 |
Mike Bennett
Capsule Reviews:
January/February, 2007 |
Does
anyone out there remember cub? They were a Canadian
band that played a spunky brand of pop that they called cuddlecore. It
combined surf music energy with sweet and twee melodies. The reason I
bring cub up is that The Corner Laughers sound to me like cub 10 years
down the road -- the rock energy turned down to soccer mom volume. The
core of this cuddly band is Karla Kane, on vocals and ukelele, and
guitarist Angela Silletto, who are abetted by various Bay Area popsters
like Khoi Huynh and Chris von Sneidern. They have some cute songs, and
the best two start the disc. "You Two Are the Ones" is like a more
bopping Jill Sobule, with Karla singing about her love for two
people...who happen to be a couple. This is followed by "The Red
Queen", where the uke ukes out and the song could easily be adapted
into a jug band arrangement, a la The Lovin' Spoonful. Producer Aaron
Madsen adds some cool lead guitar sounds. Other highlights include "One
for the Ladies" with Mr. von Sneidern on drums, and the saucy "See You
in Hell". I like the wit and obvious fun being had. I would like more
consistent songwriting, and maybe rocking up the music just a notch
|
Music Reviews:
February 2007 |
Girly girl powerpop that's so catchy and infectious that
it'll
probably give you cavities. Twelve lighthearted romps through love and
loss, evolution, being trapped in a bathroom, ancient history and guys
who are jerks. I guess I fall in that last category since I made the
girly girl comment. Anyway, this is a very enjoyable cd full of girl
group vocals with indie pop hooks and flashbacks to the sixties
sprinkled throughout. The vocals fall somewhere between the Bangles and
the Ronettes. Favorite track: "Star Power Lament".
Rating:
 and 1/2
Review by J.R. Oliver
 The
Corner Laughers are two recovering Catholic school girls who specialize
in bouncy, clever, melodic pop songs about evolution, mythology,
ancient
history, and guys who are jerks. You`ve heard it before, you say? Well,
no,
in fact. Take it from a guy who has hard time really, truly getting
into
female fronted pop projects(don`t bother to flame me, I am not alone
and
it`s not a sexist thing - yr either into it or yr not), but The Corner
Laughers have grabbed me by the, uh, neck collar and made an
impression.
I`ve tuned to this five times the last few weeks and it holds up. What
does
it sound like? Well, I`ll drop a bunch of names, but best to listen to
the
soundbites below: Dressy Bessy, The Spinnanes, Velocity Girl, Bettie
Serveert, The Decemberists, Barbara Manning and the post-C-96 sound of
K
Records circa early 90`s. Help? Well, like we said, just listen.
Bouncy, shimmery and indie pop jangly, Tomb Of Leopards spans many
genres
and continents and, according to their bio, features songs about being
trapped in a bathroom in Rome with nothing but a Simon and Garfunkel
CD; a
tea party with Sherlock Holmes; the 9 Greek muses having seasonal
flings in
a small town in Michigan; joyfully reuniting with a loved one in the
fiery
pits of hell; seedy areas of 18th century London; and a succession of
failed
roommates. Well, right on! Very Highly Recommended!
 The
Mountain View power pop band the Corner Laughers, fronted by Karla Kane
and Angela Silletto, presents fun, engaging music. Their sound harks
back to the bright, bouncy girl group sounds of the past, from the
Angels to the Go-Gos. Yet the songs display an irrepressible freshness.
On their MySpace page you'll discover four delightfully crafted
confections from their CD "Tomb of Leopards". The sprightly, sparkling
tunes include "Everybody Knows" and "Star Power Lament". A 60s
effervescence bubbles through their music. |
