Cost Of Living

Cost Of Living is the third long play recording by Providence, Rhode Island’s Downtown Boys. They are known for their fierce and energetic sound, a combination of late 1970s punk, no wave, and riot grrrl as well as heavily politically minded lyrics. Cost Of Living showcases a band at their sonic prime, full of confidence and unafraid to sing about such current social issues as immigration, authority abuse, and female empowerment, and always on their own artistic terms without being preachy. Visceral, confrontational, and unapologetic.

RIYL: X-Ray Spex, Bikini Kill, Pink Section, Priests and French Vanilla.

FCC WARNING: 1, 4, 10
[CLEAN VERSIONS AVAILABLE FOR THESE TRACKS ON THIS CD]
Recommended Tracks: 1 [FCC], 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 13, 15

1. (4:03) ***A Wall – FCC (Fuck it). Upbeat punker. Killer piece.
2. (3:03) **I'm Enough (I Want More) – Another killer punker. Solid.
3. (3:23) **Somos Chulas (No Somos Pendejas) – Yeah! Pit time!
4. (3:40) Promissory Note – FCC (Shit). Upbeat dancer – sharp noises.
5. (3:27) *Because You – Slow intro, it takes off at 1:20. Non-stop after that.
6. (3:16) Violent Complicity – More upbeat tempos with punk sax and guitars.
7. (2:00) **It Can't Wait – CBGBs forever. Upbeat.
8. (1:54) *Tonta – Punker en castellano. Sax solo included.
9. (0:51) Heroes (Interlude) – Spoken word piece with some soft guitar noises as background.
10. (4:06) **Lips That Bite – FCC (Fuck?). One more upbeat punker with great vibe. Play the clean version.
11. (3:35) Clara Rancia – Medium-up tempo recording. Desperate and loud.
12. (1:08) Bulletproof (Outro) – Another spoken word piece with some soft guitar noises as background.
13. (4:02) *A Wall [Radio Edit - Extreme] – Without the “fuck it!” chorus, the song’s message loses steam. Great dynamics nevertheless.
14. (3:40) Promissory Note [Radio Edit] – Upbeat dancer – sharp noises.
15. (3:57) Lips That Bite [Radio Edit] – One more upbeat punker with great vibe. Play it!