Intended to be a political album, it was recorded in the band's hometown of Washington, D.C. from April 2007 to August 2008.

A pre-release of the album was released on iTunes on September 9, 2008, featuring an exclusive track entitled "Philosopher’s Stone".

[6] The music video for "The Numbers Game" single debuted on December 15.

[7] The album was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Recording Package.

The album cover shows a photograph of the Mexican rebel Subcomandante Marcos.