(Alien Boys / Bandcamp)
Alien Boys are a punk band based in Vancouver, BC. It began when members Lindsay (drums) and Alex (rhythm guitar) began jamming together in 2015. They began as a duo, but as time went forward they welcomed Megan on bass and Sarinn as lead vocalist. Sarinn brought in tow a background of slam poetry that would contribute to the development of the band. The band has created a strong political voice within their music, addressing issues like addiction, marginalization, grief, and resilience. They have strong embodiment similar to bands like Propaganda, The Rebel Spell, with emotion like Fugazi and Against Me!
While their audio is more refined and cultivated than their punk predecessors, The Dishrags, it still holds all the weight, smack, and grit that you find in wonderful punk music.
The thing I love most about punk music is its ability to create social change through a medium of raw frustration and in-your-face not-going-to-hide-it lyric ability. In their song ‘Bender’, a jam that has MANY MANY listens from me on Spotify, they speak a vivid truth about addiction. It creates a narrative around substance use and the emotional turmoil that goes hand-in-hand with the cycle of mental health and substances. The lyrics seek to tamper the agony of living through substances that seem to help only temporarily, but undoubtedly unfolds the whole other mess of consequences that follow. In “Wine, Weed, and Whisky” the conversation surrounds the use of substances as a coping mechanism for hopelessness and despair. It calls out the normalizing of substance use in social settings and societal structures that perpetuate these behaviours. Finally in their song “Shrinkwrap” it again sheds light on the mass amount of societal expectations and internal struggles that lead to substance abuse.
These types of conversations are more important than ever with the climate of Vancouver’s DTES. Due to poverty, trauma, colonization, housing insecurity, mental health, and systemic failure – Vancouver is witnessing one of the most heartbreaking public health crises in Canada. In fact tourists will ask to drive through the streets of Tent City just to gawk at the zoo of other-izing being created. Drug and substance use in our DTES has been displayed as such a struck of luck issue that only affects “certain humans” when in fact substance abuse rings throughout our communities to person of every walk of life… and can even be seen in our clubs and music venues.
Therefore it is a refreshing change of tactic for a musician to talk about the power of substance use, the traits that trigger it, and the society that reinforces it in such a blunt manner.
(Alien Boys / Bandcamp)
Alien Boys have played at notable Vancouver venues such as Red Gate Arts Society, Green Auto, The Fox Cabaret, The Rickshaw Theatre, The Wise Hall, and The Commodore Ballroom. Almost every single niche alt-music venue you could think of here in Vancouver! In fact in 2024 Alien Boys opened for DOA and Wait//Less at the Commodore Ballroom.
The next show you should keep your eyes on is June 20, 2025 at Red Gate Arts Society. There they’ll be sharing the stage with Kids of Fire, Contra Code, and Brasser. Tickets are a mere $15!!! Easy peasy. While this is not an all ages show, Alien Boys are active in the Vancouver punk scene and show their support by performing in all ages shows and grassroots venues. The maintain involvement in harm reduction and activism that is affecting all of us here in Vancouver, BC.
For more about Alien Boys click the links below:
You can also find their music on Spotify and Bandcamp.
Written by Volante Matheson, Radio Arts & Entertainment at BCIT
Contact: vmatheson1@my.bcit.ca