Myanmar Punk: Side Effects – “New Outfit”

Side Effect

“New Outfit”

Voice Of The Youth

As Myanmar tries to emerge from decades of army junta governments.  According to Side Effect’s bio:

Side Effect is the most energetic and invigorating indie band from Burma/Myanmar. Against a great deal of political and economic challenges, Side Effect has been rocking, irrepressibly, since 2004. The band has cultivated an indie sound that combines their poetic Burmese lyrics with their musical roots in punk, and mixes them with elements of garage rock, power pop, and back-to- the-basics rock’n’roll, in a manner similar to bands like The Strokes and The Libertines.

The band’s music draws inspiration from everyday life in Yangon and the current political shifts in Myanmar. The recent demolishing of music censorship has given them the ability to become more socio-political. The band’s songs embody the passionate resilience of youth in Myanmar; Tser Htoo, the band’s self-taught drummer, practiced by hitting on piles of books until the day he could go to the studio to play a real drum set.

While Myanmar has only recently opened up its doors after being closed for 50 years, Side Effect are ready to take on the world…

Not only does Side Effect, a Muslim band from Yangoon, deal with the repression of the government, they also have to deal with backlash from the predominately Buddhist country.  Side Effect is comprised of Darko C (vocals/ guitar), Tser Htoo (drums/ vocal), Hein Lwin ( bass), and
Eaiddhi (guitar).  This is really one of the best punk bands ever. Makes you wander what else is hidden in Myamar that we don’t know about.