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- VH1 Soul is dead, long live Centric posted on March 29, 2010
- The ten most popular indie-rap artists… posted on January 11, 2011
- Digable Planets fracture, cancel tour posted on March 22, 2009
- Superlists!: Top Ten Femcees posted on March 24, 2009
- The Plug One Q&A: Flying Lotus posted on June 10, 2008
- Review: Atmosphere, “To All My Friends, Blood Makes The Blade Holy” posted on September 9, 2010
- R.I.P. Paper Thin Walls posted on August 29, 2008
- Zion-I tour dates posted on February 25, 2009
- Vibe’s demise posted on July 1, 2009
- Why Plug One survives posted on March 17, 2010
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Tag Archives: Sage Francis
Review: Sage Francis, “Li(f)e”
Sage Francis, Li(f)e Anti- Sage Francis’ fourth solo album finds him collaborating with Chicago indie-rock band Califone. The resulting songs, most of which address hypocrisy (or “lieâ€) in modern society, wed Francis’ densely lyrical rap style with complex textural instrumentation. … Continue reading
Lies, Relatives and Revolutions: Nas, Talib Kweli and Sage Francis
This essay was posted on Rhapsody.com’s Music Stuff Place blog on May 25. I wrote it for my Rap Is Not Pop column. ————————————- Rap Is Not Pop: Lies, Relatives And Revolutions Do rappers even rap anymore? When B.o.B’s The … Continue reading
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Tagged Damian Marley, Hi-Tek, lyrics to go, Nas, rap is not pop, Reflection Eternal, Rhapsody, Sage Francis, Talib Kweli, true school
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Sage Francis’ tour for “Li(f)e”
Sage Francis has scheduled a series of tour dates in support of his forthcoming album, Li(f)e, which drops May 11. B. Dolan, who just released Fallen House, Sunken City; and Free Moral Agents will join him. Check out the above … Continue reading
Sage Francis’ “Li(f)e”
As the 2010 music season heats up, don’t forget about Sage Francis. The Providence, Rhode Island poet, rapper and iconoclast is returning with his first album since 2007’s Human the Death Dance. Set for release via Anti- on May 11, … Continue reading
Sage Francis’ “Conspiracy to Riot”
Lots of politically-themed music and events this week as the world enters the final month before the long-awaited McCain/Obama showdown. Next up: A new track from Sage Francis. Some may remember that Francis wrote one of the best songs on … Continue reading
Sage Francis marches on with Against Me!
If Sage Francis’ summer trek for Human the Death Dance was a full-blown punk-hopper’s paradise that co-starred Buck 65, Bernard Dolan, and Alias, then his opening dates for Against Me! will be a little more low-key. Against Me! is the Gainesville, Fla. hardcore band who, when not gathering kudos for its string of albums (including this year’s New Wave), sometimes combats fans who feel they’ve sold out. The resolutely independent Francis should lend the tour some credibility.
Francis, for his part, will continue to support Human the Death Dance, which critics will hopefully remember when it’s time to make those all-important Best of 2007 lists. Dance, monkey! The tour dates are below.
Sage Francis prepares for cross-country assault
Last week, Rhode Island warrior-poet Sage Francis announced the itinerary for his national tour supporting Human the Death Dance. To liven things up, he’s assembled a proper band that includes Anticon rapper/producer Alias on synthesizers and MPC, guitarist Tom Inhaler and multi-instrumentalist Dilly Dally.
Better yet Buck 65 will be one of the tour’s opening acts. Much like Sage Francis, the Montreal rapper apprenticed with Anticon earlier in the decade. He has since evolved into a strange Tom Waits-like storyteller with a huge cult following, even though most of his work is only available in this country on import. Spoken word poet Buddy Wakefield fills out the bill.
Human the Death Dance, as previously noted, drops May 8 on Anti-/Epitaph. Sage has prepared a few appetizers: he created a short video for the track "Clickety Clak"; the YouTube clip is below. He’ll also make a few in-store appearances around the time the album is released, then wage a full-scale assault later in the month.
Sage Francis helms “Human the Death Dance”
‘Tis the season of great white rappers! Following anticipated releases by El-P and Brother Ali (who, granted, is albino), Sage Francis returns with a new album of spoken-word-styled rhymes and Ernest Hemingway-sized manifestos. The Providence, Rhode Island citizen will soon release his third major album (and umpteenth overall), Human the Death Dance.
"With all the work Epitaph plans on putting into this record, I suspect it will break the 100,000 point, which is something I have never done. Fingers are crossed," writes Francis on his website. "The material on this album is strong as hell. I have to say…there are Personal Journals moments…there are Hope moments…there is ONE Healthy Distrust moment…and the rest is probably the stuff I will be most remembered by."
Guests featured on Human the Death Dance include eccentric folk stylist Jolie Holland, character rapper Buck 65 and trumpeter/movie composer Mark Isham (Crash, The Cooler). Several of Isham and Francis’ collaborations will appear in Pride & Glory, a forthcoming drama about New York police corruption starring Ed Norton and Colin Farrell. Human the Death Dance hits stores via Anti/Epitaph on May 8.