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For Immediate Release

THE KOMINAS and SARMUST

US Summer Tour Announced

Monday, June 29, 2009

Updated: Monday, July 27, 2009

South Asian Punks THE KOMINAS (Boston) and SARMUST (DC) are embarking west on a three week tour to bring decimation along the I-80 and I-10. Also joining them will be Propaganda Anonymous, whose undefeated free styles occupy a gray area between rap, and punk rock. They plan to raze venues through New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Utah, Nevada, California, Texas, Mississippi, up through to Virginia, Philly, and finally to New York and New England. These will be the first performances west of Chicago - concerts that have been highly anticipated since the last tour in 2007 was profiled in the Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and Maximum Rock N Roll. Garnering praise from media has been easy for the groups, who were quickly lauded for "giving disenfranchised young Muslims a voice" (The Guardian, UK), though such press is misleading. For these hooligans, the only intention is to destroy. This is not your grandfather's 1977, or your crusty uncle's 1982. These groups are here to tell you what time it is, whether they have to bum rush the show - or not.

The Kominas were formed in the summer of 2005, and have released 2 demos and one full length since, titled Wild Nights in Guantanamo Bay - which made a Boston Globe top ten list in 2008 by reviewer Siddartha Mitter. Smoked with acrid sarcasm on tracks such as “Sharia Law in the USA”, “Suicide Bomb the Gap”, and “Wal Qaeda Superstore” - conservative blogs quickly labeled them a 'Jihadi rap group'. This is inaccurate because The Kominas unload ammunition much faster than any Taliban. Like an unmanned predator drone, the group is known for providing quick blasts of bhangra infused hardcore and rap to incur maximum collateral damage. Since 2005, the band has performed with legends such as 45Grave (LA), The Genders (Tel Aviv), Riz MC (London) and M-Team (NYC).

Sarmust is a twisted splicing of anarchist sufism and indie-punk, masterminded by award winning sitar player Omar Waqar. A longtime stalwart of the DC hardcore scene, his music has become the bridge between discord and simple harmony. The band Omar took on tour with him in 2007, Diacritical, was recorded and co-produced by Don Z at inner ear studios, where legendary records by Bad Brains, Q and Not U and Fugazi were cut. Determined to disembowel Ravi Shankar with a chipped cooking spoon, Omar Waqar's take on sufism is unapologetic - the name Sarmust is taken from a famous Sindhi saint whose condemnations of the clergy lead to his decapitation. Waqar has taken Sarmust's death on like a debt that needs to be paid in blood, and probably his own.

Propaganda Anonymous (a.k.a. Prop Anon) is a Situationist art experiment embodied a s a B-Boy philosopher and media theorist submerged within the underground Hip-Hop scene of NYC. Rocking spots harder than semtex since 2002, Prop Anon released his first EP Todo Corazon to underground acclaim. This EP is currently available for free download on his website Propanon.com. Prop is releasing his first full-length album Squat the Condos this summer, and is pushing the envelope of sound into a fresh genre of Hip-Hop and Post Punk. Prop also writers a column about "Hip-Hop, Punk Rock and Consciousness" for the widely read webzine Realitysandwich.com.

About the show in Austin, Texas:

A summer concert treat for all ages on Sunday, August 9th at Red 7: Plugged-in storytelling songwriter The Cocker Spaniels opens the show, followed by a medley from all three touring performers. Hardcore sounds from Coma in Algiers caps the night on a joyfully noisy note. Transmission Entertainment, with the cooperation of DIY ATX Booking and Promotion, presents The Kominas' subsequent Austin performance, following the band's exciting SXSW 2009 Taqwacore Showcase.

Coma in Algiers join the bands on tour at Red 7 in Austin, Texas on Sunday, August 9th. CIA is an experimental hardcore band with d-i-y punk sensibilities who debuted with 2007's unofficial noise rock album of the year, This Is Your Justice. The band recently released a second album to meet similar critical and popular accolades - Your Heart Your Body. (See recent Austin Chronicle and Austinist reviews.) CIA's live performances have met with a growing fan base approval - and critical kudos as well: “This local quintet of musical misfits likes it loud and lewd... in the name of punk rock and in the vein of the Jesus Lizard on PCP... CIA's live shows always feel like they're about to derail, which is what makes them engaging.” - (Audra Schroeder, Austin Chronicle)

The Cocker Spaniels is Sean Padilla, whose “tragicomic, autobiographical songs and energetic performances” are always engaging - inspiring “laughter, thought and dancing”. Also known by fans as C.Spaniels, the Austin based singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist's full length album Withstand the Whatnot included “The Only Black Guy at the Indie Rock Show”, a favorite track among college radio DJs and listeners in 2004 and 2005. C.Spaniels opens the Red 7 show, preceding the long awaited LP release Sometimes You've Gotta Fight to Get A Bit of Piece.

Some Links of Interest:

Taqwacore: The Real Muslim Punk Underground ("All Things Considered" on NPR - July 25, 2009)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10701053

Videos
Kominas and Omar on Current TV - http://current.com/items/90212670_the-kominas-taqwa-core-and-south-asian-punk.htm
Kominas, Sarmust/Such Records on NBC Nightly News - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/30965845#30965845

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