The Kominas

"Sound: Vintage-style punk mixed in with surf, psychedelia and classic South-Asian and Middle-Eastern rock.

Why You Should Care: The Kominas exist in part to challenge people’s underlying assumptions about what “punk,” “indie” or any of these descriptors mean. Some consider them leaders of so-called Tacqwacore punk movement, but labels like that don’t get at the variety in their music.These four South Asian-American, mostly Muslim men specialize in punchy, riff-heavy rock and their lyrics address the experiences of people of color and Muslims in America. (They say at least one group member is on a government watch list.) They also grapple with racist rock fans, a tokenizing music press and an underground that seems uninterested in politically aware groups of color.

The quartet’s latest album, “Stereotype,” is a raucous collection of 10 songs about Islamophobia, racism, American paranoia, non-representation, and—like all great rock bands—fun times with friends. It's a mix of staticky guitars, subtly intricate bass lines and bombastic drums that reinvent garage rock as something ripe for experimentation and reclamation by artists of color."