Coco Love Alcorn

Week of September 10, 2009, Issue #725
Coco Love Alcorn
MUSIC
Coco Love Alcorn
Riding to the beat: Alcorn's latest puts her bicycle to work as a kick drum

Carolyn Nikodym / carolyn@vueweekly.com

Coco Love Alcorn is a flirt. She smiles at folk, waves at soul, winks at hip hop and nods at jazz. While bestowing affections this way can lead to some misconceptions, there is also the chance of requited love from some unlikely sources.

In the span of a week this summer, Alcorn's latest album Joyful hit a jazz chart in Quebec City and on CJSR's hip hop Top 10. While she's not totally confounded by this—she does actually rap on the track "Intellectual Boys"—she is pleased with where her music finds itself. She'll take it all.

Flirting in this way isn't always easy. After all, industry types might see the way she approaches music as fraught with commitment issues, but Alcorn has been at it for about 17 years, releasing her first album back in 1995. And she's certainly had successes. She has opened for the likes of Burton Cummings and Ani DiFranco, had her music featured on television shows and released electronica albums as Paloma (with members of 54-40) and Joystick (with Vancouver's Bradley Ferguson).

"There was about eight years where I wasn't promoting my own name. Everyone in the industry that I talk to, they would sort of invest in me for a certain point and then they'd be, like, 'OK, but what are you?' And I'd be, like, 'I don't know. I can't be folk and jazz and hip hop—what?'" Alcorn laughs. "So for about three or four years, I just decided that I'm just going to bankroll myself and I'll be my own investor by being horribly in debt, and tour a bunch.

"When I send packages to people, it's hard to encapsulate what I do in a sentence," she adds. "Like, the thing they warned me about for years and years, I'm finding to be totally true. Whenever I want to do a photo shoot or come up with a poster design, I always have to think about, OK, how do I represent jazz and folk and soul, hip hop and bicycles?"

On Joyful, however, all of these influences mesh seamlessly together, and Alcorn has no trouble has no trouble representing all of them—even bicycles. "I Got a Bicycle" is a fun ode to her two-wheeled transport.

"I was recording with my friend Chris Gestrin [who has worked with the likes of k-os, the Rascalz and DOA] and my bike was right outside, so I was like, 'Hey, let's hit the bicycle and make the rhythm tracks' and it worked out really well. He put a bunch of bass EQ of me hitting the seat of the bike, so that worked as the kick drum," she explains. "I love working with people that I have that type of trust with, where you can just try anything, and they're not going to be like, 'That's a crazy idea,' they'll be like, 'Fun!' And you only throw the idea out if it doesn't work."

The fun element is key to any flirtation, and it gives Alcorn the same kind of license as comedians might have. It's the license to comment on the world's foibles—like, say, stinky cars—without sermonizing.

"I'm always trying to find a way of broaching the subject without getting too dark or preachy or something—still feeling hope. Like, saying, 'Look there's bad stuff, but let's try to still put positive energy into the world,'" she says. "If we acknowledge bad things but on top of that only put bad, negative energy into the world, that's not going to help."

And if flirting is done right, everyone feels good. V

Wed, Sep 16 (8 pm)
Coco Love Alcorn
With Chloe Albert
ARTery, $12 – $15 - Vue Weekly (Edmonton)

Vancouver's oddest-named musician embraces her Sugar-sweet eclecticism

The reason it feels so good to stand beside a waterfall is not the beauty of the clean, rushing water nor its refreshing spray, but actually the rush of negative ions that the waterfall emits. Negative ions create good vibes. For real.

Being in the company of Coco Love Alcorn is a similar experience. It's not just because she's beautiful (which she is), and it's more than her gifted voice. It's the incredible rush of creative inspiration that she shares. Like negative ions, it feels good just to be around that buzz.

In a phone interview from her home in Vancouver, only a day before leaving on tour, Alcorn gushed about her album, Sugar, and the new artistic ventures that are keeping her up at night. But first we clarified the first question on most writers' minds - her name, is it real?

