In 2003, Michael Muhammad Knight, a religiously angry Catholic, based off of the twin strengths of the vitriolic fervor of Public Enemy and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, decided to embrace Islam. A convert at 15, by 25, he grew annoyed by the orthodox concept of the religion, and, while on his own personal quest to understand the importance and necessity to faith in his existence, wrote a book, The Taqwacores, a novel that challenged orthodox views of Islam by being about a Muslim punk band, and accidentally started an amazing musical development
Taqwacore, or the movement inspired by Knight’s tome, is all about American Muslim youth playing punk music that deals with the nature of being most certainly Muslim, but in being raised in and by a nation not dominated by Muslim rule, most certainly free and willing to have a completely fresh interpretation of religion’s place in their lives. It’s a blend of DIY culture, inversion of established Muslim standards, a unique take that is certainly intriguing, and in promoting a style of music that is both highly entertaining and intellectually progressive makes Philadelphia’s Sunny Ali and the Kid and Boston’s Kominas bands worth watching.
http://www.youtube.com/v/NrypdueIJew?fs=1&hl=en_US
Boston’s Kominas continue to improve. With a sound that continues to evolve into an inherently pop punk friendly ska trending style, the band will always be of social interest because of their embrace of the taqwacore aesthetic. However, the real development for the band is taking the increasingly high level of political intrigue surrounding the band’s iconoclastic view of the universe and blending it with a sound that has potential to make them a punk band of note to watch on the retooling underground scene. Having toured the UK and yes, their county of native ancestry, Pakistan in their brief history is indicative of both their talent and importance. Outside of Brooklyn’s Death Set and Cerebral Ballzy having the lead insofar as punk acts with a more traditionally out of left field style, sound, look and feel, if you want your punk rock turned up to 11 on a more intellectual front, the Bostonians are absolutely for you.
2008 debut Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay is a vastly underrated vitriolic shock of angst, tracks like “Sharia Law in the USA” (whose amazing video clip is shown above) and “Suicide Bomb the GAP” are tongue in cheek yet inherently angry tunes that owe as much to agit prop politics as to great hooks and catchy melodies. For 2010 follow up Escape to Blackout Beach, the taqwacore front runners have embraced an even more low-fi sound, owing much to attempting to develop their sound as to having a response to current cultural concepts of underground rock. The work is still solid, and it actually gives the band an opportunity to sneak up on the average rock listener then wallop them over the head with their thoughtful intensity.
http://www.youtube.com/v/dMUfqQEwWZc?fs=1&hl=en_US
If you needed a low-fi underdog to get behind, definitely look no further than Philadelphia, PA’s Sunny Ali and the Kid. There may be nothing more emblematic of taqwacore in music right now than lanky Sunny Ali as the frontman of a two piece country trending Muslim punk ensemble wearing a cowboy hat and cowboy boots onstage. It’s a deft tip of the hat to the band’s politics, and with a sound owing more to the Grand Old Opry than CBGB, they’re easily the freshest sound in underground punk at the moment. Their three free releases in 2010, Try Harder, Spook Wave and Kids show a duo having fun with music and developing their craft, showing unlimited potential by distilling a plethora of influences by filtering them through their cowboy punk prism. In fact, in listening to their label mates on indie brand Poco Party the aforementioned Kominas latest release, their sound has influenced them as well. It’s classically pop, and in a musically aggressive environment completely forward trending.
http://www.youtube.com/v/uDxpalOentc?fs=1&hl=en_US
If you absolutely need a new band to get behind, and are tired of the melodramatic offerings of Pitchfork’s favorite bands of 2010, seriously give The Kominas and Sunny Ali and the Kid your undivided attention. In advocating intellectually stimulating politics as well as making sound pop punk that doesn’t offend one’s sonic sensibilities, they’re worth the effort. Is 2010 the year punk turns brown? Certainly. In being a fun and yet another welcome breath of fresh air into the underground atmosphere, the continuing redefinition of trending below the radar sounds gets more winners.
For all Kominas (inexpensive) and Sunny Ali and the Kid (free) downloads, visit http://www.pocoparty.com, and follow @SunnyAliandtheKid and @TheKominas on Twitter! Enjoy!
elivindotorg 