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Check out my review for the predecessor to this album, Flobots - Fight With Tools.
Artist: Flobots
Album: Survival Story
![](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ISm5liWhL._SL500_AA240_.jpg"]http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ISm5liWhL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)
First Single: White Flag Warrior
Label: Republic
Release Date: March 16, 2010
Parental Advisory?: No
Genre: Rap/Rock/Experimental Rap
Listened to on: Headphones, Home Stereo, Car Stereo
Best Heard on: Headphones so far have been superior
Artist Bio: (Taken from Wikipedia) The Flobots are an American rock and hip hop musical group from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2000 by Jamie Laurie. Flobots found mainstream success with their major label debut Fight with Tools (2007), featuring the single "Handlebars", which became a popular hit on Modern Rock radio in April 2008. Flobots have one previous self published album, "Platypus" before their major label debut.
Opinion: In my mind the Flobots had big shoes to fill after their last album. Not only because "Fight With Tools" was a phenomenal example of what rap could do, but also the fact political climates have changed a bit since it was released in 2008. Many politically charged artist lost a bit of steam when Bush left office, and while I had high hope for the Flobots to continue their socially conscious message of positivity, I also had some reason for concern. That being said, my concerns were proven completely unjustified. The bands sophomore (major label) album shows maturity both lyrically and musically, and also seems to be a more cohesive project than the last. In "Fight With Tools" Johnny 5 stood out as the "front-man" of the band, with "Survival Story" that duty feels more equally shared with fellow MC Brer Rabbit and we also seem to hear a lot more of Mackenzie Roberts, who not only sings more on this album but her viola playing seems more complex an daring than on the previous effort. In fact musically everyone seems to have stepped it up a bit, improving what I already thought was amazing raw talent. There is no one track that defines this album as there was with "Fight With Tools" (Handlebars). While "White Flag Warrior," which features Tim McIlrath the lead singer of Rise Against in a surprisingly cohesive collaboration, is the album's single, "Survival Story" feels more complete as an album than "Fight With Tools" did. While I do have my favorite tracks, after listening to it almost non-stop for the last week is is hard to pick what songs "stood out." The songs are at times more personal, the stories they craft are less specific and are at times easier to relate to and are at times very moving; in just about every way the Flobots have matured on this album, and it has been all for the better.
In Short: If you liked "Fight With Tools" this is a no-brainer, although I imagine the Flobots wouldn't like the idea of not using your brain when listening to this album (this isn't background noise at all!). The honest truth is that I was such a big fan of the first album that I was primed to be let down; I am glad to say that not only did "Survival Story" live up to my expectations, but it exceeded it. The album is more rock heavy than previous and a bit more personal as well. I simply can't think of any reason not to give this album a chance.
Buy the Album on Amazon
Flobots.com
Lyrics (Scale from 1 to 5): 
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My Overall Rating (Scale from 1 to 5):
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I plan to write a review for the Flobots newest album and decided to also put one up for the predecessor.
Artist: Flobots
Album: Fight With Tools
First Single: Handlebars
Label: Universal Republic
Release Date: 2008
Parental Advisory?: Yes
Genre: Rap/Rock/Experimental Rap
Listened to on: Headphones, Home Stereo, Car Stereo
Best Heard on: Headphones to hear the subtle aspects of their songs , Home Stereo for anthem songs like "Rise"
Artist Bio: (Taken from Wikipedia) The Flobots are an American rock and hip hop musical group from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2000 by Jamie Laurie. Flobots found mainstream success with their major label debut Fight with Tools (2007), featuring the single "Handlebars", which became a popular hit on Modern Rock radio in April 2008. Flobots have one previous self published album, "Platypus" before their major label debut.
Opinion: Flobots aren't your normal rap project, in fact it is sometimes hard to justify labeling them so simply. Fronted by two MC's, Johnny 5 and Brer Rabbit, the Flobots is a full band, meaning guitar, bass and drums, as well as a very talented viola player. Once you've seen them live you start to really appreciate the full scope of their talent as you realize that the viola player (Mackenzie Roberts) is also the girl who sang on all those songs and the guitar player (Andy Guerrero) sang on that other one and, well you get the idea. That raw talent and energy transfers to a studio album very well. Unlike some other groups to rise from the Denver area of late (3OH!3 comes to mind) the Flobots are political charged, socially conscious lyrics backed by a group of talented musicians. Some songs, like their break-out hit "Handlebars" are nothing short of lyrical gymnastics, other songs like "Anne Brade" and "Stand Up" deliver powerful messages in often catchy and moving ways. Even at their most angry, the Flobots send a message that is overwhelmingly positive, and prove that rap can still be more than what has been mainstream for the last several years. There are no club-bangers on this album, and it is better off for it.
In Short: This album made the Flobots my favorite band. While the ultra conservatives may have some bones to pick with the lyrics, the songs are catchy, smart and positive making them often hard to justifiably slam. I highly encourage everyone to at least sample the album, if nothing else to just see what rap can be.
Buy the Album on Amazon
Flobots.com
Lyrics (Scale from 1 to 5):
Music/Arrangement (Scale from 1 to 5):
My Overall Rating (Scale from 1 to 5):
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Just a few things that I thought were interesting....
Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store.
