One of the most recent success stories in music is the rise in prominence of Ani Difranco, a punk/folk artist who draws inspiration from rock, funk and even hip-hop. The latest release from her own label, Righteous Babe Records, is an album that is sure to satisfy Difranco fans.
Like most folk singers, Difranco is at her best when performing for a live crowd,and is therefore best known for her live shows. "Living in Clip" attempts to catch the live vibe she projects on stage.
At the age of 19, the Buffalo, N.Y. native started the Righteous Babe label and has since sold over 500,000 albums while retaining complete artistic control over her music.
Despite the label's lack of power compared to corporate labels such as Columbia and Epic and the lack of MTV airplay, she claimed a spot on the Spin Magazine "Top 40 Vital Artists of Music Today."
The live album includes two new songs, "Gravel" and "Hide and Seek." Although the album opens with some musical messing around, "Gravel" is the first true song played and is vintage Difranco: energetic guitar, a rolling bass line, driving drums and emotional lyrics.
This tune also includes one of her most substantial vocal strengths -- her ability to use rhythmic vocal inflections amidst her singing. "Hide and Seek" is the interesting zygote of a song that uses the traditional Difranco components of lyrics and guitar, but with a bass loop that Difranco plays herself.
"The Slant/The Diner" on the first disk is quite ingenious: she plays the basic guitar line of "The Diner" over her commentary on "The Slant."
One of Difranco's biggest assets, in both her recorded and live phases, is her drummer, Andy Stochansky. He is one of the most prominent drummers today, and his talents rub off on the music -- but that is not the only reason for his importance to the Difranco sound.
At Difranco's live shows, there are times when the performance will slow down and Stochansky will tactfully come in to pick her up with either some funky beat or an interesting vocal line.
"We're All Gonna Blow" is the bomb: Difranco begins with some commentary on life and the drummer comes in with a funky vocal inflection and they trade lines while the song picks up.
Stochansky's wood blocks on "Not So Soft" are another great example of the drummers' ability to improve a song.
There are definitely some questionable aspects to this album. Some tracks contain an orchestra in the background which is difficult to understand; Difranco is known for her raw, live sound and the orchestra seems to ruin this aspect of her musical image.
Perhaps she just wanted fans to hear the spectrum of different sorts of performances she played. Difranco does mention in the liner notes that playing with the orchestra was a suspect situation, but she most wanted to include those tracks since they were performed in her hometown.
Also disappointing is the general lack of change from the songs' studio versions. Difranco mentioned in pre-release interviews that the versions were going to be very different from the originals.
However, tunes like "Out of Range" and the vocal solo "Tiptoe" are virtually identical, and others such as "Shameless" seem much more subdued than the studio version from her latest studio album, "Dilate."
Difranco definitely changed over the years -- her first couple albums were primarily just her guitar and her voice, and perhaps a few tracks would include other instruments.
She since then has gravitated towards the funkier, heavier sound. There is a good mix of old tunes and newer ones on "Living in Clip" -- some old songs such as "Fire Door" from her self-titled album include drums and bass which give them a fresh sound.
Difranco, who also produced the album, does a good job with the sound. There are instances of hiss and other little annoyances, but they were most likely left on purpose in order to give the album a "live" sound. Only one song contains any overdubs.
The crowd's reactions to songs and one-liners on this album are almost predictable. The largely female crowd goes berserk every time Difranco makes comments such as "You don't think I wouldn't have him unless I had him by the balls," from "I'm no Heroine," or "I'm starting to get over the urge to kill somebody and into the urge to ... f*ck," from "Out of Range."
Staples such as "Letter to John" and "Napoleon" are on this album as well as new versions of more obscure tacks such as "Every State Line" and "Anticipate." There is also plenty of folksy commentary if you are into her personal tangents.
Though this album can almost be seen as the culmination point of her career, we can only hope it is not, as Difranco is a gifted artist with a lot to offer.
If one is not familiar with her music but wants to get a taste of Ani Difranco, "Living in Clip" would be an excellent first purchase. Included with the double CD are 31 fun tracks, a lot of Ani's commentary and self-deprecating humor and a 36-page photo album! What more could you ask for?
