Flobots 'Fight With Tools' album

In the making of their debut LP, "Fight With Tools" (Universal Republic release in-stores May 20th) the Flobots weren't satisfied with entertainment alone. Of the twelve tracks in "Fight With Tools," there is not one that fails to comment on current events, world history or humanitarian unity.

"We were thinking that music could be something more than entertainment," said Jamie Laurie, a.k.a. Jonny 5, one of the Flobots' MCs. "As a band, we have unusual resources. We have an audience and regular performances where we play and speak in front of young people. The stage can be a platform for social change and civic organization."

"Every person has the potential to be great," said Stephen Brackett, who MCs under the name Brer Rabbit. "Working with all these people in the band has made me a better person, and activism isn't necessarily waving a picket sign. Activism can just be being a better person."

"We never thought we were a band that had that kind of appeal," said bass player Jesse Walker, who added that the band's MySpace plays have jumped from 300 per day to 3,000 per day. "We love 'Handlebars,' but we never knew it could be a hit on the radio."

Handlebars, which has soared to top 15 on the Alternative chart in just 2 weeks, is a creative song that subtly breaks down the competitive natures of man, comparing a child bragging about bike riding abilities to leaders bragging about military capabilities.

We're not six people who are all inherently activists," said Mackenzie Roberts, the band's viola player. "But through being with one another, we've become that way."

After originally forming as a side project in 2005, Flobots brought together Emcee's Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit with violist Mackenzie Roberts, guitarist Andy Guerrero, bassist Jesse Walker, trumpet player Joe Ferrone, and drummer Kenny Ortiz. By the end of the year, it was clear that the band's refreshingly positive message and nontraditional instrumentation gave it both a universal appeal and a marketable buzz factor. Whether sharing the stage with jam bands, indie rock acts, or hip-hop groups, Flobots connected with audiences and quickly reached a tipping point to became one of Denver's most influential bands.

Progressive in both style and message, the band's ability to drop from symphonic rock-infused crescendos into stripped-down string-laden breakbeats has earned Flobots a reputation for both originality and authenticity.

The strength of these records and a relentless performing schedule has enabled the band to open for acts like Public Enemy, The Coup, Lyrics Born, and Immortal Technique. Even Multi-platinum recording artist The Fray took notice, inviting the band to open the last night of their North American Tour at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

Armed with musicianship, intelligence, and an ingrained sense of rebellion, Flobots are looking to engage a new musical culture, one mind at a time.

who is who
Jonny 5 - Emcee, Vocals
Brer Rabbit - Emcee, Vocals
Andy Guerrero - Guitar, Vocals
Mackenzie Roberts - Viola, Vocals
Jesse Walker - Bass
Kenny Ortiz - Drums

biography
Universal Republic newcomers Flobots are a rip-roaring 6-member musical fighting force from Denver, CO, who – thanks to their uncompromising debut album Fight With Tools - emerge as the most compelling hip hop collaborative to sign with a major label in 2008. The insightful group blends social justice with a playful disdain for anything status quo…and oh yeah….they’re packing a viola.

Hyperkinetic Emcees Brer Rabbit and Jonny 5 use their lyrics to construct a landscape which, like Eminem or the Red Hot Chili Peppers, relies on and refers to its own iconography. Anchored by a hi-octane rhythm section that includes bassist Jesse Walker and drummer Kenny Ortiz, guitarist Andy Guerrero aces a funk-roots M.O. that, when topped by the counterpoise of Mackenzie Roberts’ viola swoops, yields an unforgettable live performance. Sustained by a dedicated fan base and a commitment to artistic autonomy, the group rallies their audiences by practicing the progressive value system they promote and plugging fans into the Flobots’ own nonprofit organization.

The Flobots formed in 2005. In the midst of the previous year’s election frenzy, childhood friends Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit teamed up with Roberts, integrating live hip hop with a passion for voter engagement. Guerrero, then the front man for local funk band Bop Skizzum, convinced the trio to add live instrumentation, and the current incarnation of Flobots was born.

