When a pair of quick-witted emcees joins forces with a battle-hardened, groove-fusing rhythm section, a classically trained violist and trumpet player, the result is a sound that explores and expands the frontiers of live hip-hop. 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.
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 won the crowds and quickly reached a tippping point to became one of Denver's most influential bands.
The band's first EP, Platypus, was recorded quickly in response to the clamor of eager fans. Platypus' CD sales in the first week put Flobots at #1 on Twist & Shout's bestseller list. In just a year and half, Platypus has sold over 3000 copies in Colorado and the surrounding region. The strength of this small record and a relentless performing schedule has enabled the band to open for acts like The Coup, Lyrics Born, Immortal Technique, and 2mex. 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.
Now, just two and a half years from the birth of their first song, the band regularly sells out Denver venues and is developing sizeable followings in California, Nebraska, Utah, and Wyoming.
The upward trajectory continues as the band prepares to release its first full-length record, Fight With Tools (October 2007). Representing a year's worth of writing and recording, the record is a fire-breathing rallying cry for all free-thinking individuals fed-up with the violence and apathy that have thus far defined the new millenium.
In February and March 2009 Flobots are going to join Rise Against, Anti-Flag, and Propaghandi for their United Kingdom tour.
Armed with musicianship, intelligence, and a passionate loyalty to the power of creation, Flobots are looking to engage a new musical culture, one mind at a time.
Acclaimed Universal Republic alternative/hip hop collective Flobots released their sophomore album Survival Story on March 16th. The first single from their new offering is a call-to-unarm, “White Flag Warrior,” featuring a guest appearance by Tim McIIrath, founder of influential Chicago band Rise Against. Survival Story is the follow-up to their 2008 game-changing, 300,000-plus selling Universal Republic debut album, ‘Fight With Tools’. The new album was helmed by noted producer Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys, Beck, Jack Johnson, Moby), and finds the group at yet another turning point of inspiring transformation.
Flobots garnered across-the-board critical, cultural and commercial acclaim in 2008 with their grassroots-waged kickoff single, the rousing Top 5, platinum-plus smash “Handlebars.” The song became the mind-bending clarion call of both the rap and rock worlds, with the spirited anthem soaring to #1 on the alternative radio chart as the format’s most requested song of the year. “Handlebars” became a digital, video, and MySpace phenomenon, (along with ‘Fight With Tools’ follow-up hit “Rise”) soaring to #10 on the iTunes hip hop chart, with the digital version of the band’s CD climbing to #2 on the iTunes hip hop countdown.
The six-member band was also recognized as innovative agents of massive cultural change during their mainstream rise, with media outlets such as USA Today praising their “stinging social commentary,” and the Boston Herald calling them “rap’s most singular breakthrough act in years.” Flobots became a symbol of a new generation shifting priorities at the decade’s close, thanks to the hands-on and highly charged social-activism embedded in their music and their vigorous community networking. Their uplifting calls to action mirrored the communal reawakening taking place throughout the entire country. The band’s galvanizing live presence rocked late night TV (The Tonight Show
, Conan O’Brien, and others,) and saw them ‘own’ the stage at the Democratic National Convention in their hometown of Denver, as well as on election night. The group also logged several sold-out tours across the U.S. and inspired audiences throughout the world with their incredible live show.
Survival Story finds the band invigorated by the range of life-experiences that flowed through the Flobots’ global collective the past two years (their extremely effective non-profit organization, flobots.org, has mobilized fans to become change-agents in their own communities throughout the world). But, the sophomore album also arrives in 2010 as a vision of hope for a world pondering its limits: Flobots’ unique birds-eye view of a world changed and rearranged – both inside and out.
The new effort features songs such as the counter-intuitive “White Flag Warrior,” the signature “Whips And Chains,” and the funk-infested “Infatuation,” among others. “We understand change can be complicated,” says co-founder Jonny 5. “We’re six different people ourselves trying to make a difference. We’ve always been about valuing everyone’s voice, whether in or outside of the band. We believe Survival Story is a true record of our growth as we all process this great new world that’s emerging.”
Created in Blasting Room studios in Ft. Collins CO, Survival Story was produced by Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys).
In the summer of 2011, Andy Guerro left Flobots in order to concentrate in his older band, Bop Skizzum.
Loneliness
Flobots Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A flicker of a light in an empty home
Bickering at night and you end up cold
I wanna let the right brain retain control
The rhyme inspires most when it's 5 minutes old
There's a feeling that I get when it's sad and it's grey
Reminds me of times way back in the day
They wouldn't call me back
I ask my stepmother if it ever goes away
So I'm sending you a message with text
That doesn't really say it's an SOS
Yes so I guess that I press those numbers
To summon for a presto
Grow less number
Looking forwards I spring into summer
And wonder if you would lay around like lumber
And supports me like a funder
Paying attention to my pain and tension
We all have forces pulling us under
But somewhere beneath this world torn asunder
We smell the storm before the thunder
And bring angles down to earth like sunder
And when it bursts, the loneliness hurts like hunger
Why don't you tell 'em about the loneliness?
[Brer Rabbit]
Where did my joy go?
