The Slants are an American
dance-rock
Dance-rock is a dance- infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and dis ...
band composed entirely of
Asian Americans
Asian Americans are Americans with Asian diaspora, ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are Immigration to the United States, immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants).
A ...
. The band was formed in
Portland, Oregon
Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
, by
Simon Tam in 2006. The band went through a number of early lineup changes, but had a core lineup for its albums and tours by 2009 consisting of Aron Moxley (vocals), Tam (bass, keys), Jonathan Fontanilla (guitar), and Tyler Chen (drums, backing vocals). After experiencing some transitions, the core lineup consisted of Tam, lead singer Ken Shima, and guitarist Joe X. Jiang by 2015, until the band retired from touring in 2019. The band's name originates from an effort of
reappropriation
In linguistics, reappropriation, reclamation, or resignification is the cultural process by which a group reclaims words or artifacts that were previously used in a way disparaging of that group. It is a specific form of a semantic change (i. ...
and was the source of a protracted legal battle that took them to the
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...
in the case ''
Matal v. Tam''.
Influenced by 1980s bands such as
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
and
New Order, as well as modern acts such as
the Killers
The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...
and
the Bravery
The Bravery is an American rock band formed in New York City in 2003. The band consists of lead vocalist Sam Endicott, guitarist Michael Zakarin, keyboardist John Conway, bassist Mike Hindert and drummer Anthony Burulcich. They are best know ...
, the Slants refer to their sound as "Chinatown Dance Rock". The band have released five studio albums, two EPs, and a feature-length film, ''The Slants - Taiwan Tour''. The group performed across four continents, including special tours with the Armed Forces and performing at Taiwan's Spring Scream festival.
The Slants are deeply involved with the Asian American community and racial justice work. This includes raising money for causes such as funding research into disparate rates of cancer for Asian American women, bridging divides, fighting bullying, and building community centers. In 2018, members of the band launched a own nonprofit organization (The Slants Foundation) to support other artist-activists working to address racial inequities.
In late 2019, the band took an indefinite hiatus from live touring to primarily focus. In 2023, they released their final record, ''The Band Plays On''. The two members, Simon Tam and Joe X. Jiang, still continues to compose music and occasionally perform with former bandmates, but only for special events to raise money for charitable causes. Several of the former band members serve as volunteers for The Slants Foundation, though the organization operates indepdently of the band.
Formation and name
The band was originally formed after posting ads to local classifieds,
Craigslist
Craigslist (stylized as craigslist) is a privately held American company operating a classified advertisements website with sections devoted to jobs, housing, for sale, items wanted, services, community service, gigs, résumés, and discussi ...
and online ads. The process took two years to finalize the initial line-up. Over the years, the lineup has evolved with different members stepping into the role, all with the common thread of identifying with Asian American culture.
Speaking on the band's name and the sources from which it was derived, founder/bassist
Simon Tam stated that, "
The Slants'sounds like a fun, '80s,
New Wave-kind of band. And it's a play on words. We can share our personal experiences about what it's like being people of color—our own slant on life, if you will. It's also a musical reference. There are slant guitar chords that we use in our music." The band's name also serves as a reference to the band members' ethnic identity (see
epicanthic fold
An epicanthic fold or epicanthus is a skin fold of the upper eyelid that covers the inner corner (medial canthus) of the Human eye, eye. However, variation occurs in the nature of this feature and the presence of "partial epicanthic folds" or " ...
).
Supreme Court case
Due to the connection between the Slants' name and the use of "slant" as a pejorative in relation to Asian people, the group's efforts to register the name as a trademark were the subject of a protracted legal debate.
After the band's request to register their trademark was first denied in 2010, they unsuccessfully appealed to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. In December 2015, the
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is one of the 13 United States courts of appeals. It has special appellate jurisdiction over certain categories of cases in the U.S. federa ...
overturned a previous ruling that upheld the
United States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency in the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark ...
's rejection of the band's application by striking down part of a law that allowed the government to reject trademarks it deemed offensive or disparaging to others. The majority opinion stated, in part, that "
atever our personal feelings about the mark at issue here, or other disparaging marks, the First Amendment forbids government regulators to deny registration because they find speech likely to offend others."
