With a name like Righteous Babe Records, one can almost predict its founder is none other than the "little folksinger" songwriter, guitarist and poet Ani DiFranco [ tickets ].

Now a poster child for independent artists everywhere, DiFranco launched her musical career with the opening of the label, then known as Righteous Records, in 1990. Twenty studio albums later, she has carved a deep groove in the culture of American music. Her latest set, "Red Letter Year," which took a full two yeas to refine, is a shinning example of the freedom she is afforded.