Sage Francis collaborates with indie rockers in Li(f)e
Anyone who asks me who I think is the best rapper out there will get the same, consistent answer - Sage Francis. Usually, all I get are blank stares mainly because not a lot of people know about the highly talented slam poet/rapper. Which is a big shame really, because Sage Francis and his rhymes need to be heard.
Sage Francis once collaborated with indie troubadour Will Oldham in 2005 for the song Sea Lion. The collaboration sort of made waves because even in the indie world, rapper and rockers usually don’t cross paths. But then that’s Sage Francis for you, always seeking to redefine what you think are established truths.
In his new album, Sage Francis is again collaborating with another artist — this time indie rockers Progress! The collaboration will appear in Sage Francis’ new album Li(f)e, which will be released on May 11.
Li(f)e will deal with an extremely volatile topic — organized religion. Aside from Progress!, other artists who will make an appearance in the album include Tim Rutili of Califone and producer Brian Deck (who produced both Modest Mouse and Iron and Wine). The album is also noteworthy for Sage Francis’ decision to ask different indie rock artists to contribute music on different songs (Sage took care of the lyrics). Among the collaborators include Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie), Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse), and members of DeVotchka. This could be Sage Francis’ most diverse and interesting work yet.
