Not a Pretty Girl

Not a Pretty Girl
Studio album by
Ani DiFranco
ReleasedJuly 18, 1995
GenreIndie rock, folk rock
Length59:11
LabelRighteous Babe
ProducerAni DiFranco
Ani DiFranco chronology
Out of Range
(1994) 		Not a Pretty Girl
(1995) 		Dilate
(1996)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Rolling Stone[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]
Slant Magazine[4]
The Village VoiceA−[5]

Not a Pretty Girl is the sixth studio album released by singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco on her own record label, Righteous Babe Records. It was released July 18, 1995. The album extended the folk singer's early formula of acoustic guitar and drums. On subsequent records, DiFranco would add electric guitar, horns, band members and guest musicians, but on Not a Pretty Girl she was accompanied by Andy Stochansky's percussion alone.

According to AllMusic, "Light of Some Kind" is a "deeply felt portrait...in which the singer seems to be confessing to a man that she has been unfaithful to him with a woman".[1] Released on Living in Clip, the track "Shy" earned DiFranco a 1997 Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.[6]

"Shy" off the album is notable for being quoted by Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio during live performances of the song "Ninety-Seven".[citation needed]

  1. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "Not a Pretty Girl – Ani DiFranco". AllMusic. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  2. ^ Goodman, Fred (August 24, 1995). "Ani DiFranco: Not A Pretty Girl". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 12, 2008. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  3. ^ Hull, Tom (2004). "Ani DiFranco". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 236–37. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  4. ^ Cinquemani, Sal (March 9, 2003). "Ani DiFranco: Not A Pretty Girl". Slant Magazine. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  5. ^ Christgau, Robert (January 23, 1996). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  6. ^ "CNN - List of Grammy award nominations - January 6, 1998". Cnn.com.