"Yup. There may have been a lag of an hour or so, between when I arrived and when they chose my name. Alice was an option, and Tico, a Hawaiian name. Maybe it was Coco Chanel that made them think of it? I guess I just seemed like a Coco."

Sugar was a long time in the making - a full eight years. This wasn't only because Alcorn was busy with several other projects (54-40, Paloma, Joystick) but also because there was concern over the eclecticism of Coco's material.

"I felt pressure for years to pick a genre. I guess that's why there was so long between solo records. I always had this feeling from managers and people in the industry that they needed to know what to call it. Like if I put

something out that was jazz and then put something out that was R&B, that they wouldn't know how to shelve me."

An epiphany and a bit of luck resulted in the ballsy release that is Sugar. "I started to just kind of realize that I was always going to be eclectic. And I was always going to like improvising and playing in the jazz genre, but also always love R&B groove stuff like Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Aretha Franklin, and also always love the songwriters like Joni Mitchell. I needed to blend those pieces and make it all cohesive."

Described by Alcorn as "acoustic-jazz-folk-R&B-groove-pop," the end result is a bright burst of colour amidst the many shades of indie grey.
- Ottawa Express ~ Lara Purvis

Vancouver singer Coco Love Alcorn inherited her musical prowess from father, Toronto-based jazz singer/pianist John Alcorn, only her instrument of choice is acoustic guitar. Over the years, she has opened for Chantal Kreviazuk, Ani DiFranco, and Jesse Cook; played on Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair and Blue Rodeo's Stardust Picnic, and sung back-up and toured with 54.40. Believe it or not, this album, Sugar, is her first all-original collection and it's a blend of jazz, pop and folk that serves her beautiful voice. Writing a half-dozen of the songs herself (including the lead track, "For Just One Night"), four with her dad, one with Lennie Gallant, and a couple with other people, Alcorn sums up the lyrics as being about "love, angels, and the power within." Her dad did some preproduction, and the whole album was produced and engineered by Steve Dawson mostly at Vancouver's The Factory. The core musicians are Chris Gestrin (k-os, Kate Hammett-Vaughn) on keys, John Raham (Kinnie Starr, The Be Good Tanyas) on drums and Keith Lowe (Fiona Apple, Bill Frisell) on string bass, with Dawson on lap steel, acoustic and electric guitars, banjo and other stuff, but Sugar is always about Coco. - Canadian musician ~ Karen Bliss

Vancouver's oddest-named musician embraces her Sugar-sweet eclecticism

The reason it feels so good to stand beside a waterfall is not the beauty of the clean, rushing water nor its refreshing spray, but actually the rush of negative ions that the waterfall emits. Negative ions create good vibes. For real.

Being in the company of Coco Love Alcorn is a similar experience. It's not just because she's beautiful (which she is), and it's more than her gifted voice. It's the incredible rush of creative inspiration that she shares. Like negative ions, it feels good just to be around that buzz.

In a phone interview from her home in Vancouver, only a day before leaving on tour, Alcorn gushed about her album, Sugar, and the new artistic ventures that are keeping her up at night. But first we clarified the first question on most writers' minds - her name, is it real?

"Yup. There may have been a lag of an hour or so, between when I arrived and when they chose my name. Alice was an option, and Tico, a Hawaiian name. Maybe it was Coco Chanel that made them think of it? I guess I just seemed like a Coco."

Sugar was a long time in the making - a full eight years. This wasn't only because Alcorn was busy with several other projects (54-40, Paloma, Joystick) but also because there was concern over the eclecticism of Coco's material.

"I felt pressure for years to pick a genre. I guess that's why there was so long between solo records. I always had this feeling from managers and people in the industry that they needed to know what to call it. Like if I put

something out that was jazz and then put something out that was R&B, that they wouldn't know how to shelve me."

An epiphany and a bit of luck resulted in the ballsy release that is Sugar. "I started to just kind of realize that I was always going to be eclectic. And I was always going to like improvising and playing in the jazz genre, but also always love R&B groove stuff like Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Aretha Franklin, and also always love the songwriters like Joni Mitchell. I needed to blend those pieces and make it all cohesive."

