Diandra Reviews It All

Latinos are living some of their scariest times in the U.S. thanks to the dictatorship of Donald Trump and the surge of hate crimes caused by the freshly empowered white supremacists/alt-right. With fear mongering and manifesting to literal, physical danger, Downtown Boys appear like kismet to my ears; showing that you cannot bring down a people just because you fail to see them as such. In celebration of both their cause and new signing with the legendary Sub-Pop record label , I am proud, as a Latina, to introduce this band of punk-perfection readying to blaze your ears and de-colonise your mind with their new song,”Somos Chulas (No Somos Pendejas)”.

I am a devout punk- appreciator because its reckoning sounds have, literally, been my sonic catharsis for every time I was UP TO HERE with people/problems. Punk has a way of releasing rage that is uncanny, and Downtown Boys have fully realized this by creating a record that uses the guitar as angst-beacon and the electric bass as anger-liberator. It is so rightful that Downtown Boys would use punk as a soundscape to show their disdain and disappointment with the Latino community’s consistent, violent bashing from white supremacy and even mainstream media. For them, they want to offer a music that releases the natural degradation you feel when your community is undeservingly attacked, but also helps Latinos realize that their community is beautiful or as the entirely sung in Spanish track would say- “I’m elegant/intelligent, I’m not dumb!”. More than ever, Latinos need musicians/art that empowers them to combat the forced conditioning of self-loathing and moments of hate they will face.

“Somos Chulas (No Somos Pendejas)” it is incendiary the harmonizing between Mary Regalado and Victoria Ruiz as they writhe their vocals to proclaim their self-power over the attempted power of others trying to diminish them. Moreover, the beating chaos of their drums and guitar is emblematic of the insanity to believe that a community of people is beneath your person. The Rhode Island Natives, which include Joey La Neve DeFrancesco and Norlan Olivo , are readying to DOMINATE the world and I CAN’T WAIT. For More Information On Downtown Boys Click Here.