I love that we live in a day and age where you can wake up to news that one of your favorite artists dropped something special overnight. When Beyonce released LEMONADE on 4/23/16, for example, it felt like the surprise party I’ve never had (that sounds sad, but it’s not, I know such things take a lot to arrange.). Bey loves me so much, she’ll surprise me with one of the best albums of the decade that should have won the Grammy (and yes, I am still mad it didn’t), I am so grateful for the prezzie, thank you!!

So. Waking up this morning to the news that singer/songwriter/visionary/activist and not-a-pretty-girl, Ani DiFranco released a mixtape entitled “No Walls Mixtape,” which is “for you, like the kind that i would make you on cassette if it was, like, 1993 and I was really into you…” —

Hiiiii!!

I was there in 1993 and REALLY INTO YOU TOO!

It is difficult to convey the triple axel of impact these three albums had on my life:

1990 Ani DiFranco (year I graduated junior high school)

1995 Not a Pretty Girl (year I graduated high school!)

1998 Little Plastic Castle (year I was in the midst of studying at Cornell and listening to LPC on repeat while driving around in my Toyota RAV-4 in the throes of an eating disorder and depression, not really thinking about graduating anything and just wanting to find a way not to want to die which I swear Ani helped me with, thank you)

So for the sake of time and my writing therapy this morning, we’ll cut to album three.

My college years were some of the hardest years of my life. Little Plastic Castle did all the things an album is supposed to do when you’re at your lowest — sings straight to your heart, validates your anger and observations, makes you cry like a baby, makes you feel seen, gives you LIFE. I would give sample songs for each but am on the clock here before my friend picks me up to go hiking #SoLA.

So, if you haven’t listened to any Ani DiFranco and you are reading my post, pleaaaaaaase visit her on Itunes or Spotify or wherever you stream…and if you have and you are joining me in the fandom swoonage on this blessed 2019 morning, yay, it’s Ani Day!!!!