Flippant New York punk band B Boys have been dropping singles this year like the titular substance of their sophomore album Dudu. The previous two singles, “I Want” and “Pressure Inside,” are sneering indictments of quality of life under capitalism. On their colorful new single “Instant Pace,” B Boys turn their wide-ranging critique to another facet of human experience dimmed by the rat race: peace and quiet.
Says B Boys vocalist Brendon Avalos about the new track:
The speed at which information is transmitted and consumed feels paralyzing, and that paralysis pissed me off. So the barrage of random images I had in my head while listening to the demos became reminiscent of the feeling I had when becoming mindless on the subway swiping through various applications and feeds on my phone. Paralyzed. Indifferent. Unfocused. Stuck. So I hope this song is a reminder to myself to take a step back from the speed of our daily life. Take a moment to breathe; think about what you want to spend your time doing.
“We’re overwhelmed and overburdened when we can’t make sense of a senseless world,” Avalos sings over the punkish cacophony that anchors “Instant Pace.” The winking irony that defines the band is in the catchy riff that sits above the noise: This paean to rest and relaxation makes you want to throw your body around.
Check out the fun collage-themed music video (dir. Jon Campolo and Josie Keefe) for “Instant Pace” below, plus the band’s tour dates further down. Dudu is out July 26 on Captured Tracks.
B Boys Tour Dates:
July
24 – San Diego, Calif. @ Whistle Stop*
25 – Santa Ana, Calif. @ Con Room*
26 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hotel Figueroa*
27 – Santa Cruz, Calif. @ The Crepe Place*
28 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Rickshaw Stop*
31 – Seattle, Wash. @ Chop Suey*
August
01 – Vancouver, B.C. @ Fortune Sound Club*
02 – Olympia, Wash. @ Cryptatropa*
03-04 – Happy Valley, Ore. @ Pickathon Festival
11 – Brooklyn, N.Y. @ Summer Thunder @ Union Pool
September
09 – Boston, Mass. @ The Great Scott
10 – Winooski, Vt. @ The Monkey House
11 – Portsmouth, N.H. @ The Press Room
12 – Montreal, Que. @ Brasserie Beaubien
13 – Toronto, Ont. @ The Baby G
15 – Northamption, Mass. @ Flywheel
October
01 – Washington, D.C. @ Songbyrd
02 – Carrboro, N.C.@ Cat’s Cradle Backroom
03 – Atlanta, Ga. @ The Earl
04 – Gainesville, Fla. @ The Atlantic
05 – Miami, Fla. @ Gramps
06 – Orlando, Fla. @ Will’s Pub
08 – Hattiesburg, Miss. @ Thirsty Hippo
09 – Houston, Texas @ Satelite
10 – Austin, Texas @ Hotel Vegas
11 – Dallas, Texas @ The Foundry
12 – Oklahoma City, Okla. @ 89th Street OKC
13 – Lawrence, Kan. @ White Schoolhouse
15 – Chicago, Ill. @ The Empty Bottle
16 – Detroit, Mich. @ Deluxx Fluxx
17 – Columbus, Ohio @ The Spacebar
18 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Black Forge Coffee House
19 – Philadelphia, Pa. @ World Cafe Live