Flobots
 

You know I really expected this to be written off as some crass johnny-come-lately nu-metal schlock but the lyrics are brilliant in their irrelevance. Because their rapped they have to be juxtaposed with the traditional self-glorifying lyrics of usual rap. But the message here is self-less and on the occasion when he self-references, its either hyperbolic or so commonplace that it isn't really gratifying.

This coupled with positivity of the message and the amusing, if not politically exhausting video, I feel like your first impression will fail you and give way to a begrudging love of what can only come to be known as a "musical" rap that never was presented on stage...in short, I love this god damned song.



No idea whyits not offered. While I get a new link, go here: YouTube - "Handlebars" by the Flobots

The lyrics are pretty good but I don't like the delivery (you're right in the nu-metal rapping comparison) and it sounds a little amateurish. You should listen to Why?.

Its a group?

Well I liked it a lot because I could see a character singing this in a musical, and I thought that was innovative, even if I'd made it up in my own head.

And the amateur aspect is more "white boy" which I think is intentionally amateur.

It's a group, yes. Sort of indie/hip-hop.

And I meant amateur as in the backing music is sorta lacking in the production department...

The music?!?!?!?!

I can't speak for all of them, but that trumpet in the background is nothing short of a masterpiece.

The Flobots - Official Thread
 

My friends and I have been digging this band for quite some time now. They are not only talented but also a good representation of our generation's hip-hop through their fight for social change. Have you guys ever heard of them/ is anyone a fan here?

Good profile piece on the band

The Flobots' Myspace

If you're listening for the first time, what are your thoughts?

im not sure if we can really say our generation is symbolized by the voice of change. maybe you can say we throw the word around a lot, but what has really changed for the better? the only real social changes are the move to an "anything goes" feeling, but i wouldnt necessarily call that a change linked to our generation, but the civil rights, womens rights, and *** rights movements of the 60s 70s and 80s

as for the band itself, they are alright. they have some interesting songs but it seems like they try to hard to be inaccessible sometimes, which relegates them to the backburner of my playlists. i dont think iv even played their music since i got my zune hd.

Merged and moved the original thread to hip-hop...unless anyone objects?

YOU SON OF A BITCH...no I don't really care.

Good...because I don't either.

Wha? As in you hold any hip hop lyrics against the battle rap persona style? You don't have to take everything back to where it begins to appreciate it, and these guys are far enough away from old school hip hop to escape it.

The lyrics could have been so much better in the framework of the song, I can kind of like where they were going but stuff like

I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let'em all die in exasperation
Have'em all healed of their lacerations
Have'em all killed by assassination

Is just clumsy.

Beside that, I've always loved the song as well. I only had to listen to a few seconds of the hook to go and download the album. Plus I love the way it builds into the sax near the end, although I don't like the harder grungy guitar that kicks in - it does invite the comparisons to rap-rock that I don't think are worth anything.

Stand Up is much better lyrically and I think is a better indicator of their style.

stand up is also a good track but lyrically "May Day" is probably their best piece of work or at least my favourite, it's very metaphorical and truely displays the lead lyricists talent.

I loved the opening lines;

"Born in the flood
Bloody fingerpaint sets
Blackmarketed fresh
Water canons forget me not
Epitaph airbrush with death
White t's
Wife beaters
Button up
Reattach flesh"


Their album wasn't nearly as consistent as it should have been. There's about five tracks on it that I'll listen to.

I havent listened to this in a while... I borrowed the Album from my cusion I think. I kept it for a few weeks.

I remember liking the poping sounds like handlebars... But I remember it just being way to much like Green Day but Rap. Which is a album of bitching about politics.

You must have a very closed mind if you can't see past all the stereotypes.

Must be closed minded because I don't even understand what you mean by cant see past Stereotypes....


Do you mean how its become pop culture to be against the government? Its almost like some Musicians are becoming Musicians so that they can be wanna be Politicians and not because they want to make good music.

Infact I am a big RATM and Bob Dylan fan, both have done heavy political songs but they did them right.

To me to Flobots are more pop then rap or hip-hop but that's IMO.

If you like it you like it.... but the only song ill be putting in a playlist from them is Handlebars which is in my party mix, and its more for the chicks to sing along to the Chorus.

You "party" to flobots?...wow, I bet your parties are the wildest.



That's the problem. People love to sing along to lyrics, it's just a shame half of them don't even understand the meaning to those lyrics.


and what is it that makes RATM not "pop" and flobots "pop"?


And people tend to become musicians so they can express themselves, it's the same as any other art from. It's for expressing your emotions, feelings, thoughts and opinions.

Handlebars is in the mix of 499 other songs yes....



