Thats right Providence, Strange Famous Records is bringing it to you this month with a great show full of amazing talent!!

Feb 27th at Jerky’s in Providence, RI (71 Richmond St)

B. Dolan
Alias
“What Cheer?” Brigade
special guest performance by: Sage Francis
More acts TBA
$10 at the door, 18+, Doors at 9pm

click more for the flyer info and FB event page!

Facebook event page

Download The Album here, for liner notes and a tracklisting click the read more link!

1) Strange Fame (2009)
2) S.A.G.E. Bastard (prod. by Buck 65, 2009)
3) I Trusted You (beat by Buck 65, 2009)
4) Needle (beat and scratches by Buddy Peace, 2009)
5) House of Bees (feat. B. Dolan, beat by Buck 65, 2009)
6) Jaw of Steel (beat and scratches by Reanimator, 2009)
7) If I Go To Hell (demo, 1997)
Conspiracy to Riot (beat & scratches by Reanimator, 2008)
9) Be a Star (beat by Buck 65, 2007)
10) Sea Legs (feat. B. Dolan & Sleep. Scratches by Buddy Peace.
Additional vocals by Jared Paul and Curtis Plum. Beat by Aupheus, 2009.)
11) Flashback 96 (home recording, 1996)
12) Masturbate Your Brain (AOI demo, 1997)
13) SFR Pays Dues (feat. B. Dolan & Prolyphic, 2008)
14) Pump (beat and scratches by Buddy Peace & Reanimator, 2009)
15) Revenge of the Ogre (interlude w/ Trinity)
16) Who Farted? part 1 (courtesy of XAUL ZAN)

here is a description from sage himself (via: SFR.com ):

I wasn’t sure if I would ever release another mix of this sort after the last one, but it’s been a couple years since my last official album and I’ve accumulated a large number of “left over” tracks that never found their way onto an official album. I also opened up the 4-track vault this year and was able to unearth some solid material that dates back to 1996.

My music career, as most people know it, essentially began with the “Sick of Waiting” mixtape in 1999. Now that I’ve typed that out I’ve realized that we’re essentially celebrating the “Sick of” mixtape series’ 10th birthday. Hot damn. It seems like just yesterday I was dubbing all the original tapes, cutting and pasting the album covers, writing out the album info on the stickers, and selling them hand-to-hand at shows. Time (f)lies.

The first Sick installment was called “Sick of Waiting.” That title was inspired by my frustration in waiting around for something official to pop off. I felt like the iron was hot and I needed to strike whether the labels were willing to scoop me up or not. So I threw together a batch of recordings/demos/freestyles that I had hanging around and I began selling the mix at shows. This was the beginning of Strange Famous Records.

10 years later the label has grown and expanded in significant ways. It has become the home to many of my favorite hiphop artists in the indie scene as well as a constant reminder of how much work it takes to get underground musicians the exposure they deserve.

Like all of the “Sick of” mixes, “Sick of Wasting” is not just an attempt to showcase my own material. It is also a means to promote all the featured artists involved, most of whom have projects of their own that have been released recently or will be released by the end of the year. Be sure to check for their respective projects.

As this project is a free digital download, we certainly don’t expect this to be a big money maker. However, the sales for the CD at our online store have gone well so I’d like to thank everyone who has shown support. For anyone without money to spend on music, the material is there for you to download anyway. We hope you enjoy it.

4 eva & always,
Sage Francis

Here’s a quick break down and explanation of each track:

1) Strange Fame (2009)

This is probably one of the fastest songs I’ve ever put together. Self-produced, recorded, mixed and mastered in my home studio over the course of 1 day. Due to the obvious sample issue, this is something I could never officially release but I’ve always wanted to jack this David Bowie song for a Strange Famous anthem.

2) S.A.G.E. Bastard (prod. by Buck 65, 2009)

Buck 65 put together this interlude by chopping up an obscure Blowfly recording.

