Customer Reviews

Fight With Tools

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

As a Coloradoan, I am lucky to have found this band on my local scene here in Denver. They are growing in popularity, and with good reason. Fight With Tools is their second release, but their first 'full' album.

It starts off strongly with a poem called "There's a War Going on for Your Mind" which manages to effectively set the mood for the remainder of the album. While Flobots' lyrics may be a bit idealistic for some, they are certainly progressively oriented, and are presented in a positive manner. Explicit language is used sparingly, and the hip hop traditions of glorifying big money, fast women, and violent lifestyles are nowhere to be seen.

Certainly this release is less than traditional in more ways than that. The music stylings are somewhat reminiscent of Cake during much of the album, though the lyrical delivery is very different from that of Cake. There is heavy use of instruments traditionally reserved for orchestral use, as well as guitars and a drum set.

Regarding the lyrics, if you like socially progressive hip hop, you will not be disappointed. I would guess that this album would potentially appeal to fans of Common, Rage Against The Machine, Sweatshop Union, and Talib Kweli, based solely on the lyrics.

Weak points of the album are few. The title track (track 5, Fight With Tools) is a bit bewildering at the end when it calls for you to gather your platinum, gold, silver, bronze, and aluminum, and melt them all down. Why this would be useful is one question, but why bronze (the only alloy on the list) and aluminum (which is hard to melt and quite worthless compared to platinum, gold, and silver) are included is even more head scratching. Track 8 (Combat) is fun to listen to sometimes, but other times the repetition just gets annoying. Track 9 (The Rhythm Method) is okay, but not all that lyrically fulfilling.

Stand-outs include Mayday!!!, Stand Up, Handlebars, We Are Winning, and Rise. If you ever have those days when you feel like the whole world is messed up beyond anyone's control, pop this cd in and soon enough, you will be thinking differently. It really is that moving and meaningful if you are open to new kinds of music.

I highly recommend this album. It is currently in my personal top ten list.

Hear this: Don't just buy "Handlebars". Save yourself a few bucks and just click on "Buy MP3 album". You'll be glad you did.
You've come for the catchy tune, but you'll stay for its catchier & stirring lyrics. They're filling a much needed void in my music library left by Rage Against The Machine's impromptu disappearing act.

If you do some searching you'll find rap/hip hop is making a comeback or a throwback to when it said something. Rappers like Flobots, Eyedea & Abilities, Dead Prez, and many others are rhyming about issues, politics, and making change like the man in the mirror. Switching it up from bling bling to something with meaning. Rappers like Flobots aren't just fighting for your right to party but are fighting for your rights.
Checking out the oil in your Cadillac spilling isn't cool anymore it's just Ludacris.
The sweat dripping from people around the world isn't from skeet skeet skeeting but from stress stress stressing from watching the news we are one nation under a groove we might as well get down just for the funk of it.
Flobots aren't hardcore or negative their stuff does have a message, is honest, and not crazy complex. Wolf Blitzer will not have them on his I pod. They also follow these lyrics with good beats mixed in with some instruments via violin in some instances.
Very highly recommended.

I'm usually very hesitant purchasing an album based off one song when the genre (rap in this case) isn't one I usually listen to. Generally speaking, I'll love the one song and not listen to the rest of the album. In this case, though, I'm glad I broke my rule and picked up Fight With Tools because "Handlebars" isn't the only terrific song on this album.

Flobots reminds me of a couple different bands. They have hints of the politically charged Rage Against the Machine, but are more optimistic. There's the hornwork and a tinge of punk of some 90s ska bands, like Real Big Fish, only more hard-biting. There's the meticulous and nicely flowing rap like a lot of hip-hop artists today, only with more important things to say. But not only are there specific inspirations at work here, but a multitude of genres from rock to jazz to soul to hip-hop and beyond.

When the introduction opens, I realized that Flobots was presenting a thesis and that the rest of the album would be in support of their point. In fact, the words "There's A War Going On For Your Mind," as the opening states, are repeated a couple times throughout to stress this point. "Mayday!" starts wonderfully, adding a nice violin to the mix, an unexpected addition but a great one. "Same Things"'s jazz roots show through, with a kind of old school feel in new school shoes. From here, the CD takes off, but it's the last three songs that really pack the punch.

The ending starts with the song "Anne Braden," about the advocate of racial equality. Interspersed through this touching song are audio clips of Anne speaking about her thoughts on race. It creates a very introspective and moving song about her life and the the trials she and similar individuals went through. Her story is a good one.

Then we move to "We Are Winning," a plea for the people to become involved and active. It also tries to present a different picture; a different idea than ones crammed down our throat by showing the opposite of what we usually hear, with lyrics like, "Rival gangsters sit down to plan an after school program / A religious fanatic posts footage of an interfaith service project." They close with "Rise," which continues the plea of activisim.

