2007 : 16 "Water Line" by Sage Francis

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Sage Francis is sometimes classified as "emo rap." I do not use this label myself, primarily because it is stupid. In a backhanded way, though, it does sort of tell you something about him; much of his stuff is not about straightforward narrative, but about psychology and, yes, emotion. If rap songs were novels, Sage Francis's would be short on plot and long on character development. This is not totally unique, or really all that new; think of the difference between NWA's "Straight Outta Compton" and the Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks on Me." Sage's subject matter is very different, though, and his approach is to the material more abstract. He's also been one of the most exciting new discoveries for me in the last few years; had I been more on the ball, I would have posted songs from him for 2004 and 2006 as well. This is from his latest, and will accomplish more in two minutes than seems reasonable to expect. —John French Listen: Sage Francis >> "Water Line"

2003 : 22 "London Still" by the Waifs

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Occasionally, I have a strong resistance to things people have recommended to me, especially music. There are several reasons for this, with varying degrees of rationality: sometimes it's who the recommender is, sometimes it's because I already have some kind of negative association with the band or the album or the genre, and sometimes its because the recommendation seems to me to be based on a dubious comparison (as when Amazon tells me that because I like Nirvana, I might like Nickelback). Sometimes it's just that they like it too much, and I worry that I will disappoint them by liking it less. The Waifs' Up All Night was one such record for me, one that I resisted listening to for one reason or another. But it was recommended to me by a co-worker who burned me a copy, and so, knowing that I saw her everyday and that she would inevitably ask me about it, I gave it a listen out of a sense of duty. And, as happens so often when I have this reaction, I was surprised to discover that no, in fact, my tastes are not an unbreakable code, and sometimes other people do in fact know what they are talking about. The record is pretty good all the way through, but I have become an evangelist for "London Still;" if I happened to make a mix for you in the last five years or so, this song would certainly have been on it. It's sad in a way that I think we all need to be sad sometimes, and it captures perfectly the feeling that comes with realizing that even when what you think you want really is what you want, getting it sometimes still means losing something else that you would like to have held on to. —John French Listen: The Waifs >> "London Still"