Vincent Van Gogh “loved life so bad, his paintings had twice the color other paintings had”. So sings Jonathan Richman (on Rockin’ and Romance).

And that tells you something about musician Allison Crowe.

A modern lover of music, blogger Muruch frames it like this: "There's really no way to convey through mere words how much the music... moves me, or how I want other people to listen to and adore it as much as I do. Allison sings with such an intensity of emotion, it's easy to see why she's often quoted as saying 'Why music? Why breathing?'... that kind of artistic passion seems extremely rare these days."

"I love singing for people," says Allison Crowe. "It's a way to connect and share with others. Communication is crucial. Just being able to do what I do, to write and sing and perform, makes me feel not only alive, but incredibly lucky. Knowing at any moment everything could change, I don't take one second for granted."

Born 26 years ago, on an island, in the harbour city of Nanaimo, B.C., today Crowe's reach is global. The audience for her music videos and song downloads numbers in the millions.

"Allison Crowe has a voice to fall in love with," says UK music industry journal Record of the Day. "She is from Vancouver Island in Canada, descended from Scottish, Irish and Manx stock. She's exactly the sort of artist who can make serious headway on her own label and that's just what she's doing."

When this phenomenon 'from the islands' reached the mainland she steered a path clear of what Joni Mitchell knowingly calls the record industry’s “style inventions”. With Ani DiFranco and Loreena McKennitt as models Crowe created her own label. Since 2003, Rubenesque Records Ltd has released five critically and commercially successful albums: Lisa's Song+ 6 Songs; Secrets; Tidings; Live at Wood Hall; and This Little Bird.

"The first thing you notice about Allison Crowe is her voice. Rich and dark, it seems to come from a place most singers can only dream of accessing. Then there are the songs. Filled with raw passion and accompanied by Crowe's eloquent piano playing," writes Clodagh O'Connell (The Courier). Hers is a joyous sound: "Elton John meets Edith Piaf."

A sensation at the UK’s John Lennon Northern Lights Festival, “Canadian angel Alison Crowe gave one of the weekend's most magical moments," says The Scotsman. Festival Director Mike Merritt describes Crowe as "awesome" and "spine-tingling", noting her performance “put hairs on the back of your neck! She brought the house down."

A true grassroots success, Crowe’s praised not only as a singularly talented songwriter - on themes personal as well as worldly - and as a visceral performer, but, also, as a supreme interpreter of song. Her vital takes on such 21st century standards as Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and Joni Mitchell's "River" are applauded as "truly transcendent". Her Tidings CD, a mix of traditional carols plus songs of joy, peace, and redemption from the secular songbook, is an emerging classic: "music for the season and all time".

"Her voice celebrates the music with a bluesy rock-gospel intensity; her controlled vibrato, silken rasp, and powerful projection rivet your attention. This is no casual background music. be prepared to be amazed," says Hamline University Professor Of Law - and CD reviewer - Carol Swanson. "Every song radiates sincerity, creative flair, and emotional intensity."

”It takes a lot of self-confidence to tackle Aretha (Franklin)'s version of 'I Never Loved a Man...' but Allison does and nails it just as good as the Queen of Soul herself. Her piano playing is equally exquisite," says Bob Muller, curator of song covers at JoniMitchell.com in his review of Crowe’s newest album, This Little Bird. He sums up: "Treat yourself to one of the mightiest talents on the singer-songwriter scene today."

David Powell, Welsh-based tech writes: "I'm listening to 'Effortless' on (Allison Crowe's) This Little Bird album with my Pro-Ject headphone amplifier turned up about a quarter more than on most modern records. It sounds fantastic because unlike most modern records it hasn't had the **** compressed out of it to raise the loudness."

Vocalist, pianist, guitarist, songwriter, engineer, producer and arranger, Allison Crowe now lives in Nanaimo, British Columbia and Corner Brook, Newfoundland. From these home-bases, (spanning the full 7000 km breadth of Canada), she tours steadily, earning a reputation for exciting live shows that stir together her original songs with much-loved interpretations in an organic blend of rock, jazz, folk, Broadway, gospel and soul.

"Ever wonder what it would have been like to listen to a gifted singer/songwriter from Saskatchewan in a small, intimate hall before she became Joni Mitchell? Don't fret the missed opportunity. There's no need to turn back the clock. Check out Allison Crowe," says Robert Reid in The Record.

