Sage Francis readies new release

I'm not big into hip-hop, but I sooo dig Sage Francis!! His lyrics make you think and he holds nothing back through the delivery of his material. I can't wait for this new effort!! -M

GENRE DEFYING SAGE FRANCIS CASTS HIS PROVOCATIVE EYE TOWARDS RELATIONSHIPS ON “Human The Death Dance”, HIS MOST PERSONAL RECORD TO DATE…

Featuring collaborations w/ Jolie Holland, Mark Isham & Buck 65 and more
Includes songs written for upcoming Edward Norton/Colin Farrell film, “Pride & Glory”

Rapper, poet, activist, humorist and cultural provocateur, Sage Francis will release Human The Death Dance, his second Anti/Epitaph release, on May 8, 2007. Bolstered by the many facets of Sage’s complex persona, Francis goes beyond his acclaimed back catalog with humor, anger and poetic passion.

Ranging from 9-to-5 cubicle madness and addiction to sex and hip hop, Francis delves into very real issues with aplomb. Broken relationships are a recurring theme which Sage approaches with a brutal honesty reminiscent of Dylan’s landmark Blood On The Tracks on stirring songs like “Hell Of A Year”, “Woke Up This Morning” and “Keep Moving.”

“…These songs aren't about finger pointing,” Francis writes wryly in the liner notes to Human The Death Dance. “I'm obviously the X-factor whose poor track record speaks volumes above my music, but who says I can't put my excuses into song form?”.

Featuring collaborations with artists as diverse as Jolie Holland, Buck 65 and Mark Isham, “HTDD” is Sage’s most musically satisfying album to date. The tracks recorded with Isham will be featured in the upcoming film “Pride & Glory,” which stars Edward Norton & Colin Farrell.

Hailing from Providence RI, Sage has a very unique place in hip hop history. Equally comfortable in rap battle or a poetry slam, Francis’ determined individualism has made him a very controversial figure in the genre. Early attention came with 2002’s Personal Journals (Anticon) which was heralded for its poetic reflections on his troubled upbringing. Followed by 2004’s Hope, released under the band name Non-Prophets, was a both a tribute to classic hip hop records of the 80s & early 90s, and a hilarious middle finger to the so-called keepers of the torch. In 2005, Sage released his Epitaph debut, the polemic, political A Healthy Distrust.

On HTDD, Francis cleverly recounts his aforementioned discography on the set opener, “Underground For Dummies.” And while “Hoofprints In The Sand” is evidence that there is still room for great political songs in his repertoire, his forthcoming disc – ripe with his most personal and deeply moving material to date – affirms that Francis has little interest in becoming redundant.