Ani Difranco BINARY

Fearless singer, songwriter, activist, and self-made businesswoman Ani DiFranco has remained remarkably steadfast and devoted to the independent ethos that first guided her when she started out in 1990. Seemingly predisposed to go against the grain, she formed her own record label at the age of 18 not because other labels rejected her, but because even then she was aware that her brazen, politically charged, feminist anti-folk required its own system. Over the next couple of decades, she toured and recorded constantly, collaborated with a wide swath of other creative outsiders, and inspired a new generation of independents to stay motivated and stay punk. Still leading by example, 2017's Binary finds DiFranco as confident as ever, blending a myriad of musical styles from folk to jazz to experimental rock, usually delivered in her signature percussive style. Notable contributions from New Orleans staple Ivan Neville, saxophone icon Maceo Parker, and Bon Iver frontman Justin Vernon add a