Ani DiFranco-Up Up Up Up Up Up

Released in early 1999, Up Up Up Up Up Up finds Ani continuing to explore the politics of love and the personal dimension of political issues. Ani picked up her guitar, wrote a slew of new songs, and raced off to her favorite studios; the Congress House in Austin and Kingsway Studios in New Orleans to record them. Much like the Congress House (but a bit more glamorous) the now defunct Kingsway Studios was situated in the French Quarter allowing artists to live, work, and play right there in the studio. Aiding and abetting this time around are the members of her 1997 touring band: Jason Mercer on bass, Andy Stochansky on drums, and – making her first appearance on one of Ani's albums – Julie Wolf on keyboards, accordion, and backing vocals. "It's taken a long time, but now the band is really acquiring a voice of its own," Ani says. DiFranco herself offers up more of her distinctively percussive acoustic guitar. Up Up Up Up Up Up is a joyous, mournful, funny, sober, sexy album rich with