Described by Alcorn as "acoustic-jazz-folk-R&B-groove-pop," the end result is a bright burst of colour amidst the many shades of indie grey.
- Ottawa Express ~ Lara Purvis

Coco Love Alcorn

By Shain Shapiro

Very infrequently does the opening minute or two from a record
grapple the psyche so much that you are glued to the stereo for
the next 45 minutes wondering where the time went afterwards.
That is exactly what happened when Coco Love Alcorn’s newest
baby, Sugar was spun for the first time. A friend told me to
prepare for one of the most soothing, uniquely refreshing
vocalists in Canada, and that is exactly what was delivered.
Sugar, while far from Alcorn’s debut, is a structured exercise
in sensuality, told from the tongue of a singer who belts them off
with the best of them. With a generous helping of jazz, a dash of
folk, a sly, sarcastic smile and a trenchant, almost pervasively
good groove, Sugar has become my jazz record to play for those
who don’t like jazz, and my pop record to showcase for those
disenfranchised with the cloudy bubblegum shrouding the
airwaves of late. Sugar is neither a pop record nor a jazz record: it
borrows and is influenced by the souls of both, straddling each
equally in a way that plucks the best bits from each side. This is a
genuine triumph, one worthy of all the hyperbole that has been
attributed to Alcorn, including these emphatic words from this
enraptured scribe.

Produced by jack–of–all–trades wizard Steve Dawson, Sugar
is equally Alcorn’s tour de force as it is Dawson’s, as his influence
is woven into each thick groove. “Steve was my main partner in
crime for making the record,” replies Alcorn. “He was absolutely
the right man for the job in a multitude of ways. Aside from top
notch musicality, a vision in line with mine and a stunning guitar
player, he offered something else that I value very highly, a
perfect balance between the open–mindedness to try any idea and the ability to make a decision when needed.”

The result is a calculated collection filled with mysterious
bits and pieces, the parts that add enough sexuality to heighten
Sugar beyond most pop meets jazz fare. For example, Alcorn
wishes on the set that, ‘I never meant to write a love song,’ but
responds with ‘but how can something that feels so good be
wrong?’ That lyric, along with emotionally sensual baggage it
comes with encircles the themes drenched into each glistening
groove on it. Something that sounds this sweet must have been
drawn from something relatively tart.

“Musically I wanted my influences of jazz, folk, and R&B/pop
to all be present yet not fight with each other. The most
important thing I did was hire the right producer and musicians
and then let them all be free to express themselves. When I listen
to the record I can hear the openness we approached it with.
Everyone put their heart in but also left lots of space for my voice,
the melodies and the tones of the instruments to shine,” explains
Alcorn.

This musical and thematic expansion, the sweet–with–a–lot–
of–bite image and meld of pop, jazz and other styles is a trait
Alcorn forcefully embedded into this project, much more than her
older material. “I think with all my previous albums I was trying to
pick one style of music,” replies Alcorn. “I finally embraced the
fact that I’d always love exploring different genres and the space
between them. I have always been on a quest to “find myself,” but
finally discovered that there were many aspects to my “self”. I also
realized that life would get pretty boring if the journey was ever
over and I was “found.” I love that I evolve a bit every day with
each new experience I have, and that is definitely evident on
Sugar, in the music, arrangements and lyrics.”

“I’ve been touring Sugar pretty steadily since it came out last year and so far every show has been a bit different. OK, let’s see. I
do always play “Sugar,” the title track and “Falling Into You”.
They’re both really fun to sing and they give me room to
improvise. I play all the other songs from the record at one time
or another but I really mix it up, to keep myself entertained.
There are a few new songs that I play a lot, but I do not want to
ruin that surprise.” Expect a sensual, patient evening of song, one that reflects the album but is not limited in scope. Since the
album is so good, one can only imagine how enthralling Alcorn
will be live as well. - The View weekly (Hamilton, On)

Coco Love for Dessert

By Slackhopper
SooToday.com
Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Only one other voice can move me as much as that of my all-time favourite singer, the late great Ella Fitzgerald.

