Grit is a global movement.
There isn’t a lot of South Asian punk rock, but we like to thrash just the same. Pop culture has a tendency of being white-washed. Punk rock and DIY spaces have a history of sexual abuse and violence — especially towards those who identify as women and women of color.
This playlist is an effort to acknowledge and recognize the talent and work of some of our own. From Bangladesh to Bangalore to Boston, you’ll hear a variety of bands that cross sub-genres of rock, including punk, surf, metal, and more.
Here are some tidbits on some of the bands featured:
- The Tuts — London based trio of lady rockers. As Bristol Live writes, you can expect “a three-tone, feminist, debauched whirlwind of politics, punk, girl-power, and giving zero fucks.”
- Awaaz Do — Boston-based band that started out as rock covers of Bollywood songs, but has now turned into a unique sound that jumps borders, languages, and genres.
- Warfaze — A Bangladeshi hard rock band around since the early 80s. Warfaze is often credited as pioneers in the Bangladeshi rock scene.
- Urvah Khan — Toronto-based Urvah Khan is committed to breaking boundaries — of sound, politics, and scenes. Khan’s music recognizes and encompasses the history she comes from — in an effort to “share with audiences… to help heal their hearts.”