CD Preview: Ani DiFranco - Red Letter Year

It's been almost 20 years since a little, bald, teenaged Ani DiFranco cast her hat into the ring and came out swinging with her independently released debut (on cassette, no less; I'm old). Who would've thought that, by the time she cut her 20th studio record, independent music would be practically the norm and she would be one of the most influential singer-songwriters on the scene. Go figure, DiFranco has a lot to be happy about these days, and her latest record reflects just that.

Red Letter Year won't hit stores til Sep. 30, but trust me it'll be worth the wait. In the meantime, check out my quick preview of the disc, or visit Ani DiFranco's MySpace page for a sneak peak (sneak listen?) to a couple of the album's shiningest tunes.

photo courtesy Righteous Babe Records