That voice belongs to Coco Love Alcorn.

Daughter of jazz musician John Alcorn, it's no wonder she has chosen a musical path in life.

But through her engaging style, this is no regular path.

Coco Love has gracefully infused it with jazz, folk, pop, soul and R&B, artfully finished with a delightful dollop of whimsy.

The result is a sound as irresistible and intriguing as her name.

But to fully experience Coco Love, a live performance is necessary.

The stage is where she lets the stunning beast loose as all the influences she encompasses - Cassandra Wilson, k.d. Lang, Aretha Franklin - sensually traverse from the tips of her toes to their final delicate escape through her beautiful lips.

As she sways and snaps to the music, Coco Love engages each and every audience member through focused eye contact and a wide smile.

Making everyone feel as though she is singing only to them, you can't help but be drawn as deep as she is into each note.

And just when things are about to get too intense or serious, she'll crack a joke and start the seduction all over again.

Loplops Gallery-Lounge's Sunday night Dinner Show was the ideal showcase for her brilliance.

After a fine meal of Asian-inspired dishes skillfully prepared by the staff of Five, a little Coco Love was the perfect dessert.
- SooToday.com

Coco Love Alcorn

By Shain Shapiro

Very infrequently does the opening minute or two from a record
grapple the psyche so much that you are glued to the stereo for
the next 45 minutes wondering where the time went afterwards.
That is exactly what happened when Coco Love Alcorn’s newest
baby, Sugar was spun for the first time. A friend told me to
prepare for one of the most soothing, uniquely refreshing
vocalists in Canada, and that is exactly what was delivered.
Sugar, while far from Alcorn’s debut, is a structured exercise
in sensuality, told from the tongue of a singer who belts them off
with the best of them. With a generous helping of jazz, a dash of
folk, a sly, sarcastic smile and a trenchant, almost pervasively
good groove, Sugar has become my jazz record to play for those
who don’t like jazz, and my pop record to showcase for those
disenfranchised with the cloudy bubblegum shrouding the
airwaves of late. Sugar is neither a pop record nor a jazz record: it
borrows and is influenced by the souls of both, straddling each
equally in a way that plucks the best bits from each side. This is a
genuine triumph, one worthy of all the hyperbole that has been
attributed to Alcorn, including these emphatic words from this
enraptured scribe.

Produced by jack–of–all–trades wizard Steve Dawson, Sugar
is equally Alcorn’s tour de force as it is Dawson’s, as his influence
is woven into each thick groove. “Steve was my main partner in
crime for making the record,” replies Alcorn. “He was absolutely
the right man for the job in a multitude of ways. Aside from top
notch musicality, a vision in line with mine and a stunning guitar
player, he offered something else that I value very highly, a
perfect balance between the open–mindedness to try any idea and the ability to make a decision when needed.”

The result is a calculated collection filled with mysterious
bits and pieces, the parts that add enough sexuality to heighten
Sugar beyond most pop meets jazz fare. For example, Alcorn
wishes on the set that, ‘I never meant to write a love song,’ but
responds with ‘but how can something that feels so good be
wrong?’ That lyric, along with emotionally sensual baggage it
comes with encircles the themes drenched into each glistening
groove on it. Something that sounds this sweet must have been
drawn from something relatively tart.

“Musically I wanted my influences of jazz, folk, and R&B/pop
to all be present yet not fight with each other. The most
important thing I did was hire the right producer and musicians
and then let them all be free to express themselves. When I listen
to the record I can hear the openness we approached it with.
Everyone put their heart in but also left lots of space for my voice,
the melodies and the tones of the instruments to shine,” explains
Alcorn.

