Flobots - Handlebars

Flobots are a hip-hop group out of Denver that I stumbled across earlier today. Having had the album on repeat since then, I’m impressed. (You can stream the entire albom on Last.fm.) And I’m not usually a hip-hop fan.

They’re undeniably a hip-hop group, but with a classically-trained violist and a trumpet player in the lineup, they’re a little different from what you might usually expect. This isn’t gangsta rap, or anything like that; these guys aren’t rapping about drugs, bitches, or money. They’re very progressively political; every single track on Fight With Tools, their first album, makes some mention of current events or world history, but in a refreshingly positive and optimistic way.

“Handlebars”, which is getting a lot of play on alternative radio stations in the US at the moment, is a little catchier and more accessible than the rest of the album (very much single material). It’s not as immediately political, either, but only because it’s a little more subtle and creative with the lyrics than the rest of the album. They compare a child bragging about his ability to ride his bike without handlebars to world leaders bragging about military capabilities.

I love this album — and I say that as someone who’s not a fan of hip-hop, generally speaking — and I can’t recommend it enough. From what I’ve read, Flobots are a band that show what they’re really capable of when they play live, and I intend to find out for myself in they’re ever in the UK.

nostrich posted this on Apr 26 2008. it has 27 notes and 5,999 plays Tagged: #flobots #indie #alternative rap

Notes

  1. brb-bubblewrapping-my-heart reblogged this from tuneage
  2. samglorious reblogged this from tuneage
  3. menstrom reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    song again for three reasons 1)...still love it, 2) They
  4. alanhasablog reblogged this from tuneage
  5. shiola reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    pure amazing even if it might be old...there. I heard it
  6. saidmichael reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    So that’s why everyone’s been saying...words to this song
  7. 1202 reblogged this from tuneage
  8. ivor reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    Flobots - Handlebarsvia tuneage
  9. gregbrown reblogged this from miss-malllla and added:
    alla1)Last.fm has the whole album streaming for free. Good stuff.
  10. tjfrancis reblogged this from tuneage
  11. huff reblogged this from tuneage
  12. mdfsmash reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    YES! I love this song!
  13. campeau reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    Handlebars by FlobotsI am a fan of any song that mentions Leif Erikson
  14. floortje reblogged this from tuneage
  15. shannondarling reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    hometown boys (and girl) get recognition.
  16. nuyawkcityboy reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    “Handlebars” by...don’t normally listen to hip-hop,
  17. garrett reblogged this from tuneage
  18. youreatowel reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    i thought this was...gym class heroes song when i first heard it
  19. scribkin reblogged this from tuneage
  20. tuneage posted this