The case was later heard by the
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all Federal tribunals in the United States, U.S. federal court cases, and over Stat ...
in ''
Matal v. Tam'', who ruled unanimously in the band's favor.
Tam explained that while the
First Amendment
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
should protect the band's right to use the name regardless of their reasons, they had chosen the name in order "to undercut slurs about Asian-Americans that band members heard in childhood, not to promote them."
In 2019,
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...
published an extensive study on reclaiming identities based on the Slants' name and found that, "Reappropriation does seem to work in the sense of defusing insults, rendering them less disparaging and harmful". That same year, trademark law expert Elizabeth Squires wrote that, "Simon Tam's successful attempt to infuse meaning into a term by trademarking it was brilliant. He and other newly minted trademark holders have been unleashed to kick-start a new era of free speech and cultural reclamation, where we as market participants have a voice. Now, more than ever, what we have to say and what the market thinks matters. Society should take note from ''The Slants''® and we should be sure to speak loud enough and proud enough for the lexicographers to hear."
Studies conducted after the court case have also affirmed that the Slants' efforts in reappropriation was helpful in neutralizing disparaging words. Researchers have noted that, "When a group is seen as taking control of a historically disparaging term, it can indeed neutralize the insulting content of the term...and it does so among the group that is the target of the insult, as well as among members of the majority group. Reappropriation does seem to work in the sense of defusing insults, rendering them less disparaging and harmful".
Musical style
The Slants describe themselves as "Chinatown Dance Rock" and plays synth-pop music similar to groups such as
CHVRCHES
Chvrches (stylised CHVRCHΞS and pronounced "Churches") are a Scottish synth-pop band from Glasgow, formed in September 2011. The band consists of Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, Martin Doherty and, unofficially since 2018, Jonny Scott. Mostly deriv ...
and
I AM X while incorporating some rock sounds like
Bleachers
Bleachers (North American English), or stands, are raised, tiered rows of benches found at sports-fields and at other spectator events. Stairways provide access to the horizontal rows of seats, often with every other step enabling access to a ...
and
The Killers
The Killers are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2001 by Brandon Flowers (lead vocals, keyboards, bass) and Dave Keuning (lead guitar, backing vocals). After the band went through a number of short-term bas ...
. Their influences include 1980s groups such as
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
,
The Cure
The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Reev ...
,
Duran Duran
Duran Duran () are an English pop rock band formed in Birmingham in 1978 by singer Stephen Duffy, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and guitarist/bassist John Taylor (bass guitarist), John Taylor. After several early changes, the band's line-up settled ...
, and
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris (musici ...
.
The band has been grouped with various genres, including
alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
,
indie rock
Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
,
new wave,
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
, and
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
.
History
2006–2009: ''Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts''
The Slants were founded in
Portland, OR
Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
by
Simon Tam in 2006. Within a few months of their first show, the band released their debut album, ''Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts''. The album was listed in the top 5
Asian-American
Asian Americans are Americans with ancestry from the continent of Asia (including naturalized Americans who are immigrants from specific regions in Asia and descendants of those immigrants).
Although this term had historically been used for ...
albums of 2007 by AsiaXpress and has won accolades such as "Album of the Year" from the
Portland Music Awards,
Willamette Week
''Willamette Week'' (''WW'') is an alternative weekly newspaper and a website published in Portland, Oregon, United States, since 1974. It features reports on local news, politics, sports, business, and culture.
History
Early history
'' ...
, RockWired, and others. The Slants were cited as the "Hardest Working Asian American Band" The Slants were named the world's first Asian American
Fender Music spotlight artist.
In 2008, the Slants competed in ''Bodog Music Battle of the Bands'' for the opportunity to be featured on the
Fuse TV reality show
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
and win a $1 million recording contract. The band consistently placed first in every round of the competition. However, when they learned that they would be required to sign a 73-page non-negotiable contract in order to continue the competition, they dropped out. The band reasoned: "This was just not the right fit for our band at this time – or any band, really." This was one of several recording contracts that the band rejected. That same year, founder
Simon Tam rejected a $4 million recording contract who wanted to replace the lead singer with someone who was white. The following year, the Slants were featured in a SXSW showcase and launched several more tours spanning North America.
