Ones To Know

Ani Difranco

Ani Difranco has been making music on her own terms for the past 20 years. She is a phenonmenal guitarist, singer, writer, and spoken word artist. Difranco is the very definition of individual. She bucked tradition early on and chose to release her own music herself.

[Photo Credit: Boulder Weekly]

She created Righteous Babe Records in 1990, and stayed true to the label even as her career took off and the major companies came calling. Like her independence, Difranco's music has been difficult to pin down to one genre over the course of her long career. She has updated her sound consistently every few years since her first album. Her first 6 albums, from Ani Difranco (1990) to Out Of Range (1994), all were in the folk rock vein. By the time Not A Pretty Girl (1995) rolled around she was a different artist. That album brought with it an edgier, and punk-fueled sound. This was also the time where her career really started to take off, gaining more mainstream notoriety. Her most popular album to date is Little Plastic Castle (1998), and is often referred to as "classic Ani" since her sound changed once again on the following album. With Up Up Up Up Up Up (1999), her music became more mature, and referenced jazz and funkalicious attitudes. This period of time is perhaps her least popular and well received among fans. With the new millenium brought a new genre evolution for Ani, though it is a bit retrospective for her. Starting with an Educated Guess (2004), her music has had elements of all her previous genres, from folk to jazz to lite rock.

Difranco's lyrical content has always been poetic, and yet straightforward. Her spoken word pieces have routinely generated buzz for being provocative and insightful. Tiptoe from the Not A Pretty Girl (1995) album, and Self Evident from her second live album So Much Shouting So Much Laughter (2002), are both controversial and powerful examples of her massive writing abilities.

Ani has always had a large LGBTQ audience through the years. Her fans are a dedicated and diverse bunch. She never hid her bisexuality, even before it became in vogue. As a result, she became a queer icon, and a role model for remaining true to oneself. Though she has lost some fans through the years because of her relationship choices, she nonetheless has never conformed her ideals. She has had an enoromous impact on queer musicians of today, not just through her music but her politics and business savvy as well. She is by no doubt a feminist idol, yet in the end her greatest influence has been on her many many fans. Ani Difranco is one to know.

For more information, concert dates, and music samples, visit her website: http://www.righteousbabe.com/

[Photo Credit: Rhea Anna]