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...

Learn it by Heart is a fresh new sound developed by spunky singer/songwriter Cara Cortese. Being the sole member of the band Cara has spent countless hours working towards perfecting her talent. Though the band is still in its beginning stages, with the help of ACOSM Records the production of Learn it by Heart’s debut CD is underway.

Cara spent her childhood moving around with her family, living in England, Singapore and of course her home country Canada. Since her parents now live in Australia, Cara lives in the beautiful city of Toronto with her twin sister.

While growing up, Cara was always a musician. As a child she was always the first to begin singing along with the radio, and certainly made sure she could be heard over her two sisters. When she finally got bored of not having all the attention on long car rides, Cara began singing harmonies, which began the next level of her musical interest. Finally, after many years of bothering her parents, at the age of 14 Cara received her first guitar. Her family anticipated that this would just be another phase that Cara went through, but to everyone’s surprise she spent many hours locked in her room teaching herself how to play the instrument. But in true Cara style, she never liked to take things slowly, before she had even mastered how to play more than four chords, she wrote her first song.

After finishing high school, Cara knew that her parents wanted her to have a post secondary education so she ventured off to Wilfred Laurier University to study Honours Arts. However, Cara spent most of her time in her dorm room writing new songs and experimenting with home recording. To gain experience in performing, Cara played at open mike shows and spent a lot of time in Toronto searching for any opportunity she could get.

While Cara is currently studying English at Ryerson University she balances the work load of school and music with pure determination. Though Learn it by Heart is still a green project, Cara’s hard work and continued song writing should make for a well-rounded debut CD.

•  Lovely
•  This song is addictive
•  Folky with a dash of...

“Won’t you come back home? Well, I don’t think so.” This telling exchange from “Run From Safety” epitomizes the ethos of Octoberman’s Marc Morrissette. In 2003, the itinerant songwriter abandoned his Vancouver home, took a break from his band, Kids These Days, and departed for travels through Asia and Europe. When Morrissette returned to North American shores, he arrived bearing a travel journal blackened with observations and reflections. These insights would soon become the basis of Octoberman’s critically-acclaimed 2005 debut, These Trails Are Old and New.

Embodying the sensibilities of Neil Young’s songcraft and Jack Kerouac’s travelogues, These Trails won widespread praise from Uncut, Maverick, The Globe and Mail and dozens of other publications. Just as Morrissette’s penchant for melancholic vocals and melodic guitar work caught the ears of critics, it won the hearts of audiences. The songwriter established Octoberman as a live institution in Vancouver, sometimes taking to the stage with a seven-piece backing band and on other occasions with nothing more than an acoustic guitar and harmonica. 2006’s seven-song, live-recorded Laguardia EP ideally encapsulated the intimacy and immediacy of these solo Octoberman performances.

However, employing a full band to expand upon his spare arrangements had opened Morrissette’s eyes to the possibilities for Octoberman’s second full-length album. Between March and August 2006, he retreated to three studios in Vancouver with co-producer and engineer James Henderson and captured his musical musings. Along for the ride were his regular backing band: Rob Josephson (drums), and Graham Christofferson (bass); as well as other common collaborators: Peter Doig (guitar), Leah Abramson (vocals), Shaun Brodie (trumpet), Kris Hooper (lap steel), Jason Starnes (keyboards), Mike Morrissette (vocals), Ryder Havdale (vocals) and C.L. McLaughlin (vocals).

Upon first listen, it’s evident that Run From Safety is not only an album title but also a bold statement of intent. It sublimely captures the sound of an artist abandoning the tried and true and striking out in unknown directions. While still fuelled by wanderlust, Octoberman’s music continues to remind us that not all journeys can be measured by distance alone. Run From Safety brims with inspired instrumentation, accomplished orchestration and newfound urgency. Furthermore, it sees Morrissette bringing the indie pop sensibility of his Kids These Days material back to the fore. Fans of Stephen Malkus’ wordplay, Bright Eyes’ earnestness and Elliott Smith’s tunefulness will find themselves readily enthralled with Octoberman’s latest offering.

“I need some inspiration in my life,” Morrissette confides in “By The Wayside.” Such motivation manifests itself with Calexico-like southwestern cinematics complete with brass flourishes. Such atmospherics resurface later with the tumbleweed menace of “Cisco Kid.” Meanwhile, a gift for clever turns of phrase is evidenced on “Run From Safety” which evokes lovelorn gypsy boys, grandmotherly gifts and jurisdictions that “bleed with conviction.” “No Qualms” attempts to offer assurances in the face of insecurities. “Elbow Room” provides an autobiographical account of helplessness. Elsewhere, the loping “Impossible Way” channels Bob Dylan while “Shit Just Falls Apart” offers astute indictments sugared by rousing pop. “Chasing Ambulances” brings proceedings to a heartfelt, whisper-quiet close.

Morrissette proves exceedingly skilled at conjuring both the wariness and weariness of a man who’s seen the world. Yet, despite intense explorations, he’s come away with little in the way of certainties or answers. Instead, every discovery begets further questions. It’s these quandaries and conflicts that continue to drive the man and his music. Once Octoberman made the decision to run from safety, turning back was not an option. Upon mastering his new album, Morrissette quit his job and embarked on a European tour that lead him through five countries in five weeks. He next crossed the Atlantic, climbed into his Volkswagen and toured the continental United States. One can only imagine the inspiring questions that were raised along the way.

•  Passionate folk song patriotism