This musical and thematic expansion, the sweet–with–a–lot–
of–bite image and meld of pop, jazz and other styles is a trait
Alcorn forcefully embedded into this project, much more than her
older material. “I think with all my previous albums I was trying to
pick one style of music,” replies Alcorn. “I finally embraced the
fact that I’d always love exploring different genres and the space
between them. I have always been on a quest to “find myself,” but
finally discovered that there were many aspects to my “self”. I also
realized that life would get pretty boring if the journey was ever
over and I was “found.” I love that I evolve a bit every day with
each new experience I have, and that is definitely evident on
Sugar, in the music, arrangements and lyrics.”

“I’ve been touring Sugar pretty steadily since it came out last year and so far every show has been a bit different. OK, let’s see. I
do always play “Sugar,” the title track and “Falling Into You”.
They’re both really fun to sing and they give me room to
improvise. I play all the other songs from the record at one time
or another but I really mix it up, to keep myself entertained.
There are a few new songs that I play a lot, but I do not want to
ruin that surprise.” Expect a sensual, patient evening of song, one that reflects the album but is not limited in scope. Since the
album is so good, one can only imagine how enthralling Alcorn
will be live as well. - The View weekly (Hamilton, On)

July 6th '09 CD of the week of CKUA radio net work (Edmonton)

Reviewed by Tony King, ?Host of "Alberta Morning???"

From the slippery, no-nonsense groove that opens her latest record, to the final Roman Candle set off as a closing note, Coco Love Alcorn's new disc fully embraces its namesake, Joyful. This seasoned artist, who has been ensconced in the fervent East Vancouver music scene for over 10 years, has earned her musical stripes the hard way, holed up playing gigs in small coffee shops and hovels from coast to coast across this country. Now this neo-hippy cum hipster has really come into own as a songwriter and vocalist. Having worked with the likes of Jesse Cook, 54-40, and, yes even Canadian music legion Burton Cummings in recent years, Coco Love Alcorn is "standing tall" herself these days as the model of a successful entrepreneur and artist. Joyful is about as spirited as it gets, a full-on dash of earthy lyrics, infused with sweet energy laden grooves makes the disc a perfect elixir, should you need a fiercely funny and engaging soundtrack to entertain friends with on the back porch, or for any occasion where a little injection of spring fever is required. Coco Love Alcorn should be celebrated as a Canadian treasure, resplendent in her own cheeky bitter-sweet way. - CKUA radio (Edmonton) - Tony King

July 6th '09 CD of the week of CKUA radio net work (Edmonton)

Reviewed by Tony King, ?Host of "Alberta Morning???"

From the slippery, no-nonsense groove that opens her latest record, to the final Roman Candle set off as a closing note, Coco Love Alcorn's new disc fully embraces its namesake, Joyful. This seasoned artist, who has been ensconced in the fervent East Vancouver music scene for over 10 years, has earned her musical stripes the hard way, holed up playing gigs in small coffee shops and hovels from coast to coast across this country. Now this neo-hippy cum hipster has really come into own as a songwriter and vocalist. Having worked with the likes of Jesse Cook, 54-40, and, yes even Canadian music legion Burton Cummings in recent years, Coco Love Alcorn is "standing tall" herself these days as the model of a successful entrepreneur and artist. Joyful is about as spirited as it gets, a full-on dash of earthy lyrics, infused with sweet energy laden grooves makes the disc a perfect elixir, should you need a fiercely funny and engaging soundtrack to entertain friends with on the back porch, or for any occasion where a little injection of spring fever is required. Coco Love Alcorn should be celebrated as a Canadian treasure, resplendent in her own cheeky bitter-sweet way. - CKUA radio (Edmonton) - Tony King

The Province April 14, 2009


Coco Love Alcorn

Joyful (Sound of Pop Records)

On her sixth album since 1995, Maritimes-born and Toronto-based Alcorn is indeed as joyful as a gelato on a sunny day with a new collection of often quirky, whimsical songs. She raps about her affection for "Intellectual Boys" who "know the metal alloys" and is pretty puffed up about her two wheeler on "I Got a Bicycle" as she goes whizzing by all the traffic. Even her declarations of love are cast in a highly original form in "Super Glue." With arrangements as bright as the material, Alcorn takes a lot of chances here and pulls it off. A -- John P. McLaughlin - The Province (Vancouver)