3) I Trusted You (beat by Buck 65, 2009)

Buck 65 put together the beat. The intro and outro samples are from a televised Andy Kaufman performance. Kurtis SP sent me the “Sage” samples. I arranged all the vocal samples which took longer than it probably should have. The sentiment of this song is extended to more than a few people I’ve had the displeasure of sharing portions of my life with. That’s all I will say about that.

4) Needle (beat and scratches by Buddy Peace, 2009)

These lyrics have been around for quite a while. I was waiting for an opportunity to use them on an official album but it just never happened. I eventually recorded this song to another beat but wasn’t too thrilled with the outcome. When I sent it over to Buddy Peace he capped it off with that incredible scratch-sentence outro. And then at some point I sent him the acapella at which point he remixed the whole song and breathed new life into it. The funky sample he uses reminds me a bit of the first KMD record, and the drums definitely kill. I’ve never performed this song live but I look forward to it.

5) House of Bees (feat. B. Dolan, beat by Buck 65, 2009)

Recorded at B. Dolan’s studio dungeon, mixed and masted at my home studio. I don’t want to ruin any magic about this song, so I will keep this explanation short. Buck 65 put together a face smashing, boombap beat and we realized the song had to be about a house of bees. I told B. Dolan the concept of the song and he delivered some shit that made me want to go back and rewrite my verse. I never did end up rewriting my verse, but I think its all for the best. There’s a unique version of this track with Buddy Peace’s scratches at www.myspace.com/bernarddolan

6) Jaw of Steel (beat and scratches by Reanimator, 2009)

I fully intended on this song being on an official album, but the way my new material is shaping up it just wouldn’t fit. This beat was first going to be used on Prolyphic and Reanimator’s “The Ugly Truth” album. When it ended up not being used, I jumped at the opportunity to place some lyrics on it. There were a lot of vinyl snaps in the record that Reanimator sampled and I did my best to eliminate most of them, but in the process I think I may have affected the overall sound quality of the song. Whatever the case, I like the pace and build of this song.

7) If I Go To Hell (demo, 1997)

Originally released as a “Track of the Week” on SFRstore.com, this song was retrieved from the vault of my 4-track tapes. The sound quality is iffy, the music is jacked from DJ Shadow, but I enjoy the lyrics for the most part. I think this was the beginning of anti-religious sentiment in my songs.

Conspiracy to Riot (beat & scratches by Reanimator, 2008)

Reanimator sent me this beat a while back and he labeled it “militant.” I kept it around not totally sure of what I should do with it until all the pieces eventually fell into place. Originally released on www.ConspiracyToRiot.com as a way to raise funds for Jared Paul’s defense lawyers, this song joins the ranks of my other highly political tracks. Performing this song in MN while having thousands of people put their middle finger up for the police in their state was a gas.

9) Be a Star (beat by Buck 65, 2007)

This song was made during the course of making my Human the Death Dance album but it didn’t seem to fit very well. Also, the sample clearance would have been a headache. It’s mainly just an upbeat track that I did for fun. Perfect candidate for a “Sick of” release.

10) Sea Legs (feat. B. Dolan & Sleep. Scratches by Buddy Peace.
Additional vocals by Jared Paul and Curtis Plum. Beat by Aupheus, 2009.)

This monster posse-cut was originally released as a free download during the relaunch www.StrangeFamous.com to celebrate our 2009 roster. Everyone featured on this song recorded their material in their own studio and sent their contributions to me via email. I had to paste it all together and surprisingly it worked. I am a splice master. I’d love to do a full album like this at some point with all the SFR artists. Not only does B. Dolan completely slay this track, but so does Sleep and this is the first song I’ve ever done with him. Check for his new album “Hesitation Wounds” which drops on June 30th, 2009. You can download his single right now at www.StrangeFamous.com

11) Flashback 96 (home recording, 1996)

The lyrics of this song were originally written in 1993. Since then, I have recorded various versions of the song. The version most people would be familiar with is the “I Keep Calling” song, however this stripped down version was retrieved from old 4-track tapes and it’s got a lot of charm. I’m also amused by the idea of having flashbacks during a time where it sounds like I’m still a little kid.

