Ani D.

One of the most exciting parts of this week has been getting Ani DiFranco's new album, Which Side Are You On?, nearly a month before its official release date in mid-January.  I've heard all of the songs before, either at a live performance or in concert footage on YouTube, but it's been great to hear what she decided to do with them in the recording studio.  And it's just this really beautiful thing - she's found a wonderful lifetime love, with whom she has a young daughter, and her political voice is also more pointed and articulate than ever.  She's got roots in her community in New Orleans, and it shines through both in her lyrics and the other musicians who accompany her on many of the tracks.  It may sound cheesy, but she is really a role model for me.  I'm not going to follow the same path as her - I'm not a folk music prodigy or poet or artist - but her social consciousness and pursuit of joy and balance is inspiring.  She's someone who's always learning and growing.  Listening to the album makes me feel motivated to re-engage with the world around me and appreciative of the love in my life. 

A couple of tastes:

The political: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7BgtY3_Ltc&feature=related

The personal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iz6snoSNeE4