During this time, the band shed several of its short-term members, including both on-stage keyboardists, and solidified its lineup with Tyler Chen (drums) joining original members Simon Tam (bass), Aron Moxley (vocals), and Jonathan Fontanilla (guitar). They also were becoming a fan-favorite due to frequent appearances at anime conventions, with NPR writing that, "The Slants' songs about Asian-American alienation don't seem to have hurt their appeal to white teenagers. If anything, they resonate with kids whose geeky adoration for anime makes them outsiders in their own way."
2009: ''Slants! Slants! Revolution''
In 2009, the band released a collection of
Dance Dance Revolution
(''DDR'') is a music video game series produced by Konami. Introduced in Japan in 1998 as part of the Bemani series, and released in North America and Europe in 1999, ''Dance Dance Revolution'' is the pioneering series of the rhythm and dance ...
-styled remixes of their debut album, ''Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts,'' called ''Slants! Slants! Revolution'' and donated 100% of the profits to cancer research for Asian women because they experience higher rates of cancer than any other ethnic group. The production of the remixes was led by former band member Michael "Gaijin" Pacheco and Justin Cooper (under the name Son of Rust).
2010–2012: ''Pageantry''
In 2010, the Slants released their third album, ''Pageantry''. ''Pageantry'' featured a number of local icons including Cory Gray (
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an American indie rock band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 2000. The band consists of Colin Meloy (lead vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, multi-instrumentalist), Jenny Conlee (piano, keyboards, accordion, backing vocals ...
), Krista Herring, Mic Crenshaw, and Gabe Kniffin (Silversafe). Thai Dao also joined the band as keyboardist and guitarist after the release of the album. From ''Pageantry'', the band released two music videos, including "How the Wicked Live" and "You Make Me Alive." During this time, the band was also advised to register their name as a trademark. However, the application was rejected under Section 2A of the
Lanham Act
The Lanham (Trademark) Act (, codified at et seq. () is the primary federal statute governing trademark law in the United States.
The Lanham Act establishes a national system of trademark registration and grants owners of federally registe ...
, under the claim that the band's name was disparaging to persons of Asian descent. The band appealed.
In 2011, the Slants were featured on the front page of the Oregonian for fighting the
United States Patent and Trademark Office
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency in the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce that serves as the national patent office and trademark ...
over the right to protect their name. Despite several appeals, the Trademark Office continued to refuse registration. That same year, The Slants was added to the
Armed Forces Entertainment roster and invited to perform for active troops serving overseas.
The band's extensive touring led to them sharing the stage with acts such as
apl.de.ap
Allan Pineda Lindo (born November 28, 1974), known professionally as apl.de.ap ( ), is a Filipino-American rapper, singer and record producer. He is a founding member of the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas (BEP). With the BEP, he has been nomin ...
(of
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...
),
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend are an American Rock music, rock band formed in New York City in 2006 and currently signed to Columbia Records. The band was formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Ezra Koenig, multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij, drummer Chr ...
,
Girl Talk,
Girugamesh
is a Japanese rock band, formed in 2003. Their name is sometimes stylized with a metal umlaut as girugämesh and is derived from the ''Final Fantasy'' character. They disbanded on July 10, 2016, although announced a new song, to celebrate lab ...
,
M.O.V.E
Move (styled as M.O.V.E or m.o.v.e, and previously as move) was a Japanese band. The band consisted of producer t-kimura (), rapper motsu () and singer Yuri (Japanese singer), yuri (). t-kimura left the band in 2009.
History
t-kimura formed the ...
and
Boom Boom Satellites
were a Japanese electronic music duo consisting of guitarist and vocalist Michiyuki Kawashima and bassist and programmer Masayuki Nakano. They were signed to Sony Music Entertainment Japan, with whom they released all of their albums in Japan.
...
.
2012–2014: ''The Yellow album''
After returning their European tour, the Slants returned to the studio to write and record ''The Yellow Album'' (2012). The album was recorded and engineered by Simon Tam (House of the Rising Sun), Tyler Chen (Chen Mountain Studios), and Scott Craig (Ripcord Studios). It was mastered by Adam Gonsalves (Telegraph Mastering).