12) Masturbate Your Brain (AOI demo, 1997)

Another “lost tapes” discovery, this is a 4-track recording of me with my first band before we hired a live drummer. The rhymes are tightly packed and the accent is quite thick.

13) SFR Pays Dues (feat. B. Dolan & Prolyphic. Scratches by Reanimator. 2008)

Originally made as a promo track for the Paid Dues Festival, this song was recorded on the spot in the SFR studio. Instrumental for this track was taken from the Beatnuts.

14) Pump (beat and scratches by Buddy Peace & Reanimator, 2009)

Boombastic, Mr. Fantastic. This song went through many incarnations before a remix beat collaboration came together between Buddy Peace and Reanimator. That mix of talent is tough to deny. The beat knocks hard and the scratches are ridiculous. Big up yaselves.

15) Revenge of the Ogre (interlude w/ Trinity)

Radio interview snippet between me and SFR forum’s very own Diane!

16) Who Farted? part 1 (courtesy of XAUL ZAN, 2009)

This is only part 1 because I fully expect more songs to follow up where this one leaves off. While touring with Grand Buffet a few years ago we came up with a rhyme game to figure out who farted. It helped us stay sane during long drives. Xaul Zan decided to take the worst of the worst and make a song about it. He turned a beautiful song by The Knife into something dirty and juvenile. Figures.

Sage has been collecting more material again and has decided to release another “Sick Of” album. This is a free download that will appear on Strangefamousrecords.com on June 16th along with a limited edition CD also from SFR.com. You can preorder your physical copy here. Appearances on the album include: B. Dolan, Prolyphic, Buck65, Buddy Peace, Reanimator, Sleep, Curtis Plum and more. The first track can be heard on the main page of the SRF.com website

The Grant, 250 Main St, Pawtucket, RI 02860

$10 to enter
Free parking garage
All Ages

8pm-12am

Spoken word & musical performances by:
SAGE FRANCIS
B. DOLAN
PROLYPHIC
PRAYERS FOR ATHEISTS (Jared Paul’s band)
SHANE HALL
more tba

This is major news from Rhode Island’s biggest indy hip hop label, He has just released his new roster lineup and man is it pretty sick. these are new(er) artists added to the already great lineup.

SFR’s 2009 Roster…

SLEEP of Oldominion
Upcoming album “Hesitation Wounds”, re-release of “Christopher”

B. DOLAN (feat. Alias)
Upcoming “Fallen House, Sunken City” album produced entirely by Alias.

CECIL OTTER of Doomtree
Upcoming album “Porcelain Revolvler”, re-release of “Rebel Yellow.”

2MEX
Digital release of “The Returners” as we wait for the SFR 2Mex album

BUDDY PEACE
Upcoming album “Late Model Sedan” and a free download of his “Holy Chrome” EP

JARED PAUL
Prayers for Atheists is the name of his band and the name of his upcoming album.

CURTIS PLUM
You need to hear his audio page to understand.

This is a large task for Strange Famous Records and they are kicking off the year with a basement show in pawtucket, RI (The Grant, 250 Main St, Pawtucket, RI 02860)

$10 to enter
Free parking garage
All Ages

8pm-12am

Spoken word & musical performances by:
SAGE FRANCIS
B. DOLAN
PROLYPHIC
PRAYERS FOR ATHEISTS (Jared Paul’s band)
SHANE HALL
more tba

Any and all information you would like to find out about these artists can be obtained through the StrangeFamousRecords.com website.

This is war.

Sage Francis has decided to fight back the people who hold you down by putting out this free track in hopes that it will enlightned you to the trials of trying to stand up for yourself. But more specifically its about helping out a friend and fellow providence native Jared Paul. here it is from sage himself:

