“Wave of History” - Downtown Boys

I didn’t get to Downtown Boys’ new album, Full Communism, for an even worse reason than the usual late pass excuses. My brain read an email with “Downtown Boys” in the subject and interpreted it as Australian hardcore group “Goodtime Boys.” The names are similar, but the context clues were plentiful enough that I should’ve realized my mistake right away. Downtown Boys are most definitely not signed to Bridge Nine, and Goodtime Boys, a pretty rad band themselves the last I checked, are no bilingual political sax punk party.

So I messed up. I’m here now, for what that’s worth (Edit: I’ve checked, and it’s “not much.” Damn.). I really wanted to share single “Monstro,” the flailing beast that almost made me Exhibit A of the Spontaneous Compustion Convention. I also have a lot of love for “Dancing In The Dark,” a melodious spot of positivity and dance at the end of the Full Communism firebrand.

Ultimately, the video for “Wave of History” felt too meaningful to pass on highlighting. It takes the band’s messages and adds a frank visual element more effective than any college PowerPoint I had - something that wasn’t needed, but certainly adds to the track’s oomph. It has only been a few months since the video’s release, but the messages within - statistics on America’s history of racism and the insidiousness of our prison system - are issues that will plague us indefinitely if we don’t do something about them. Every little bit helps, though - even if it’s just a white music blogger taking stock of his privilege.

- Tyler Hanan