''The Yellow Album'' featured several singles and the band greatly expanded their collection of music videos at this time. This included music videos for the songs "Love Letters From Andromeda" and "Misery" as a collaboration with films
Tai Chi Zero and
Tai Chi Hero, starring
Tony Leung,
angelababy
Angela Yeung Wing ( zh, s=杨颖, p=Yáng Yǐng; born 28 February 1989), better known by her stage name Angelababy, is a Chinese model and actress. In 2013, she was chosen by '' Southern Metropolis Entertainment Weekly'' as one of the New Fou ...
, and action choreography by
Sammo Hung
Samuel "Sammo" Hung Kam-bo ( zh, t=洪金寶, j=Hung4 Gam1-bou2; born 7 January 1952) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and Film director, director, known for his work in martial arts films, Hong Kong action cinema, and as a figh ...
. The band also debuted their video for "Just One Kiss" on
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien (born April 18, 1963) is an American television host, comedian, writer, actor, and producer. He is best known for having hosted Late-night talk show, late-night talk shows, beginning with ''Late Night with Conan O'B ...
's
Team Coco, filmed at
Otakon
Otakon ( ) is an annual three-day anime convention held during July/August. From 1999 to 2016, it took place at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland's Inner Harbor district; in 2017, it moved to the Walter E. Washing ...
.
Following multiple national tours in support of ''The Yellow Album'', longtime members Fontanilla (guitar) and Moxley (vocals) left the band. Will Moore of The Adarna stepped in as lead guitarist and occasional vocalist during this time.
2014–2017: ''Something Slanted This Way Comes''
Ken Shima joined the band as lead singer, replacing vocalist Aron Moxley, in 2014. Shortly after, Joe X. Jiang became the band's guitarist, with Dao and Moore stepping down from the role. The band quickly organized a national tour, called "Slantsgiving" to introduce Shima and Jiang to fans and to promote their upcoming album release and a new smartphone designed by Neoix. The band released ''Something Slanted This Way Comes'', a compilation album of their previous hits re-recorded featuring the vocals of new lead singer Ken Shima. Power of Pop described it as "Parlaying a dynamic affinity for 80s synth-pop/new wave, the Slants combine danceable rhythms with catchy pop tunes that immediately grab the listener's attention. Lyrically, the band highlight their Asian roots and provide a rare insight that other bands might not be equipped for."
During this time, the band also continued appealing for their trademark registration and eventually argued in front of the
United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (in case citations, Fed. Cir. or C.A.F.C.) is one of the 13 United States courts of appeals. It has special appellate jurisdiction over certain categories of cases in the U.S. federa ...
with support from the
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is an American nonprofit civil rights organization founded in 1920. ACLU affiliates are active in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. The budget of the ACLU in 2024 was $383 million.
T ...
. On December 22, 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in favor of the Slants, striking down a portion of Section 2A of the Lanham Act as unconstitutional. The United States Patent and Trademark Office appealed to the Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the case.
In 2016, the band worked with Rukus Avenue in collaboration with the
to release a song in support the #ActToChange anti-bullying movement. The song, ''From the Heart'', made headlines for speaking directly to the Trademark Office's oppressive actions that eventually led the band before the Supreme Court. During this time, longtime drummer Chen retired from the band to move to Seattle, WA. The band recruited Yuya Matsuda as a temporary replacement and began working on a new record.
2017–2019: ''The Band Who Must Not Be Named EP''
On 11 January 2017, the band released ''The Band Who Must Not Be Named'', one week before their appearance at the Supreme Court. The title is a "jab at the Trademark Office" from "the anti-racist band that the government calls racist". For this release, the band worked with Track Town Records in Jiang's hometown of
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie River (Oregon), McKenzie and Willamette River, Willamette rivers, ...
. The EP's main single, a fully completed version of the song "From the Heart," was quoted in multiple stories about the band's legal journey.
