Downtown Boys

Formed in Providence, Rhode Island, in the early 2010s, Downtown Boys brings together Victoria Ruiz and Joey La Neve DeFrancesco, an American punk rock band whose writing blends hardcore urgency, post-punk, saxophone lines and shouted refrains, with a strong emphasis on social and political themes. Downtown Boys’ first release appeared in 2012, followed by a self-titled EP published in 2014 on Sister Polygon Records, then the album Full Communism in 2015 on Don Giovanni Records. The band then established itself on the American punk, DIY and alternative scenes, with shows circulating both in independent clubs and in more exposed festivals. In 2017, Downtown Boys released Cost of Living on Sub Pop, in a still-tense, confrontational and melodic formula, where spoken word, rapid riffs and garage accents coexist. Alongside the band's activity, Downtown Boys composed the music for the film Miss Marx, released in 2021, a work that shifts its language toward a soundtrack-writing approach without breaking with its sonic identity. Based on a collective dynamic, Downtown Boys has also been associated with militant initiatives related to musicians' rights and migration issues, dimensions that accompany its journey as much as its aesthetics.