Downtown Boys

Downtown Boys are a loud and proud punk band from Providence, Rhode Island. They play at a hardcore level manic tempo, with the guitar, bass, and drums bringing on a wall of thundering energy, penetrated only by the visceral, screaming vocals of Victoria Ruiz, who switches back and forth between English and Spanish as the spirit moves her. The sound is rounded out by a blaring saxophone that adds contours and a distinct tone to the festivities. This is punk at its most unabashedly political, riled up against all injustices, viva la revolución best. As angry as the band sounds, however, their music has a noticeable melodic undercurrent, which softens the sonic assault just enough to make them a band that can be expected to appeal to audiences who may not be into punk all that much.