On Sept 1, 2008 I received a voicemail from Sean Daley (aka Slug of Atmosphere) informing me that my longtime friend, Jared Paul, was sitting in a Minnesota jail cell. This was the first day of the National Republican Convention, a 5 day event that Jared was covering for a Providence publication. I thought to myself “Well…that was quick.” And then the dark, disturbing feeling washed over me. Jared Paul is currently in a legal battle with the St. Paul, MN court system, along with hundreds of others who face trumped up charges thanks to the overzealous riot police at the Republican National Convention. Jared is one of many who does not have the appropriate funds to hire proper legal representation and the ACLU of Minnesota is so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of RNC arrest cases that they are unable to provide assistance. What Jared does have is massive support from music and poetry communities. As soon as news of his situation was made public people were in a frenzy asking how they could help out. When bail was granted, Slug graciously posted the fee and waited the entire day and night for Jared’s release. I’ve agreed to front the remainder of Jared’s legal fees while creating www.ConspiracyToRiot.com as a way to raise awareness about his situation and accept donations for our cause. This has less to do with a friend of mine possibly looking at jail time, and more to do with citizen’s rights continually being trampled on. There are thousands of innocent people in jail right now because of their lack of finances. This is a principle thing as much as it is personal. Attorneys working with the National Lawyers Guild and the ACLU are identifying this year’s RNC as one of the most extreme examples of strategic, premeditated attacks on the First Amendment in U.S. history. The convention’s planning committee facilitated $50 million in Federal funds to the Ramsey County authorities, basically hiring out all local law enforcement available as the RNC’s own private military contract force. An additional $10 million was then spent on an insurance package to cover legal fees specifically resulting from police misconduct. Authorities used extreme force and mass arbitrary arrests to target, intimidate, and jail dozens of major and independent journalists all week long. Their tactics not only kept non-Convention citizens away from downtown but detainees were kept as long as legally possible, preventing journalists from reporting on any event outside of the Convention’s main itinerary.

do yourself a favor and check the track out here and download it yourself. Donate to the cause!

[audio:http://www.strangefamousrecords.com/conspiracy/conspiracy-to-riot.mp3]

Not Robust from Spit Personalities. anyone know the deal with this? is it for real? or a publicity stunt?

so now I present to you SFR Pays Dues. [audio:http://www.401hiphop.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/sfr_paiddues.mp3]

download it here

Prolyphic is got to be one of the best local musicians/wordsmiths to take to the stage and now with his recent signing to locally-bred but nationally known record label Strange Famous Records, Prolyphic gives me a chance to ask some questions that have been plaguing me for awhile and hopefully this interview will give you some insight into one of the future greats. more after the jump!

HW: Ok so first off thank you for this interview and I would like to start off simple. Tell us for the people that might not know about you, who you are and what you do.
Prolyphic: My Hip Hop name is Prolyphic and I am an independent hip hop emcee who is signed to Strange Famous Records. I write and perform my lyrics for those who want to hear.

HW: How long have you been rapping and were you always serious about it.
Prolyphic: I have been serious about writing and rapping since I was 17, so that would be 9 years strong. I started off writing songs that were not so serious when I was 14 and I would record them on my parents stereo. Since I was 17 I have always been serious about my writing, but not so serious about making a living off of my music.

HW: Tell us about your first tour experience.
Prolyphic: It was good. I toured with Galapagos4 and had fun traveling across the US. I learned a lot about myself and got a chance to get out of New England. I grew as a performer and as a person. Met some interesting people along the way and ti will be something that I’ll never forget.

HW: Ok awhile back you released an alarm clock set for 9:01 what is the significance of that title? you had said that their was another reason for the title what was it? and whatever happened to ducksoup records?
Prolyphic: During that period of my life my alarm clock was set for 9:01. I wasn’t trying to be different, it was something that just happened. My mornings revolved around that number and it became that way out of laziness. One night I wanted to set my alarm for 9:00am and went too far with the minutes. I was too lazy to go through the numbers again, so I just left it. So in retrospect, that situation/album title became Life in a nutshell for me. Life is not that complex, it has simple explanations. We, humans, are the ones who make it complicated. The album title was not meant to have a deep meaning, it is just a reference to a period of my life. Ducksoup records is no longer with us.