The Province April 14, 2009


Coco Love Alcorn

Joyful (Sound of Pop Records)

On her sixth album since 1995, Maritimes-born and Toronto-based Alcorn is indeed as joyful as a gelato on a sunny day with a new collection of often quirky, whimsical songs. She raps about her affection for "Intellectual Boys" who "know the metal alloys" and is pretty puffed up about her two wheeler on "I Got a Bicycle" as she goes whizzing by all the traffic. Even her declarations of love are cast in a highly original form in "Super Glue." With arrangements as bright as the material, Alcorn takes a lot of chances here and pulls it off. A -- John P. McLaughlin - The Province (Vancouver)

Q&A: COCO LOVE ALCORN
TheStar.com | entertainment | A young veteran of every genre


“I think intelligence is darn sexy,” explains Coco Love Alcorn of her song “Intellectual Boys” on her latest disc, 'Joyful.'

Toronto-based singer, with a rare homecoming show, weaves multiple styles into her sound
Jun 11, 2009
Ashante Infantry
Pop & Jazz Critic

Toronto's Coco Love Alcorn gives a rare local concert Sunday to showcase her eighth disc, Joyful.

The singer/guitarist, 34, is an apt blend of a jazz vocalist father (John Alcorn) and seamstress mother, making music and collaborating on a merchandise line with her graphic designer husband.

Though she describes her unique "mush" of jazz, R&B, blues, folk, pop and hip-hop as a marketer's nightmare, the performer maintains a respectable following.

The Star spoke by phone with the musician who started off playing recorder in Grade 4, moved on to trumpet and guitar and has toured with Ani DiFranco, Burton Cummings and Chantal Kreviazuk.

Q: Did your parents encourage you towards music?

A: They always let me make lots of decisions about what I felt I wanted to be doing, which was amazing, but in retrospect, it would have been awesome if they had forced me to take piano lessons for 10 years. I would have hated it all those 10 years but I would've been able to play piano now.

Q: You got a scholarship to Boston's Berklee College of Music, but only stayed for a semester.

A: If I had stayed longer I would've had to start racking up student loans to pay for my living expenses down there, so I decided I would move back to Vancouver and try doing a few gigs to see if I liked music. That was 15 years ago and I haven't stopped gigging.

Q: Does having songs on TV shows like The L Word and Dead Zone pay well?

A: It's completely up and down. It's like, "This episode aired in Bolivia, here's your 12 cents" and "This episode aired in France, here's your $600."

Q: You celebrate brainy men in "Intellectual Boys." Is your husband one of those?

A: Yes. And that song is totally true. I think intelligence is darn sexy and I always got crushes on smart boys when I was in school.

Q: Do you ever interpret other people's songs?

A: I did a jazz album 12 years ago that was half original songs and half jazz standards. I would love to do some more cover material at some point; there are so many amazing songs out there, but I'm still detoxing from spending about seven years singing at a lot of weddings.

Q: What are the origins of your cool name?

A: I've asked my parents a million times and the story about Coco is just so boring, I don't even remember. I'm not specifically named after Coco Chanel. But Love was my great-grandmother's first name. When my dad was about 6 years old, he went on a walk with his grandmother, Love Parker, and I don't know how it came up, but he apparently promised her that he would name a child after her. And I came along and there you go.

Just the facts
WHO: Coco Love Alcorn - Toronto Star

Q&A: COCO LOVE ALCORN
TheStar.com | entertainment | A young veteran of every genre


“I think intelligence is darn sexy,” explains Coco Love Alcorn of her song “Intellectual Boys” on her latest disc, 'Joyful.'

Toronto-based singer, with a rare homecoming show, weaves multiple styles into her sound
Jun 11, 2009
Ashante Infantry
Pop & Jazz Critic

Toronto's Coco Love Alcorn gives a rare local concert Sunday to showcase her eighth disc, Joyful.

