Photo by Miguel Rosario

Rhode Island’s Downtown Boys are using their punk rock protest music to repudiate oppressors worldwide while simultaneously give a voice to the marginalized. We heard that on the white supremacy takedown piece “Somos Chulas (No Somo Pendejas)” earlier this year, as well as on May’s politically “The Wall”. Now, the band has returned with a third and similarly pointed, rallying track called “Lips That Bite”.

“I won’t stay down!” Downtown Boys declare, their voices heated and determined, accompanied by guitars that seem to cut through the noise like blades. The song also features a gnarly saxophone part in its last minute, wild like Downtown Boys’ unbridled energy and commitment to their cause. In a statement to Stereogum, the Providence-based outfit discussed the importance of fighting back no matter the struggle or pushback.

“This one is all about understanding the systemic and collective origins of all the anxieties and struggles we too often see as isolated and personal, and then using all we’ve got to fight back. That can be with our lips, our teeth, our words, our bodies — at this point we have no choice but to use whatever we each have. It’s fitting that the song is coming out today, July 12, since it’s the internet-wide day of action to save net neutrality. Big companies and the FCC are trying to throttle the internet and silence online voices with less power. Check out BattleForTheNet.com to help stop them. Keep it up wherever you are with whatever you’ve got!”

Hear it below.

“Lips That Bite” is taken from Downtown Boys’ upcoming album, Cost of Living (August 11th), as well as appears on Adult Swim’s 2017 year-long Singles Program. The band will be on tour for the next couple of months, including a late summer stint across the US.

Downtown Boys 2017 Tour Dates:
08/11 – Providence, RI @ Aurora
08/12 – Boston, MA @ ONCE
08/13 – Portland, ME @ Space Gallery
08/14 – Burlington, VT @ ArtsRiot
08/15 – Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
08/16 – Buffalo, NY @ Sugar City
08/17 – Detroit, MI @ UFO Factory
08/18 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
08/19 – Omaha, NE @ Maha Festival
08/20 – Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
08/21 – Lawrence, KS @ White Schoolhouse
08/22 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
08/23 – Nashville, TN @ DRKMTTR
08/24 – Birmingham, AL @ Syndicate Lounge
08/25 – Knoxville, TN @ Pilot Light
08/26 – Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
08/27 – Cincinnati, OH @ Northside Yacht Club
08/28 – Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
08/29 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Roboto
09/02-03 – Philadelphia, PA @ Made In America Festival
09/04 – Washington, DC @ DC9
09/05 – Durham, NC @ Pinhook
09/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
09/07 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
09/08 – Houston, TX @ Walters
09/09 – McAllen, TX @ Yerberia Cultura
09/10 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas
09/11 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
09/12 – Dallas, TX @ Dirty 30
09/14 – Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
09/15 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock
09/15-17 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
09/19 – Vancouver, BC @ Fox Cabaret
09/22 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
09/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ Summer Happenings at The Broad
09/24 – Oakland, CA @ Starline Social Club
10/09 – Leffinge, Belgium @ Cafe De Zwerver
10/10 – Paris, France @ Le Point Ephemere
10/11 – Brighton, UK @ The Haunt
10/12 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
10/13 – Edinburgh, UK @ Sneaky Pete’s
10/14 – Glasgow, UK @ Stereo
10/16 – Dublin, Ireland @ The Workman’s Club
10/17 – Liverpool, UK @ The Shipping Forecast
10/18 – London, UK @ Dome Tufnell Park
10/19 – Sheffield, UK @ Picture House Social Club
10/20 – Manchester, UK @ Deaf Institute
10/21 – Bristol, UK @ Simple Things Festival
10/22 – Birmingham, UK @ All Years Leaving Festival
10/24 – Munster, Germany @ Gleis 22
10/25 – Berlin, Germany @ Urban Spree
10/26 – Hamburg, Germany @ Hafenklang
10/27 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling Festival