Mobilizing connections in the musical and non-profit communities, the group began to garner a reputation for elevating their live shows as socially aware ‘happenings.’ They merged the wit and wallop of their live performances with appeals to their loyal audience to solidify into a force for community change. The Denver music scene responded, nurturing the Flobots’ penchant for activism and individuality. The group earned a reputation as a willing co-headliner, teaming up with local Denver artists no matter the genre. “We would play with anybody,” says guitarist Andy Guerrero. “We also began a dialogue with bands because of our similar political beliefs that we never would have plugged into otherwise. It strengthened our sense of camaraderie and musicianship.”

The local edition of their breakthrough indie release, Fight With Tools, hit the Denver streets in 2007. “Handlebars,” rocked local radio stations and quickly made the band’s self-produced offering the #1 hip hop break through on the independent charts (JJ- fact check?). Universal Republic’s overtures to the band were met with an agreement to re-release the album entirely unchanged, propelling “Handlebars” to an even wider audience. The single has prevailed as an enduring Top Ten Billboard hit and one of the most requested songs of the year. The track’s irresistible hook and underlying social message has placed Flobots among the most buzzed-about newcomers of 2008.

“’Handlebars’ was written in the same way the group kind of blossomed,” says Jonny 5. “I had a friend a few years ago who asked me if I ever tried to ride my bike with no handlebars. I hadn’t, so I tried it and it worked. I would bike back and forth with no handlebars when I was working as a busboy. The pure joy of that – the pure satisfaction of doing something I didn’t know how to do before and now I can – really stayed with me. But I also have an ongoing dialogue when we celebrate something; I always think there’s some ominous counter-force lurking in the background. I had that idea in my head and got off the bike and wrote the first 3 verses right there. I actually called my mom’s answering machine to record the lyrics and make sure I got it all down. It’s about how even our best intentions are laden with some sort of opposite. We like to think that Flobots are about directing that positive energy into real change.”

The Flobots philosophy has already been met with a rabid response by fans and critics alike. Even the mainstream media has embraced the Flobots infectious lexicon and unbridled passion, with appearances on Last Call with Carson Daly and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Stirring anthems like “Rise,” and “We Are Winning,” have also become fan favorites.
“One thing we never lose sight of is it’s the music that holds them,” says Mackenzie Roberts. Grips ‘em is more like it. Where “Mayday” may be - as Brer Rabbit coins - ‘a swirling maelstrom of changes,’ they can concoct more sublime sonic free-for-alls like “The Rhythm Method (Move),” or the fevered call-and-response of “Rise,” where Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit’s intricate sense of timing builds to breathless pauses and crescendos – what’s in your alleyway recycling bins or bullet cases. Their ‘tools’ - forgive the pun – seem as limitless as their sources of inspiration, which light up every song on the album. “What ties us together is our love of music and our message,” says Mackenzie. She caromed into the band by way of her brilliant classical and jazz background, affirming she was “ready to rock out” after college (University of Denver), enthusiastically mining the Denver underground music scene, viola at the ready. Her importance to the group’s against-the-grain presence and sense of playfulness is also emblematic of the other key component that makes the Flobots cathartic chemistry crank on all cylinders: their utter fearlessness when it comes to defying trends or categorization. “I always tell everyone I love the fact we’re not cool,” muses Brer Rabbit. “Our mission will never connect if we don’t have fun.”

Bassist Jesse Walker says the spirit of democratic fair-play is also valued within the band as much as their impulse for social justice. “We all contribute. Everybody has an equal say and pulls in their own direction. That tension is what also kind of gives these songs their power.” With the principal emcees even utilizing Google Doc for some of their lyric editing (a mutual PC editing function that facilitates shared screen time for impromptu writing sessions), the band operates as a totally open organism. “Mayday” is an example of all the members spiking the explosive song with their own makings. Says Brer Rabbit: “It’s one of our favorites. It seems to mean something different to all of us. I remember when writing part of the song I was thinking about how people are often caught between systems. The kids I worked with – caught between school pressures and the social worries – they always seemed to fall between the cracks so they’d have to carve out their own system.”

As one observant music critic wrote about the Flobots’ ability to create a new band model that is both ‘raw’ and ‘a revelation’ – they emerge just in time to wake up a sleepy mainstream music culture hungry for great music and meaningful change.

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Tracklisting

Flobots - Fight With Tools