I'm chewin' at its vapors
Hiding from the light
With this basement as my base
The opposite of a smiling face
I pile on disgraces
Say amazing grace
To chase down whatever this taste is
I' a tweeter with a blown cone
Wonder where the bass is
Drawn to you on a path of penciled promises
Found my feet inside erasers
Praises to Rafael and St. Rita
Try to breathe and gasp
Try to seize and grasp
And breathe my last
Don't even ask if you can counsel me
I'm a lone wolf so I wear wolf wear wool
Like lycanthropy
Cut connections with irreverence
I slither in and sever us
I wanna be the boy who lived
But never have no trust to give
I must admit through busted lips
I've sunken ships and rusted bridges
Cut slow to the quick
And lost myself to split decisions
Multiply by my divisions
Round down for the placement
Who's he?
Just me
Alone in that basement
Why don't you tell 'em about the loneliness?
The song Loneliness by Flobots is a powerful and introspective examination of the emotional and psychological pain of isolation. The two verses, delivered by Jonny 5 and Brer Rabbit respectively, articulate feelings of depression, anxiety, and a sense of being adrift in the world. Jonny 5's verse begins with a flicker of light in an empty home, a metaphor for the fleeting hope that can be found in even the most desolate circumstances. He highlights the role of art in providing an outlet for pain, noting that rhymes are most inspiring when they are fresh and born from the rawest emotions. The verse is marked by a deep sense of nostalgia and longing, as the singer recounts past experiences of rejection and feelings of alienation. He ends by acknowledging that loneliness is a painful and universal experience, one that can only be eased by human connection.
Brer Rabbit's verse continues the theme of grappling with loneliness, painting a picture of someone who feels lost and disconnected from the world. He describes himself as a lone wolf, cut off from others and unable to trust. The lyrics are full of pain and regret, with the singer expressing a sense of having ruined relationships and made poor decisions. The final lines of the song, "Just me/ Alone in that basement" encapsulate the sense of isolation and despair that permeates the entire song.
Overall, Loneliness is a poignant and affecting exploration of a universal human emotion. The Flobots' powerful lyrics capture the complex feelings that come with feeling alone, and the song is a testament to the power of music to console and heal.
Line by Line Meaning
A flicker of a light in an empty home
The small glimmer of hope in a desolate setting
Bickering at night and you end up cold
Disagreements that leave you feeling isolated and disconnected
I wanna let the right brain retain control
The desire to channel creativity and imagination in order to cope with loneliness
The rhyme inspires most when it's 5 minutes old
Fresh and spontaneous expression can be particularly powerful in conveying emotions like loneliness
There's a feeling that I get when it's sad and it's grey
Gray and melancholy moments often evoke a sense of loneliness
Reminds me of times way back in the day
The nostalgia and longing for a time when loneliness didn't consume as much of our existence
They wouldn't call me back
Having no one to turn to and feeling abandoned
They didn't wanna play
Feeling excluded from social situations and friendships
I ask my stepmother if it ever goes away
Seeking comfort and reassurance from someone who cares
So I'm sending you a message with text
Reaching out to someone with the hope of forming a meaningful connection
That doesn't really say it's an SOS
Underlying fear of rejection or appearing too vulnerable
Yes so I guess that I press those numbers
Taking a leap of faith to try to connect with someone
To summon for a presto
Seeking an immediate fix for loneliness
Grow less number
Feeling like a small and insignificant part of the world
Looking forwards I spring into summer
Hoping for brighter days and a more fulfilling life
And wonder if you would lay around like lumber
Contemplating the possibility of finding a companion who will share life's journey
And supports me like a funder
Desiring a supportive and caring partner
Paying attention to my pain and tension
Having someone who will listen and care brings comfort
We all have forces pulling us under
The universal experience of feeling overwhelmed and helpless
But somewhere beneath this world torn asunder
Believing in hidden sources of hope and resilience
We smell the storm before the thunder
Feeling the impending sense of loneliness even before it arrives
And bring angles down to earth like sunder
The potential for transcending loneliness and finding deeper meaning in life
And when it bursts, the loneliness hurts like hunger
The all-consuming pain of loneliness when it hits us
Where did my joy go?
The feeling of losing joy and happiness in life
I'm chewin' at its vapors
Desperately trying to hold onto fleeting moments of happiness
Hiding from the light
Isolating oneself and avoiding social situations
With this basement as my base
The feeling of being trapped and not being able to escape loneliness
The opposite of a smiling face
Presenting a facade of happiness and contentment while feeling lonely inside
I pile on disgraces
Feeling guilt and shame for being unable to overcome loneliness
Say amazing grace
Seeking solace and comfort through prayer or other means
To chase down whatever this taste is
Trying to find anything that will help fill the emptiness inside
Cut connections with irreverence
Feeling like cutting off connections with others is the only way to deal with loneliness
I wanna be the boy who lived
Desiring a life free from the pain of loneliness
But never have no trust to give
Feeling like it is impossible to trust others enough to form meaningful connections
I must admit through busted lips
Acknowledging the reality of being alone and the pain that comes with it
I've sunken ships and rusted bridges
Feeling like relationships and friendships have been destroyed and cannot be salvaged
Cut slow to the quick
The pain and difficulty of cutting ties even when it's necessary
And lost myself to split decisions
Feeling like choices made have only perpetuated loneliness
Multiply by my divisions
Feeling like loneliness only multiplies and spreads in one's life
Round down for the placement
Feeling like there is no place for oneself in the world
Who's he?
Feeling invisible and insignificant to others
Just me
Feeling completely alone and disconnected from others
Alone in that basement
The feeling of being utterly and completely alone
Contributed by Zachary B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.