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“There is another America”. That’s a line from the song that tells the story of Anne Braden. The “other America” knows that oppression and predjudice are wrong. We know it’s all about power and control and we know that power violations grow in the dark. This “song” is as much a spoken word piece as it is hip hop. Flobots entertain and mesmerize us as they shed light on the story of a white Civil Rights activist who protested the lynching and slavery of blacks in the South.

Their album, Fight with Tools is a rousing piece of lyrical art woven from bits of rock and roll, hip hop and alternative rock. A violin floats in and out drawing memories of American Heritage stories. I hear influences ranging from Rage Against the Machine to Black Eyed Peas to Bauhaus. The lyrics are hauntingly familiar. These are the words that appear in classic books and great songs in every genre since music began.

The sound is edgy enough to be cool and Pop enough to be accessible. I can imagine a seven-year-old and her mother rockin’ this in an SUV or a 60-year-old hippie smoking a joint and saying “this is the way it used to be.” One of their songs might end up being played at halftime during the Super Bowl some day. Even though I’m only posting Anne Braden here, I highly encourage you to go to their MySpace or their website and listen to more. You can read the lyrics on-line if you click on this link.

Even though this isn’t really a video, you can click play button below to hear the song.

If that doesn’t work, try clicking play here. Then, turn up the speakers and enjoy.

Buy Flobots on iTunes

Rinkrat is the former owner of Southern California punk rock icon, Zed Records in Long Beach. He currently manages a hockey fan message board at www.letsgokings.com with thousands of subscribers. He takes photos for the LAist and the LA Derby Dolls. Each week he will contribute a song with a theme, a message and a beat. Enjoy and stay tuned.

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