After returning from Washington, DC, the band launched an ambitious national tour, with over 70 appearances in 60 days, which included multiple speaking engagements by
Simon Tam, sharing legal insights from their case at law schools, bar associations, and advocacy organizations.
On 19 June 2017, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in the Slants' favor.
The band continued touring nationally using fill-in drummers, including Randy Bemrose of
Radiation City. In 2018, they collaborated with
WNYC Studios for a single called "18 21" to be included in a
More Perfect series, joining the likes of
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actress, and philanthropist, known primarily as a country music, country musician. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton's debut album ...
and
Devendra Banhart
Devendra Obi Banhart (born May 30, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Texas and raised in Venezuela and California. In 2000, he dropped out of the San Francisco Art Institute to pursue a musical career. ...
.
2019: ''The Slants EP''
In 2019, the Slants released a self-titled EP, the final album featuring Ken Shima as lead singer of the group. That same year, the band started a nonprofit organization, The Slants Foundation to fund and mentor artists-activists of color, and eventually expanded their philanthropic efforts. The band announced an indefinite hiatus from touring.
On 2 and 4 November 2019, the band performed their final shows in Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. The shows featured nearly every former member of the band, including longtime vocalist, Aron Moxley. Shortly after, the
Portland Monthly published a piece on the legacy of the Slants, saying, "Yes, they're the Trademark Band (sorry, guys). And yes, they're Chinatown dance rock. But after the lights fade from the walls of the Doug Fir Lounge, they're the band that hangs back to say hi. They're the band that signs
hings for longtime fans10 years later."
2023: ''The Band Plays On''
In 2022, the Slants announced they were writing songs for a new and final record that would highlight other voices across their community. Joe and Simon wrote and composed the music, but most of the playing/singing would feature other AAPI artists, new and classic. In March 2023, they announced the album's title, ''The Band Plays On.'' On July 24, 2023, they announced the new album would be released Oct. 10, with 3 reunion release shows featuring special guests
Bao VoEdson Choi SurrijaDarro an
Krost
Activism and philanthropy
Since its origins, the Slants have been involved with
social justice
Social justice is justice in relation to the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society where individuals' rights are recognized and protected. In Western and Asian cultures, the concept of social justice has of ...
organizations across the country to bring more attention to issues pertaining to marginalized communities. On a local level, the band worked with groups like the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO) to build a new community center, revitalize a neighborhood through economic prosperity initiatives, and voter registration campaigns. Internationally, the band helped raise money to rescue North Korean refugees through Liberty in Korea.
In 2009, they released a special remix album where 100% of profits were donated to help fund research on the disparities faced by Asian women in cancer research.
In 2011–2012, the band toured military bases for troops serving overseas to highlight diverse experiences shortly after the high-profile suicide of
Danny Chen.
In addition, they were invited by the Oregon State Penitentiary's Asian Club to perform for inmates. In 2017, they were invited to participate in President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
's Act to Change campaign by the
to aid in the campaign against bullying. The compilation album released as a result ironically included the band's single, ''From The Heart'', which served as an "open letter to the Trademark Office", released one month before the band appeared before the Supreme Court.
In 2019, the band released the single "Anthem" as to highlight issues of police brutality. The band gave the song free to anyone willing to donate to an organization working on issues of racial justice. They have also produced other music videos to highlight issues around social justice and civic engagement.
The Slants started their own nonprofit organization, The Slants Foundation, to provide mentoring and scholarships to aspiring artist–activists of color.
It is a volunteer-driven organization that is working to create a community that is "dedicated to providing unique perspectives to social issues – their own 'slant' on the world."
During the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
in 2020, The Slants Foundation responded to the
rise in attacks on the Asian American community and impact on the artists by funding projects that sought to create meaningful connections rooted in empathy. The "Countering Hate with Art" campaign helped fund numerous works in music, poetry, and film.
In 2021, members of the band helped launch CPOC Music, the first U.S-based music business conference for and by artists of color.
Today, several former band members serve as volunteers and members of the board of directors for The Slants Foundation.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Slants, The
2006 establishments in Oregon
Rock music groups from Oregon
Asian-American culture
American musicians of Asian descent
Musical groups established in 2006
Musical groups from Portland, Oregon
Dance-rock musical groups