All in all a very good album. Do I agree with everything professed in this album? No. Some of it steers a bit outside my scope and, sometimes, comfort zone. But isn't that what the best material should do? Take you outside your comfort zone and provoke thought? That's exactly what we have here; Fight With Tools not only provokes, but does so in an intelligent and witty fashion. But it's not all serious. Even if you strip away the political connotations, the music is what first hooked me. It's been a long time since I've heard music that's daring, different and similar all at the same time. A very good CD and one I heartily recommend.

Flobots is gonna take this country's mindful, caring music listeners by storm. It's already happening. It's impossible to classify their "style". "Handlebars" will lead many to relate it to Cake and Eminem - but it's so much more. This is funk, hip hop, rap, rock, retro jazz, all rolled into one awesome release. Add in a healthy dose of non-traditional instrumentation for these genres. Finally, pack a really, really powerful message into every song. It's one thing to offer us thought-provoking perspectives on today's issues. It's another to do so with an amazingly fresh, infectious sound that begs you to listen again and again. This is a profound example of how artists with a purpose can truly inspire change. Flobots - keep it coming!

If you haven't heard of the Flobots before, then I strongly encourage you to check them out. This album is their first full album, but sounds like they have been at it a long time. The sounds and ideas that will fill your head are bold and thought provoking. I must say they are one in their own genre and fuse many types of music with a important message.

First off, let me say one thing about how the group has been tagged. Yes, this album is very political. I suppose it's all about where you stand, but I personally don't think it leans that far to the left, as I have seen them described. Maybe I should listen again. There are some Left-Wing things discussed, and what would a liberally-charged album be without the call for that elusive "revolution" that nobody really wants but wants to want?

I will say this though: Since when did talking about helping your fellow man become a left-side thing? Why is anti-racism, anti-sexism, and other "anti-isms" a liberals-only value? Shouldn't it be an American value?

Anyway, I'm sure what you really want to know is what it sounds like. I don't have time for a song-by-song review, but I'll give you something.

As my review title clearly states, this is loud and in-your-face. I dig that sort of thing, so of course, I dug this album. 3 stars because it's a hell of a start, but it's missing something. Musically, most tracks sound the same. There are a few times when the music drowns out the lyrics, which isn't something you want when you're trying to hear what the guy's saying.

Standout cuts: Anne Braden, Handlebars, Rise, and the title track. I would suggest listening to those and going from there.

Nice to hear an rap album that isn't about money, women, and material things. Plus with the mix of guitars, drums, violin, and trumpet makes for an interesting sound. I know conservatives probably wouldn't like the lyrics, but it's good to see a band voice their opinion in a time where hypocrisy is alive and well in our national government.

I am proud they are from the state I live in and hope they get their voices heard. I recommend this CD to anyone.

I'm a hardcore music fan, listen to all kinds of styles, but I'm still thriving to get even deeper into many styles like Jazz, Rock, Punk, and others. So sometimes, I venture into buying albums out of nowhere. I like to think that I have a 6th sense for telling a great music/albums (I like) by just analyzing the cover, artist graphic art, and song titles.

This weak I went to Best Buy and I stumbled across this album, and I just had no idea what they were about, never heard of them. I asked a store clerk if they had an available sample for customers to listen to, and he said, "Nope, I've heard good things about them [Flobots] but I have no idea what they're about." I just knew it looked like it sounded worthy of a trial. So I bought it.

I don't listen to punk music, but I am hardcore hip-hop fan (international hip-hop included).

The intro of the album has an attention-gathering sound, and I still didn't know what I was really listening to. "Mayday", is tight, and I thought that it's an underground hip-hop group with a rock twist.
The more I listened to the LP; it was feeling a lot like Hip-Hop and Punk, and subtle touches of other sounds like Jazz. It's the first time I buy and listen to a full album like this one, and the novelty factor made me appreciate it even more.

Now, that I've checked this Amazon webpage profile, I find interesting that my favorite song was "Handlebars," without any idea about its radio/commercial success. I like the way it just sounds raw, yet smooth and edgy. And the lyrics are not for the weak-minded.

I don't really have much to compare, this specific music genre is new to me, so I'm not going to impose on how genuine or how well it compares to others of the same category, but I can impose that that the lyrical content is intelligent and worthy of taking heed. The instrumentals are powerful in their own rights, with great use of cords, and up/slow tempos that help dramatize the songs. It really brings out what the artists are talking about, and add a great dynamic to the tracks.

While I don't see this album causing a revolution, I do see it helping many listeners opening their minds to think about our evolution--how we got to this point, and most importantly, to challenge our perceptions of "ourselves," the world, and the shot-callers (if-you-know-what-I-mean).
Favorite tracks:
Handlebars
Rise
Stand Up
We Are Winning
Mayday!!!
Same Thing

Flobots, Fight with Tools
Final score: 4/5, because I think the Flobots still have room to grow, in terms of polishing their lyrics, and singing.

It's bands like the Flobots that emerge when the world is struggling to survive which really get the people moving. This band really gets my emotions flowing with their desperate plea to STAND UP! They are the exact opposite of anti-american. They are fighting for the America that we have lost. I could listen to this CD over and over again. I already have. I really recommend it.

Also, I am not generally a fan of hip hop :)