I'm a lover of all things musical, world, jazz, rock, punk and yes, even pop, to name but a few. After all, one of my favorite Bay Area pop groups are the "Orange Peels", led by tunes-smith Allen Clapp and the lovely Jill Pries. It was Clapp who tuned me onto a group he happens to be co-producing, known as "The Corner Laughers". After listening to what's now become one of my favorite tunes, (the fabulously written "Stonewords"), as well as other cuts from their soon to be released new album, I knew I was hearing something special. Created in a San Francisco Bay Area lab by "mad scientist" Angela Silletto and indoor archaeologist Karla Kane, the Corner Laughers were genetically engineered to be the perfect band: one part 60s British invasion, one part 80s new wave and one part 90s power pop with a smidgeon of twee, mod folk and trad jazz.But something went wrong! Two evil rhythm-section geniuses from rival bands -- fueled by energy drinks and Indian food -- added the deadly chemical of ROCK, and thus The Corner Laughers were born. Wistful and dreamy, saucy and sassy in almost equal measure, The Corner Laughers' ideal blend of herbs and spices proved a magic concoction.
After their debut album "Tomb Of Leopards" delighted the eardrums of America and the world with its bouncy, clever, melodic pop songs about geography, ecology, primatology, Greek mythology, English literature and guys who are jerks, The Corner Laughers retreated to super-producer and Orange Peels' mastermind Allen Clapp's lair, Mystery Lawn Studio, to plant the seeds of their second, even more wondrous album "The Ultraviolet Garden", the title of which is taken from a Richard Dawkins BBC documentary about things in nature that cannot be seen by the human eye and indeed would be too overwhelming for us to comprehend.
A lofty aspiration and a difficult corner to paint oneself into, but The Corner Laughers laugh in the face of corners and proved themselves up to the task with a botanical cornucopia of songs about Italian catacombs, martyred saints, extinct California megafauna, ghosts suspended in time, Mayan villages, the Armageddon of all life on earth and yes, more guys who are jerks.
Clapp's influence and expertise have greatly expanded the band's arsenal of magnificent multi-colored shimmery sounds, with technology both modern and ancient, including tangy and twangy vintage guitars, spacey echo boxes from the Eichler age, inhumanly precise tambourines, heavenly harpsichords and layers and layers of angelic vocals.
Singer / ukuleleist Kane and guitarist Silletto began writing music together the instant they met and both enjoy spending their spare time rescuing wild animals, watching time-travel movies, and talking about sandwiches. They're Joined by drummer Charlie Crabtree (Variable Stars, One Eyed Jacks, William Cleere Band) and multi-instrumentalist Khoi Huynh (Bigwheel, Chris von Sneidern's Pop Gem Factory, Anton Barbeau UK).
As for their upcoming shows, the Laughers write, "We know you're not allowed to play in the same city twice in one week but we're the Corner Laughers - we play when we want, where we want, who we want. On Saturday Jan. 24th we'll be at the Make Out Room with Lady Genius. (http://www.makeoutroom.com/)
The following Thursday, Jan. 29th we'll be playing a benefit show for Equality California (http://www.eqca.org) at Kimo's. Joining us on the bill are Thousandnames, Big Round and Veronica Klaus. Never doubt that the power of the Corner Laughers' rock can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has..."
To paraphrase the Laughers, "I'll never quite grasp how they stay so young and I grow old". Listening to them however, I don't much care. Their pop is timeless and beautiful.