The singer/guitarist, 34, is an apt blend of a jazz vocalist father (John Alcorn) and seamstress mother, making music and collaborating on a merchandise line with her graphic designer husband.

Though she describes her unique "mush" of jazz, R&B, blues, folk, pop and hip-hop as a marketer's nightmare, the performer maintains a respectable following.

The Star spoke by phone with the musician who started off playing recorder in Grade 4, moved on to trumpet and guitar and has toured with Ani DiFranco, Burton Cummings and Chantal Kreviazuk.

Q: Did your parents encourage you towards music?

A: They always let me make lots of decisions about what I felt I wanted to be doing, which was amazing, but in retrospect, it would have been awesome if they had forced me to take piano lessons for 10 years. I would have hated it all those 10 years but I would've been able to play piano now.

Q: You got a scholarship to Boston's Berklee College of Music, but only stayed for a semester.

A: If I had stayed longer I would've had to start racking up student loans to pay for my living expenses down there, so I decided I would move back to Vancouver and try doing a few gigs to see if I liked music. That was 15 years ago and I haven't stopped gigging.

Q: Does having songs on TV shows like The L Word and Dead Zone pay well?

A: It's completely up and down. It's like, "This episode aired in Bolivia, here's your 12 cents" and "This episode aired in France, here's your $600."

Q: You celebrate brainy men in "Intellectual Boys." Is your husband one of those?

A: Yes. And that song is totally true. I think intelligence is darn sexy and I always got crushes on smart boys when I was in school.

Q: Do you ever interpret other people's songs?

A: I did a jazz album 12 years ago that was half original songs and half jazz standards. I would love to do some more cover material at some point; there are so many amazing songs out there, but I'm still detoxing from spending about seven years singing at a lot of weddings.

Q: What are the origins of your cool name?

A: I've asked my parents a million times and the story about Coco is just so boring, I don't even remember. I'm not specifically named after Coco Chanel. But Love was my great-grandmother's first name. When my dad was about 6 years old, he went on a walk with his grandmother, Love Parker, and I don't know how it came up, but he apparently promised her that he would name a child after her. And I came along and there you go.

Just the facts
WHO: Coco Love Alcorn - Toronto Star

Rough English translation:

Coco Love Alcorn returns with her 8th album, which fans of all musical styles will love: Joyful. The essence of jazz is still felt but Coco does not hesitate to plunge into the blues, to flirt with techno, or to allow herself to be influenced by country. She surprises us even on Intellectual Boys with a well done rap. This Canadian chanteuse plays and sings in a soft but powerful voice. It is a pure delight to hear her a capella or simply accompanied by a guitar. Coco brings a smile instantaneously to us. A simple love song becomes rather funny when she sings us in the refrain "super glue, super glue / you' re stuck one me and I' m stuck one you." And what is there to say about Where do the Robots Go When They Die? Despite everything, Coco tells us of our concerns while protesting that we need, a world-wide revolution. The only disappointment of this album is undoubtedly to hear the first song, Compassion, again after having quickly made its turn in a little less than 40 minutes! Joyful, a disc to pack in your luggage during vacation!

....................

and in French!

Coco Love Alcorn revient avec un 8e album qui saura plaire aux amateurs de tous les styles : Joyful. L’essence jazz se fait encore sentir mais Coco n’hésite pas à plonger dans le blues, à flirter avec l’électro ou à se laisser influencer par le country. Elle nous surprend même sur Intellectual boys avec un rap bien ficelé. La chanteuse canadienne joue et assume cette voix douce mais puissante. C’est un pur délice de l’entendre a capella ou simplement accompagnée d’une guitare.
La plume de Coco nous accroche instantanément un sourire. Une simple chanson d’amour devient plutôt rigolote lorsqu’elle nous chante dans le refrain super glue, super glue /you’re stuck on me and I’m stuck on you… with,/ super glue, super glue (nous sommes collés un à l’autre avec de la super colle !). Et que dire de Where Do The Robots Go When They Die? (Où vont les robots quand ils meurent ?) Malgré tout, Coco nous fait part de ses inquiétudes en clamant que nous avons besoin d’une révolution à l’échelle planétaire dans un morceau s’intitulant Revolution.
La plus grande déception de cet album est sans doute de réentendre Compassion, le premier titre après en avoir fait rapidement le tour en un peu moins de 40 minutes !
Joyful, un disque à mettre dans ses bagages pendant les vacances ! - CKQL radio (Quebec City)

