t do. George and Mike stopped playing all together in ’92 after their band the ROCKROACHES went nowhere. Fourteen years later they began working on the ROCKROACHES website and realized it was a lousy endnote. Something else needed to happen but the planets had not yet lined up and no one was going back to Mississippi.”

“McCarthy had worked with lots of Memphis musicians in creating his low budget movie soundtracks, but most of those folks had no idea that McCarthy could make a G chord. McCarthy was too self-conscious or intimidated (or maybe too busy) to even try. When Mike and George tried too hard they failed (ROCKROACHES), and when they barely cared (DISTEMPER) they succeeded. McCarthy remembers Sam Phillips addage, “Don’t make it too damn complicated.” Enter Cori Dials, a San Diego born photographer and singer with one eye on the country and one eye on this city who plays bass and sings in the SPLINTS. Cori was dubbed the ‘last starlet’ by McCarthy after she played his character CADAVERA (2006) who is, after all, a ‘bowie frankenstein monster’ with one eye on life and one eye on death. McCarthy asked her not to worry about the bass and just sing songs and she agreed, even if it meant singing “glam crap”. Although the term “late 70’s punk singles” rolls right off the tongue. Meanwhile Joanne Self told McCarthy that her husband Stephen wanted the challenge of playing drums. That same fourteen year old Stephen? Yes, but now he’s going on 34. Stephen would freak us out if he played guitar in FLS, but drums seemed like a perfect fit.” - Mike McCarthy | READ