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.
Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil.
It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!
Peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating.
Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.
Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef.
It will help pull the grease away from the meat while cooking.
To really make scrambled eggs or omelets rich, add a couple of
spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream in and then beat them up.
For a cool brownie treat, make brownies as directed. Melt Andes mints in double broiler and pour over warm brownies. Let set for a wonderful minty frosting.
Add garlic immediately to a recipe if you want a light taste
Of garlic and at the end of the recipe if your want a stronger taste of garlic.
Leftover snickers bars from Halloween make a delicious dessert. Simply chop them up with the food chopper. Peel, core and slice a few apples. Place them in a baking dish and sprinkle the chopped candy bars over the apples. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes!!! Serve alone or with vanilla ice cream. Yummm!
Reheat Pizza
Heat up leftover pizza in a nonstick skillet on top of the stove, set heat to med-low and heat till warm.
This keeps the crust crispy. No soggy micro pizza. I saw this on the cooking channel and it really works.
Easy Deviled Eggs
Put cooked egg yolks in a zip lock bag. Seal, mash till they are all broken up.
Add remainder of ingredients, reseal, keep mashing it up mixing thoroughly, cut the tip of the baggy, squeeze mixture into egg. Just throw bag away when done. An easy clean up.
Expanding Frosting
When you buy a container of cake frosting from the store, whip it with your mixer for a few minutes.. You can double it in size.
You get to frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount. You also eat less sugar and calories per serving.
Reheating refrigerated bread
To warm biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in
a microwave with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food
moist and help it reheat faster.
Newspaper weeds away
Start putting in your plants, work the nutrients in your soil. Wet newspapers,
put layers around the plants overlapping as you go cover with mulch and for-
get about weeds. Weeds will get through some gardening plastic. They will not get through wet newspapers.
Broken Glass
Use a wet cotton ball or Q-tip to pick up the small shards of glass you can't see easily.
No More Mosquitoes
Place a dryer sheet in your pocket. It will keep the mosquitoes away.
Squirrel Away!
To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper.
The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.
Flexible vacuum
To get something out of a heat register or under the fridge add an empty paper towel roll or empty gift wrap roll to your vacuum. It can be bent or flattened to get in narrow openings.
Reducing Static Cling
Pin a small safety pin to the seam of your slip and you will not have a clingy skirt or dress. Same thing works with slacks that cling when wearing panty hose. Place pin in seam of slacks and ... TA DA! ... Static is gone.
Measuring Cups
Before you pour sticky substances into a measuring cup, fill with hot water.
Dump out the hot water, but don't dry cup. Next, add your ingredient, such
As peanut butter, and watch how easily it comes right out.
Foggy Windshield?
Hate foggy windshields? Buy a chalkboard eraser and keep it in the glove box of your car When the windows fog, rub with the eraser! Works better than a cloth!
Reopening envelopes
If you seal an envelope and then realize you forgot to include something inside, just place your sealed envelope in the freezer for an hour or two. Viola! It unseals easily.
Conditioner
Use your hair conditioner to shave your legs. It's cheaper than shaving cream and leaves your legs really smooth. It's also a great way to use up the conditioner you bought but didn't like when you tried it in your hair.
Goodbye Fruit Flies
To get rid of pesky fruit flies, take a small glass, fill it 1/2' with Apple Cider Vinegar and 2 drops of dish washing liquid; mix well. You will find those flies drawn to the cup and gone forever!
Get Rid of Ants
Put small piles of cornmeal where you see ants. They eat it, take it 'home,' can't digest it so it kills them. It may take a week or so, especially if it rains, but it works and you don't have the worry about pets or small children being harmed!
INFO ABOUT CLOTHES DRYERS
The heating unit went out on my dryer! The gentleman that fixes things around the house for us told us that he wanted to show us something and he went over to the dryer and pulled out the lint filter. It was clean. (I always clean the lint from the filter after every load clothes.) He told us that he wanted to show us something; he took the filter over to the sink and ran hot water over it. The lint filter is made of a mesh material .. I'm sure you know what your dryer's lint filter looks like. Well .... the hot water just sat on top of the mesh! It didn't go through it at all! He told us that dryer sheets cause a film over that mesh that's what burns out the heating unit. You can't SEE the film, but it's there. It's what is in the dryer sheets to make your clothes soft and static free ... that nice fragrance too. You know how they can feel waxy when you take them out of the box ... well this stuff builds up on your clothes and on your lint screen.
This is also what causes dryer units to potentially burn your house down with it! He said the best way to keep your dryer working for a very longtime (and to keep your electric bill lower) is to take that filter out and wash it with hot soapy water and an old toothbrush (or other brush) at least every six months. He said that makes the life of the dryer at least twice as long! How about that!?! Learn something new everyday! I certainly didn't know dryer sheets would do that. So, I thought I'd share!
Note: I went to my dryer and tested my screen by running water on it. The water ran through a little bit but mostly collected all the water in the mesh screen. I washed it with warm soapy water and a nylon brush and I had it done in 30 seconds. Then when I rinsed it .. the water ran right thru the screen! There wasn't any puddling at all! That repairman knew what he was talking about!
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Women like silent men, they think they're listening.
Why would anyone wanna do this??? 
