I have a workaround for the Artist thing.

First, select the mode that lets you order the playlists yourself. In the "Configure Player" screen in emplode, on the Advanced tab, turn off the "Sort playlist menu by title" option and sync.

Second, set the artist field for your artist playlists to be like "Rolling Stones, The". The display will still show the title, but now you can sort alphabetically on the artist field. I even have "Chamberlain, Jimmy Complex, The" and "Bosstones, The Mighty Mighty"