SYDNEY, Australia -- Folk-rock artist Ani DiFranco electrified the Enmore Theater recently when she debuted a batch of her latest material as well as her new backing band for an eager crowd.

On past tours of Australia, the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter has worked solo, accompanying herself on guitar. But on a two-night stand last week -- part of a seven-date swing of Australia in support of her latest album Up, Up, Up, Up, Up, Up -- the Buffalo, N.Y.-based artist brought along a group of musicians to give her typically spare sound a boost.

Playing with other musicians, DiFranco said, allows her to explore musical options she can't on her own.

"Finding other musicians to play with, getting a band together, that kind of thing, it keeps me interested," the 28-year-old DiFranco said (RealVideo excerpt), during a recent interview. "And the melodic possibilities are expanded and the groove is deepened. There's only so long you can sink into an acoustic guitar groove before people are like, 'OK, sing or something.' "

To check out an in-depth, exclusive interview with Ani DiFranco, check out the Addicted to Noise cover story.

During Thursday's show, DiFranco -- her trademark rat's nest of a hairstyle pulled back into a civilized bun -- bounced around the Enmore like a featherweight boxer ducking haymakers. She flailed away on her six-string, Luka Bloom-style, as the rhythm duo pumped up the bottom end and jack-of-all-trades Julie Wolf veered between keyboards, accordion and anything else from which she could coax some music.

The audience didn't need much coaxing to show its unbridled approval.

"I think my focus is still songwriting. I've sort-of 'become myself' a little more over the years," DiFranco said. "I sound more and more like me and less and less like wherever it is that I came from."

At the outset of the show, DiFranco and her backing trio virtually raced onstage and plunged straight into "Little Plastic Castle," the title track from her 1998 LP; the revved-up rendition pushed the already psyched crowd into overdrive.

Despite the rapturous response to this obvious crowd-pleaser, DiFranco was determined to showcase tracks from her new release. Shouted requests for old standards from diehard fans were met with a trademark DiFranco chuckle and a dismissive "Don't you guys want to hear anything new? I know I do."

Accordingly, she unveiled such new thoughtpieces as "Everest" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Not Angry Anymore," which was the night's highlight.

DiFranco and Wolf shared a mic, harmonizing sweetly and sending shivers up collective spines during this huge-hearted ode to forgiveness.

And the album's funkier tunes, such as "Angel Food" (RealAudio excerpt), proved that while DiFranco may be best known for her politically potent statements about sex and society, she's not averse to kicking up her heels. DiFranco even indulged in a snippet of Bob Seger's meat-and-potatoes rocker, "Night Moves," during the loose-limbed funky jam "Pulse."

There was an unmistakable chemistry at work. Ever-present smiles suggested that DiFranco and her band seemed genuinely to enjoy their collaboration.

With more than a dozen albums having been released on her own Righteous Babe label, DiFranco has confounded critics and dodged pigeonholers by making the music that doesn't adhere to rock conventions a tradition that continues with her latest release Up, Up, Up, Up, Up, Up.

When approached after the show, DiFranco said she felt the Australian audience readily accepted the new tunes.

"I've found while travelling about Australia that audiences are very dialed-in," DiFranco said. "They don't have to be manipulated into listening. This time around I just show up and people are right on top of it, listening intently. It's great."