By Cassie

The DNC is in Denver this week which is pretty historic considering who will be accepting the nomination for president. But also impressive is that Rage Against the Machine and the Flobots are playing here today, I believe. One of my friends, Lorena, won tickets to the show, and another, Rhonda, is going to Invesco when Obama makes his acceptance speech. It’s pretty crazy to see so much attention on Colorado right now.

The Flobots and Rage are not promoting or protesting the Democratic party or anything, actually the way I understand it, they are trying to bring awareness about the government and political process in general, the influence of corporate media on Americans (and govt), and the influence of Americans -and our politics- on the world (for better and for worse).  Here’s a quote from one of the band members:

“Our message here is really trying to gather and rally all of this investment that people are getting now in the whole political process. We have both young people and old really re-energized for the first time and really involved in this process,” Brackett said. “And we want to make sure that energy doesn’t get lost when the president is finally elected.”

Rage is a little heavy of a band for me, but they are super smart and right on target with their lyrics. I love the Flobots hip-hop beat, violins and lyrics, and I believe they are from Colorado. If you’ve never heard Rage or Flobots, here are some Rage lyrics, and a Flobot video:

No Shelter
The main attraction distraction
Got you number than number than numb.
Empty your pockets son they got you thinkin’ that
What you need is what they sellin’
Make you think that buyin’ is rebellin’
From the theaters to malls on every shore
The thin line between entertainment and war
The front line is everywhere there’ll be no shelter here
Still burn the nightmare works you pushin’ for,
I’m a snap of the whip, the true feather to tar
Memory erased and promise gone,
Tradin’ your history for a V.C.R.
Cinema simulated life in trauma
Forthright culture, Americana
Chained to the dream they got you searchin’ for
The thin line between entertainment and war
There’ll be no shelter here,
The front line is everywhere. X4
Hospitals not profitful
The market bulls got pockets full
To advertise some hip disguise
View the world from American eyes
The parmagon keep fiendin’ for more
The thin line between entertainment and war
Fix the need, develop the taste,
Buy the products, or get laid to waste
Coca-cola was back in the veins of Saigon
And Rambo troops We got a dope pair ‘a Nikes on
Godzilla pure motherfuckin’ filler
Get your eyes on the real killer,
Cinema simulated life in trauma
Forthright culture, Americana
Chained to the dream they got you searchin’ for,
The thin line between entertainment and war.
There’ll be no shelter here,
The front line is everywhere. X4
American eyes, American eyes,
View the world from American eyes,
Bury the past, rob us blind,
leave nothing behind. X2
Just stare. X4
Or live the nightmare.

American Eyes, of course, when said aloud is: Americanize.

Here is “Handlebars” which is probably the Flobot’s most famous but they also have other good songs like “There is a War Going On for Your Mind” “Rise” “The Moon” and others.