It’s hard not to get excited when you hear Ani DiFranco is putting out new music. After being courted by major labels at the start of her career, Ani (thinking very much ahead) knew that directing her own career would pay off for her, and she couldn’t have been more right.

Advocating for the rights of musicians, performers and songwriters in the digital world, Artist Rights Alliance does something for musicians that nobody else does and have never wavered from. Their goal has always been to garner fair pay for creators, give artists the ability to decide how their work is used, foster transparency from music services, record companies and publishers and provide greater accountability to artists. 

With the pandemic still a concern, globalFEST was unable to host their yearly New York City based music festival, which usually takes place in January. Showcasing the best in World music, the event always sells out well in advance, and is attended by over 1,200 industry professionals, members of the press and music fans. The producers of the 18^th annual fest didn’t want to let their supporters down, and as such, globalFEST took place over Zoom on January 29 and 30^th, focusing on important issues facing the international music environment. In addition, the live showcases were moved online as a partnership with NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert Series. 

Many viewers recently found themselves riveted by HBO’s striking documentary, “I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.” Based on crime writer Michelle McNamara’s book of the same name, the series follows "The Golden State Killer" case, who was believed to be responsible for multiple rapes and murders during the 1970s and 1980s. The poignancy of McNamara’s sudden death 2 years before the killer was caught makes the show even more watchable, as solving the crime had become an obsession to the writer. McNamara was the wife of actor Patton Oswalt, and it was his mission to bring both her final book, and this series, to light.