Downtown Boys aren’t interested in freedom unless everyone’s invited. Since the Providence, Rhode Island, punk band formed in 2011, they’ve made it their mission to challenge capitalist entities, including the music industry. True to form, their new album, Cost of Living, fearlessly critiques complacency as well as political and economic systems that only value excess.
Downtown Boys’ music moves you, both physically and emotionally. Across 12 tracks, lead vocalist Victoria Ruiz chants powerfully over feverish riffs and snappy saxophone. Cost of Living sounds raw but clean, thanks to spotless production from Fugazi’s Guy Picciotto. Bruce Springsteen’s influence is also apparent—the band even covered “Dancing in the Dark” on their last album, 2015’s Full Communism.
“I don’t know if it’s like this anymore, but everyone [in the E Street Band] would get paid the exact same as Bruce,” Ruiz says. “What he’s done with his model of music is so inspiring, and a lot of his lyrics really get at that relentless, gritty desire and hope. You know it’s not about any dogmatic form of happiness or success. It’s about something that’s deeper than anything we probably know. That’s something we’ve tried to bring out in both Malportado Kids [Ruiz’s digital cumbia project with guitarist Joey DeFrancesco] and Downtown Boys.”
