Tjinder and Avtar Singh use satire to attack Asian stereotypes head-on, starting with their band’s name, Cornershop. Their songs are full of shrewd political commentary, and deal with racism, politics, and pop culture, sometimes all at once. Their single “England’s Dreaming” name-checks the Sex Pistols, Morrissey, and Public Enemy as it takes on the “racist, sexist, homophobic powers that be.” The brothers’ syncretic music reflects their experience as children of immigrants. Slabs of bludgeoning punk rock jostle for space with Pakistani folk tunes, trippy dance beats, and the odd Johnny Cash sample. Tjinder sings in both Punjabi and English, often electronically distorting his voice to sound like a street-corner preacher with a malfunctioning megaphone. The resulting multicultural cacophony is often delightfully catchy and never less than provocative. This is Cornershop’s Chicago debut. Motorhome and Sardina open. Saturday, 10 PM, Double Door, 1572 N. Milwaukee; 489-3160.
Art accompanying story in printed newspaper (not available in this archive): photo/Alison Wonderland.