Upbeats and Beatdowns
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| Upbeats and Beatdowns | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 29, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | September 2–10, 1996 | |||
| Studio | One Way (Concord, California) | |||
| Genre | Christian ska | |||
| Length | 47:25 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Masaki Liu | |||
| Five Iron Frenzy chronology | ||||
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| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Cornerstone | [2] |
| Cross Rhythms | [3] |
| Jesus Freak Hideout |  [4] |
| Real Magazine | [5] |
| YouthWorker | [6] |
Upbeats and Beatdowns is the first full-length album of the band Five Iron Frenzy. It was originally released independently on November 29, 1996[citation needed] before receiving a national release on April 8, 1997, on 5 Minute Walk, under the SaraBellum imprint, with distribution from WEA.
The lyrics were generally received as being "relevant and forceful;"[6] one reviewer commented that the band offered praise and worship "by the pound."[2] The first track, "Old West", begins one of many themes that would recur on the band's subsequent releases. The track is critical of the ill treatment of Native Americans in the name of Christ,[7] and the liner notes implore us to learn from the Sand Creek and Meeker massacres.
According to the Five Iron Frenzy MySpace blog, "Milestone" is often given the title "Nintendo" due to an incorrectly named mp3 distributed on file-sharing networks.
"A Flowery Song," was nominated for a Dove Music Award in the "Short Form Music Video of the Year" category.[8] The video was filmed in Albuquerque, south of the band's hometown of Denver. Its content included an unusually energetic, raucous scene, in which volunteers wearing colorful costumes danced down a suburban street. These costumes were not obviously connected to the lyrical content of the video, and ranged from Disney princesses skipping to an Ace of Hearts aggressively dance-punching the air.[9]