"Allison has a special gift that is so very rare in musicians today. She is true to her mind, heart and spirit," says Ross Hocker, long-time public broadcaster with NPR affiliate WGTE. Hocker, whose musical taste embraces Thelonious Monk, Bela Bartok and Charles Gounod, calls Allison Crowe's live performance "the most honest, heartfelt, and directly intimate concert in my entire life."

"In an entertainment world that increasingly genuflects at the altar of instant fame, Crowe seems an anomaly, building her career slowly and carefully," notes Adrian Chamberlain, of Canada's Times Colonist newspaper.

"Soulful. Alive. Joyous. Grievous. Real, true, music is what I want to make," says Allison Crowe.

You can lend an ear...

Israel Suicide was originally born in Ireland, and has gone on to travel the world finally landing in Canada.
Having toured with Chris Cornell, Audioslave, the White Stripes, the Von Bondies and many more major label bands Israel was signed by 8 Ohm Records in Vancouver.
Israel's voice has been described as "Chris Cornell meets Bono in a hellish evil nightmare." by Jeff Henning of RollingStone.
"An evil incarnation of bombastic violence starving for serenity..." says Henry Rollins.
Israel sings about pain, torment and injustice....love, guts and glory.
"It's all there in the "NEW" sound of 2008" says Paul Goebel of Metal Force magazine.
But don't take our word for it.....let Israel burn your brain at www.myspace.com/israelsuicide
Go on....I dare ya!

LEAVING, TX.

If you travel a few miles south of Alt-Country and turn right at Cow-Punk you’ll find Leaving, TX… a gritty, dusty, whiskey-soaked hell-hole somewhere just outside the gates of purgatory. Formed in late 2004 by songwriter Chris Patterson and bassist Garry Cecil, Leaving, TX has rapidly come to life in the Washington, DC music scene… Quickly and rightfully earning comparisons to Drive By Truckers, Steve Earle, and Reckless Kelly just to name a few. The bands driving alt-country sound is anchored by its original songs which seem to fill fans with hooks they just can’t seem to get out of their heads.

Patterson is a self-taught musician who after leaving the jam-band Grooved Pavement spent the next 18 months studying and writing. During this time he spent many nights on the local singer-songwriter circuit finding out which songs were working with the audience. After a visit to Austin, TX he came back with the desire to finally build the band that would showcase his music.

Patterson soon contacted bass player Garry Cecil and played several of the new tunes for him. The magic was immediate and the two set out to find the rest of the band. Thor Smith was soon brought in to fill the role of drummer, having done the same in Patterson’s former band. After several auditions with guitarists, Andrew Buhler showed up on the band’s doorstep and after one song together, he was brought into the mix and given his own keys to the city.

Chris Patterson – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars. The bands songwriter is a native of Iowa although he has called sixteen cities home over the past twenty years. Patterson received his first guitar at the age of 8 but claims he didn’t learn to play it until he was 30. He carries with him very strong Irish roots and spends a couple weeks each year in Ireland seeking out music and his ancestry. His songwriting is strongly influenced by Tim Easton, Jon Dee Graham, The Waterboys, and Hank Williams.

Garry Cecil - bass and backing vocals. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Cecil was raised in the “wee” village of Corstorphine. He was raised on British music but when he arrived in America he soon became schooled by Hendrix, Zappa, and Capt. Beefheart. This eventually led Cecil to the country rock movement and later to bluegrass. It was a trip back to Scotland that had him dive head first into the punk/new wave scene. He has played in numerous bands over the years, “Non- Dairy Creamers”, “Gunpoint Affection”, and “The Swinging Richards”, and most recently the highly regarded “Primitive Mind”, opening for such greats as BB King, Lunasa, Junior Brown, and Doc Watson.

Thor Smith- drums. Smith is a native of Halden, Norway. He started drum lessons in the first grade and played his first professional gig at twelve years old. After a few years in a Hawaiian show band, Smith moved to New York in the early eighties with an original new wave outfit called “Ice Nine”. He then spent almost six years with the DC group “The Smash Band”. Semi-retired from music he was coaxed back into the scene after meeting Chris Patterson and getting hooked on his draft beer at rehearsals and original tunes.

Andrew Buhler - electric and pedal steel guitars. Buhler is a proud native of Miami, Florida. He started fooling around with the guitar after his father bought him an LP of Hendrix’s “Smash Hits” at age 10. From Miami to Japan to Cuba, he’s been tormenting his family and friends with the instrument ever since.