Artist description Hip Music

Music Style Pop/Rock

Musical Influences All.

Similar Artists Ani Difranco, Beck

Artist History McCarthy's Finger is a bit like a puzzle being put together piece by piece, the picture remaining unclear until the last one is in place. What DOES McCarthy's Finger mean? Here are the few facts I have been able to get since becoming friends with them. Make sense of them if you can. o MIKE PELLEGRINO (Vocals/Guitar/Songwriter) and ROBIN LORE (Guitar/Vocals/Songwriter/Drums) met in a rock club in The Witch City in 1997 and have been the only mainstays since. o On Friday March 13th, 1998, after a year of additions, subtractions, long divisions & the first attempts at cloning (with psychotic, disastrous results), the group, now playing as a trio, with the help of a local actress played a show at Montserrat College of Art. A set of car keys were locked in said car, an entire drum set was dropped & spread out over the parking lot and Mike broke more strings during a heated version of "Whippin' Post" than he expected to (did you get the Friday the 13th bit?) o That dark & stormy Monday night, the band was re-dubbed McCarthy's Finger. o The Finger (as they have since been affectionately referred to by friends & rivals alike) spent 1998 playing bars & coffeehouses in and around Salem. o In 1999 after more disastrous results with long division & band member cloning, they took some time off to check their math & perfect that art playing God with DNA & Kamikaze shots. o In late 1999, after Pfizer stole the secret formula for band member recreation from them, Mike and Robin went into Longhouse Recording Studio in Allston with a new bass player in tow & recorded McCarthy's Finger's first EP "Electric Sin". I've listened to it many times; It is neither Electric nor Sinful. Part of what makes McCarthy's Finger's sound so unique is the push & pull within the band. With two lead singers writing their own material there is a lot of dynamic and variation in the songs both lyrically and musically. From folky rockers like “WHY?” and poppy pop like “NAKED AT THE MIDWAY”, to the subtle “SLEEPWALKING”, and the driving “sixteenlovers”, The Finger falls into the POP/ROCK/ALTERNATIVE vein of music much in the same way as R.E.M. or U2. You can feel their influences, but it is hard to put a finger on them. Did you ever hear their version of "Gone Daddy Gone" by the Violent Femmes or "Sex Machine" by James Brown? Another part of what makes McCarthy's Finger sound they way they do is the constant line up changes. While it is a hard line to walk sometimes, with so many people (8 bass players & 4 drummers since 1998) adding to the collective soup, the songs never become cold. Someone is always adding something new to the mix, playing a chord change a little different from the last, making these songs breath & constantly evolve, while at the center stand Robin & Mike. But this just brings up that question again: What does McCarthy's Finger mean? Presently, it means that aside from Mike & Robin, The Finger's current line up is: PETE LYON (Guitar) (1 year & counting) STEVE BRANDI (Bass) (9 months & holding strong) & the newly adopted APRIL GERRISH (Drums), From what I've seen & heard it looks like these guys (& girl) are the final pieces to the puzzle. McCarthy's Finger have finished recording their first full length album “Stay On The Ride” with their friend RUSS LAWTON (Trey Anastasio, Gordon Stone) sitting in on the drums. Now it is just a matter of getting out there & letting you decide: What does McCarty's Finger mean?

Group Members Robin Lore, Mike Pellegrino, Pete Lyon, Steven Brandi, and April Gerrish

Instruments Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Drums, Bass

Albums Electric Sin, Naked At The Midway, Stay on the Ride

Press Reviews "What I Like About McCarthy's Finger is their natural, effortless manner of presenting folksy/acoustic music into a modern/alt rock essence twisted with warmth. The songs come through with intelligence, introspection, and a slight edge. My favorites � the undergroundish, cool, 'The House That Jack Built' and the catchy, rythmic, 'Sleepwalking'. "Debbie Catalano � Boston's Soundcheck Magazine 12/2000 =========================================The guitar pulls you in from the beginning. The longer you listen, the longer you want to listen. The lead singer's voice is somewhat hypnotic, she pulls you into their world quite effectively.-- The song has a steady beat that belongs on any top forty station. I enjoyed tapping my fingers to the sound and that didn't go away after five listens. I then turned my attention to the lyrics themselves and this is what I found. The lyrics are thought provoking and draw you in. The chorus had me singing along! -- Now, I'm not a musician so I can't tell you the level of the music itself, but from the listener's point of view, I wasn't disappointed! McCarthy's Finger is going to be around for awhile, in my opinion!-- Overall, what I found was a professional band on the verge of making a major push into the arena of pop music. As we all know getting there is hard enough but staying there is tougher. However, these are the kind of problems bands should have. With a lot of hard work McCarthy's Finger could hit on any Top 40 radio station's playlist!-- Check them out, then check them out again! - GODSOFMUSIC.COM

Additional Info Toll Free Hotline: 1.877.515.6360

Location Salem, MA - USA

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