Project Description
Similar Artists: Jenny Lewis, Belle & Sebastian, Essex Green
The Corner Laughers are not of this era. They are timeless, but far from “retro.” Yes, you will detect strains of English folk-psych (peak period Kinks by way of Fairport Convention, perhaps), vintage California sunshine pop and hints of alt-country twang. You may be reminded of the literate lyrics and soaring melodies of ’80s titans like XTC, Kirsty MacColl and Robyn Hitchcock, or the ’90s indie chamber pop of the likes of Belle & Sebastian. Kane’s lilt and uke might even lead one to expect a postmodern YouTube sensation (make no mistake, she was there first).
News
RELEASES
“The Accepted Time”
Release Date: April 17, 2020
Record Label: Big Stir Records
“Crooning to the authenticity of a post-college rock sound, that seemed to linger from the mid ’90s, with a tinge of chamber pop.” – Girl Underground Music
A song for our times, The Corner Laughers’ “The Accepted Time” places the listener directly in the present moment, where magic exists if only you slow down to find it. It feels eternal, yet passes too quickly. There is innocence, yet wisdom. Anxiety and longing, yet optimism. It’s off the album Temescal Telegraph due out June 5. Read more
“The Calculating Boy”
Release Date: May 15, 2020
Record Label: Big Stir Records
“charming slice of off-kilter (indie) pop, almost as if Andy Partridge has bequeathed one of his own melodies to them” – Backseat Mafia
Urgent, slightly sinister and a bit magical, The Corner Laughers’ new indie-pop single, “The Calculating Boy,” seemingly fits in a world that has been turned upside down. With soaring XTC-like production and tick-tock rhythms, the song hinges on a spooky vibe sure to catch the ear of would-be witches, history nerds and anyone who feels a bit out of step with the mainstream. It will be released on May 15. The song is off the album Temescal Telegraph, due out June 5.
“The Calculating Boy” takes inspiration in part from the real story of George Parker Bidder, a 19th-century English mathematical prodigy with uncanny natural skills who, as a child, was exhibited around the country by his stonemason father. A gifted engineer, Bidder was also one of the founders of the Electric Telegraph Company, which brought new communication technology to the public.
Temescal Telegraph
Release Date: June 5, 2020
Record Label: Big Stir Records
California indie-pop band The Corner Laughers are back in action — exploring themes from climate change and pastoral ponderings to childhood to the nature of time itself. Temescal Telegraph, the new album out June 5 via Big Stir Records, stands as a lively testament to the longtime band being back in full bloom.
Temescal Telegraph plays with micro and macro lenses, connecting detailed personal experiences with the cosmic scale. Expect to encounter bees in harmony, environmental apocalypse, ghosts, trains, witches, fallen leaves and omniscient vultures. Current issues meet ancient echoes. Moods meander between wistful melancholy and exhilaration. A simple walk home becomes an entire universe encapsulated in a moment. To quote one of its songs, “It’s alright to care.”
Bio
Longtime California indie-pop band The Corner Laughers are back in action – exploring themes from climate change to childhood to the nature of time itself,
After 2015’s critically acclaimed “Matilda Effect” and leader Karla Kane’s 2017 solo debut, the future of The Corner Laughers was unclear. Circumstances of geography, health and other life complications conspired to push the tight-knit quartet temporarily apart. Temescal Telegraph, the new album out soon via Big Stir Records, stands as a joyful testament to the band being back in full bloom.
While past projects have drawn from a variety of guest contributions from around the globe, for their 2020 return, Kane (vocals, ukulele and most songwriting), Charlie Crabtree (drums) KC Bowman and Khoi Huynh (sharing guitar, bass and piano duties) recorded their new LP quickly and entirely in the intimate setting of Bowman’s Timber Trout studio. Set in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland, the result is fostered in an organic, cohesive and present sound.
“A Californian band who come across like a West Coast Belle and Sebastian. Their indie pop is sassy and smart, intelligent and intricate, twee with bite.”
“Armed to the teeth with sharp observations and whimsical wanderings, with a genius for dreamy melodies.”
“Kane’s conversational vocal tone and her storytelling chops are reminiscent of The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle. Musically, though, their bright harmonies make them sound a lot more like Belle & Sebastian with a little more jangle and a little more twang.”
“Crooning to the authenticity of a post-college rock sound, that seemed to linger from the mid ’90s, with a tinge of chamber pop.”
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“”joyful”
“charming slice of off-kilter (indie) pop, almost as if Andy Partridge has bequeathed one of his own melodies to them”
“Following in the traditions of bands like Belle & Sebastian and XTC, they mask the ache of their words with a cover of effervescent melodic wanderings.”