On Tuesday, July 13, rapper Sage Francis sat down to chat with Lauren Laverne on the BBC 6 Music Radio Show to discuss his most recent album, Li(f)e. Francis discussed the shift in style from beat oriented to folk rock, using live instruments with big-name collaborators (members from Grandaddy, Death Cab for Cutie, DeVotchKa, Sparklehorse, and more). The live audio no longer is streaming, but session photos can be found here.
DeVotchKa
New album, Li(f)e, by Sage Francis coming May 11 (Anti-)
Sage Francis‘ new album features Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron and Wine), Jim Becker and Tim Rutili (Califone), and songwriting by Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie), Tim Fite, and members of Calexico, DeVotchKa, and Sparklehorse.
“We specifically sought out songwriters who had never worked with a rapper,” Francis explains.
Ten Current/Upcoming Tours to Catch
As the season’s wintry punishment eases (it cracked 50 in Chicago this weekend), more and more artists are getting back in their vans and braving the roads for packed and sparse crowds alike.
Here’s a list of tours on our radar, including dates from The Bad Plus, Fucked Up, Orange Tulip Conspiracy, P.O.S., Secret Chiefs 3, Young Widows, and more.
Weekly Music News Roundup
Announcements are made for new albums from Irepress, Karl Sanders, Black Moth Super Rainbow, and Staff Benda Bilili — a group of paraplegic Congolese street musicians.
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey releases its new studio album for free; Secret Chiefs 3 announces a concert DVD; Les Claypool announces an outstanding mini festival that will be in a town near you. This and more after the jump.
DeVotchKa on Gypsy Wave, Grammy Nomination
DeVotchKa talks about being cast as a gypsy band, overcoming tepid interest from record labels, and early personnel challenges.