HW: What is your favorite track from alarm clock set for 9:01? and why?
Prolyphic: “A Name On A Park Bench” and “One Day At A Time” are probably my favorite tracks. What I was saying in those songs came from the deepest parts of my soul. The beats are very slow, somewhere around 65-70 BPM and they epitomize my music and style. “One Day At A Time” it’s how I started my music career and “Name On A Park Bench” is how it will end.

HW: Awhile back you released an album with robust of G4, what was that like and are thier any plans to do a sequel?
Prolyphic: Group projects/songs are tough to make, not to mention a whole album. That album took forever to complete and it should have come out 3 years earlier. What made things even more difficult is that I was in RI and Robust was in Chicago. So, getting together in person was a struggle. But, I always have fun making music because it is something that I love to do. We put a lot of work into it and I believe it should of have gotten more recognition. Such is life, there is more I could have done to publicize and promote it, but all of that is done now and I have moved on. There will not be a sequel. There is a lot of things I want to get done on my own and I enjoy being by myself on songs. It allows for more freedom when I’m writing.

HW: You are now signed to strange famous records how did that come about?
Prolyphic: I gave Sage a copy of my first demo tape in 2000, which was titled “What’s Wrong With This Picture”. He showed some interest in what I had to say and maybe saw some talent in my lyrics. So, ever since then I kept in touch with him and always sent him new music I was working on. Then in 2005 he asked me if I would be interested in releasing an album with Reanimator on his record label Strange Famous. Yada yada yada…I said yes.

HW: Your new project is entitled “The Ugly Truth” with production from reanimator. why did you choose to do an entire album with just one producer instead of selecting bits from everywhere?
Prolyphic: It was all Sage’s idea. He gets the credit. He saw something hip hopoly magical in putting us together and I think it worked out just fine. Kudos. kudos.

HW: What are your favorite tracks from the The Ugly Truth and why?
Prolyphic: My fav tracks as they say, are “The Ugly Truth”, “Broken Bottles”, “Artist Goes Pop”. “Slow To Get Up”, “The Way I See it” for all different reasons. I like the whole album, but these songs stick out to me. Some because of how they sound, the overall feel of the song, and what the lyrics personally mean to me.

HW: When can we expect the album to come out?
Prolyphic: May 6th, yea yea definitely May 6th.

HW: Alright time to get off this and ask you If you died tomorrow what would you want people to remember you for?
Prolyphic: That I was a good man and I tried my best.

HW: Any closing lines?
Prolyphic: Artist Goes Pop/Survived Another Winter 12″ and B.Dolan’s Live Evel EP come out April 1, 2008. And THE UGLY TRUTH cd comes out May 6, 2008. Peace.

For more information please visit:

http://www.myspace.com/prolyphicandreanimator

http://www.Strangefamousrecords.com

2/16/08 – I arrived late, this time it was the police that made me do it. but thats onto another story.

So I finally arrived at the show and Prolyphic is performing “Artist Goes Pop”, great song, real live energy, and to boot Sage Francis is doing hype man role (this is something I never expected). I think that by him doing so he was taking away from the performance, since he is much more known and people might have been just focusing on him the entire time but thats just a thought.

Telephone Jim Jesus was up next, he does live (not sure on this one) programming or mpc’ng. I am really not sure what he was doing considering all I could see was a laptop and once in awhile his head came bobbing out from it but I think he had a keyboard also, If I was on drugs this would have probably been my highlight (this is assuming the drugs helped) his music was very trance-like and techno-E (can I even say that?) I think the music was good but its not very entertaining to watch, I was falling asleep the entire time while the people with me were vibing out.

Next up were The Apes, These guys were great! they weren’t rappers but a great show nonetheless. The music reminded me of some funk/psychodelic/rolling stones/hardcore stuff. seriously a great performance! every single one of them were so into what they were doing that I had to jam out!

so its getting late now and on comes sole and the skyrider band. They had some great chemistry on stage, but the music live didn’t really sound like the tunes on the album, which disappointed me a lot, but he played some classics from live from rome and that made it all better.

overall I had a decent time I just wish sole would tour with more rappers similar at least to him (ahem Brzowski from Maine!) I just wish people would realize that sole is killing it past, present, and future. Give respect where respect is due.