I dont think I have heard RATM on my local POP station for one :) The other would be most 12 year old girls dont jam out to RATM. They Might be Mainstream rock but far as I know not considered pop. You can hear Flobots playing right after Britney Spears and Right before Lady Gaga on most pop stations.

You might have me there..... I just get sick of hearing the whining of bands in every other song now about the war, which most Military people support unlike the veitnam war where you heard the most protest songs againest because of the draft where people who didnt sign up to be there were there.

just plain and simple.... I dont like the flobots, I find them lame and typical IMO of course.

I gotten nothing else to add this, besides that, Too each his own.

If you look at some of my posts in other threads, I know you can find some music I like to disagree with... if you want.

"Killing In the Name Of" was the christmas number one in britain this year (in the pop chart).



I'm not sure what you mean by "Military people" do you mean the soldiers themselves? Their family? The general public?

One of the most important leaders in the British Military has already said the war in Iraq should not have happened.

It's like flobots said, "we the people did not want war".

Besides, you do realise that they have like two songs on their entire album talking about the war. Only two or three lines in "handlebars" were aimed at the current war in Iraq and afghanistan. They rap about a lot more than war.

I still don't see how RATM are "good" because of their political messages and flobots are not? If you dislike the music then fine but their lyrics have just as much meaning as anything RATM has ever made.

you say, "lame and typical", typical of what? I don't hear many anti-war songs on the radio or in the charts.

I'd rather every single band made songs against the war than songs about their long lost girlfriend or their high school parties and bling bling cars.


Disliking a song is fine, you're entitled to your own opinion. But you could at least have a reason for disliking it.

I just remembered that they also have one of my favourite lines ever, mostly because I'm an Arrested Development tragic

'This is getting out of hand like Buster Blooth'

I love this song

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

Look at me, look at me
hands in the air like it's good to be
ALIVE
and I'm a famous rapper
even when the paths're all crookedy
I can show you how to do-si-do
I can show you how to scratch a record
I can take apart the remote control
And I can almost put it back together
I can tie a knot in a cherry stem
I can tell you about Leif Ericson
I know all the words to "De Colores"
And "I'm Proud to be an American"
Me and my friend saw a platypus
Me and my friend made a comic book
And guess how long it took
I can do anything that I want cuz, look:

I can keep rhythm with no metronome
No metronome
No metronome

I can see your face on the telephone
On the telephone
On the telephone

Look at me
Look at me
Just called to say that it's good to be
ALIVE
In such a small world
All curled up with a book to read
I can make money open up a thrift store
I can make a living off a magazine
I can design an engine sixty four
Miles to a gallon of gasoline
I can make new antibiotics
I can make computers survive aquatic conditions
I know how to run a business
And I can make you wanna buy a product
Movers shakers and producers
Me and my friends understand the future
I see the strings that control the systems
I can do anything with no assistance
I can lead a nation with a microphone
With a microphone
With a microphone
I can split the atoms of a molecule
Of a molecule
Of a molecule

Look at me
Look at me
Driving and I won't stop
And it feels so good to be
Alive and on top
My reach is global
My tower secure
My cause is noble
My power is pure
I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let'em all die in exasperation
Have'em all healed of their lacerations
Have'em all killed by assassination
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don't like'em and
I can do anything with no permission
I have it all under my command
I can guide a missile by satellite
By satellite
By satellite
and I can hit a target through a telescope
Through a telescope
Through a telescope
and I can end the planet in a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handle bars
No handlebars

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

The Flobots are so dope.
Their album "Fight With Tools" was a masterpiece.

New album coming out soon. :D
http://i49.tinypic.com/wvr91l.jpg

I hate to double post, but the album leaked and any fan of Fight With Tools needs to go get this pronto!

Yeah I was looking for a link last night but couldn't find anything that didn't look shady. Perhaps something will come out today or tomorrow, but I'm not in that big of a hurry to listen to it. Fight With Tools was a decent album, but nothing mindblowing in a slightest, although it did prove that hip hop needs more violins.

*violas. ;)

Their new album is a better album overall in comparison to fight with tools. Fight with tools had four or five songs I liked (at most) this new album has eight or nine good songs.

Highlights for me so far - white flag warrior, superhero, good soldier, infatuation, panacea for the poison.

Fight for tools had one or two truly awesome tracks, survival story is an entire album of good songs but no awesome tracks. If you get what I mean lol.

I've given the album a few listens and overall it seems more tightly produced. whereas the first album sounded really open and just kinda drifted, this one seems... more mainstream almost. gone are the odd songs, replaced instead by pleasant guitar and vox. i'm not sure if i like this change, but i need to listen more before i make a verdict

Love them. Haven't got new album yet though I'll order it soon.