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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 and it has 25 notes Tagged: #flobots #indie #alternative rap

Notes

  1. jadoretu reblogged this from tuneage
  2. menstrom reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    song again for three reasons 1)...still love it, 2) They
  3. aquaticcaps reblogged this from tuneage
  4. shiola reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    pure amazing even if it might be old...there. I heard it
  5. menstrom reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    Really really loving this song right now....newest...
  6. dudemike reblogged this from tuneage
  7. saidmichael reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    So that’s why everyone’s been saying...words to this song
  8. 1202 reblogged this from tuneage
  9. ivor reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    Handlebarsvia tuneage
  10. gregbrown reblogged this from alla1 and added:
    alla1) Last.fm has the whole album streaming for free. Good stuff.
  11. tjfrancis reblogged this from tuneage
  12. drpepperfloatsandxanax reblogged this from tuneage
  13. huff reblogged this from tuneage
  14. mdfsmash reblogged this from tuneage
  15. campeau reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    mentions Leif Erikson
  16. deadlybrad42 reblogged this from greatwhiteshark and added:
    Tuzi sent me this song a week ago, and it’s been on my list of things to put up here. It’s pretty good, and it makes me...
  17. floortje reblogged this from tuneage
  18. shannonmoreno reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    hometown boys (and girl) get recognition.
  19. greatwhiteshark reblogged this from tuneage
  20. xcelsior reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    “Handlebars” by...don’t normally listen to hip-hop,
  21. garrett reblogged this from tuneage
  22. youreatowel reblogged this from tuneage and added:
    i thought this was...gym class heroes song when i first heard it
  23. alla1 reblogged this from illgrowupsoon
  24. illgrowupsoon reblogged this from tuneage
  25. scribkin reblogged this from tuneage
  26. tuneage posted this