Here's A List Of 7 Underrated Malaysian Punk Bands You Should Listen To
Viva la punk!
By Arisha Rozaidee — 27 Feb 2020, 08:47 PM
1. Shh...Diam!
Founded in 2009, Shh...Diam! consider themselves as Malaysia's first openly queer band.
According to their Facebook page, their music is heavily influenced by social commentary and politics. They wrote, "Some of our songs are about being queer and brown."
You can listen to them here.
2. DeritaxTerus
DeritaxTerus is a band straight out of Puchong, Selangor.
Their Facebook page notes that they play trashcore music, a subgenre of hardcore punk that emerged in the early 1980s.
You can listen to them here.
3. P-RM
Pronounced as 'P-dash-R-M' like PDRM (Polis DiRaja Malaysia), P-RM is a 5-piece alt-folk punk band. One of its members, Ali Rafiq Ibrahim, says that the band "combines poetry and anarchy into a less hideous sound".
Their song 'Meriam Air' is a crowd favourite. It talks about protest, water cannons, and throat irritation due to tear gas.
You can listen to them here.
4. Dum Dum Tak
Dum Dum Tak started out in 2007 playing covers of other bands. They have since moved on to perform their own music on stages across Peninsular Malaysia.
Their Facebook page notes that they've even performed at unconventional locations such as a lecture halls and a shopping complex.
You can listen to them here.
5. Minimum Wage
This band from Petaling Jaya is made up of three talented folks - Rizal, Idris, and Daniel.
Their first ever song rehearsal demo was recorded in a bedroom and released on CD-R.
You can listen to them here.
6. No Good
No Good is an up-and-coming band that hails from the east coast.
Their music contains traditional nusantara elements and they're the only local punk band to incorporate the Kelantan dialect in their lyrics.
You can listen to them here.
7. Ben's B*tches
Before the age of social media, when people were still browsing MySpace for cool music, Ben's B*tches ruled supreme. In 2004, their hit song 'Berbulu' caused i-bands.net, a website that hosted music by local bands, to crash because it couldn't handle the vast amount of downloads.
Their third and latest album Pakatan Maut was released in 2015. Ben Liew of Ben's B*tches told SAYS, "Punk is not about doing what you like, it's about doing what's right."
You can listen to their music here.
This feature is part of the #saysplaylist series, providing your playlist with a breath of fresh Malaysian air
If you have any Malaysian bands, singers, or songs that you think we should feature, drop us a message!