Rough English translation:

Coco Love Alcorn returns with her 8th album, which fans of all musical styles will love: Joyful. The essence of jazz is still felt but Coco does not hesitate to plunge into the blues, to flirt with techno, or to allow herself to be influenced by country. She surprises us even on Intellectual Boys with a well done rap. This Canadian chanteuse plays and sings in a soft but powerful voice. It is a pure delight to hear her a capella or simply accompanied by a guitar. Coco brings a smile instantaneously to us. A simple love song becomes rather funny when she sings us in the refrain "super glue, super glue / you' re stuck one me and I' m stuck one you." And what is there to say about Where do the Robots Go When They Die? Despite everything, Coco tells us of our concerns while protesting that we need, a world-wide revolution. The only disappointment of this album is undoubtedly to hear the first song, Compassion, again after having quickly made its turn in a little less than 40 minutes! Joyful, a disc to pack in your luggage during vacation!

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and in French!

Coco Love Alcorn revient avec un 8e album qui saura plaire aux amateurs de tous les styles : Joyful. L’essence jazz se fait encore sentir mais Coco n’hésite pas à plonger dans le blues, à flirter avec l’électro ou à se laisser influencer par le country. Elle nous surprend même sur Intellectual boys avec un rap bien ficelé. La chanteuse canadienne joue et assume cette voix douce mais puissante. C’est un pur délice de l’entendre a capella ou simplement accompagnée d’une guitare.
La plume de Coco nous accroche instantanément un sourire. Une simple chanson d’amour devient plutôt rigolote lorsqu’elle nous chante dans le refrain super glue, super glue /you’re stuck on me and I’m stuck on you… with,/ super glue, super glue (nous sommes collés un à l’autre avec de la super colle !). Et que dire de Where Do The Robots Go When They Die? (Où vont les robots quand ils meurent ?) Malgré tout, Coco nous fait part de ses inquiétudes en clamant que nous avons besoin d’une révolution à l’échelle planétaire dans un morceau s’intitulant Revolution.
La plus grande déception de cet album est sans doute de réentendre Compassion, le premier titre après en avoir fait rapidement le tour en un peu moins de 40 minutes !
Joyful, un disque à mettre dans ses bagages pendant les vacances ! - CKQL radio (Quebec City)

Vancouver native Coco Love Alcorn chose the Rio Theatre just off of Commercial Drive as the setting for the launch of her latest CD, Joyful. A great title summing up the stylings of this quirky, fun-loving and super talented singer.

This concert stays true to the album title. It's a fun, funky and thoughtful show. Coco's joined by some of Vancouver's finest including Chris Gestrin on keys, Sam Cartwright on drums and the vocal stylings of Rebecca Shoichet and from the east coast Coco's cousin Lindsay Alcorn.

Props to the bicycle songs. Yeah!

http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20090417alcorn - CBC - concerts on demand

Vancouver native Coco Love Alcorn chose the Rio Theatre just off of Commercial Drive as the setting for the launch of her latest CD, Joyful. A great title summing up the stylings of this quirky, fun-loving and super talented singer.

This concert stays true to the album title. It's a fun, funky and thoughtful show. Coco's joined by some of Vancouver's finest including Chris Gestrin on keys, Sam Cartwright on drums and the vocal stylings of Rebecca Shoichet and from the east coast Coco's cousin Lindsay Alcorn.

Props to the bicycle songs. Yeah!

http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/cod/concerts/20090417alcorn - CBC - concerts on demand