All Asian rock band embraces their eyes

In an age where oddly clad all-male bands dominate the Indie rock scene, one band from Portland, Ore. stands out from the rest. By taking one look at the group, you see the difference I'm talking about. The Slants are embracing their ethnic heritage while rocking out. Exclusively Asian, the members – Simon Young (bass), Aron Moxley (vocals), Tyler Chen (drums) and Jonathan Fontanilla (guitar)-came together a few years ago, fulfilling Young's artistic vision of an all-Asian rock band. Here, The Vista talks with founding member, Young, about The Slants' past, present and future, in preparation of the band's upcoming San Diego shows.
"We basically had a name before we had a band," Young said. "A couple years ago, when I was watching ‘Kill Bill,' the idea came to me."
After seeing an Asian gang in the movie, Young thought how cool it would be to have an all-Asian band. The name he came up with turned an unfortunate racial slur into something positive, as this band embraces the shape of their eyes.
Simon explains, "I kind of toyed with the idea for a while and I put a ton of classified ads and flyers, just looking for Asian musicians. It took a little while, but the lineup eventually came together." In 2007, The Slants played their first show.
Once the lineup was set, the music of The Slants caught on rapidly, resonating strongly with the supportive Asian community. Particularly embraced by Anime conventions, the Slants are currently booked two years in advance for large Anime conventions across the globe in Australia, Europe and Asia. Their sometimes-fanatical fans have been dubbed The Slants' army, and propelled them band to worldwide recognition.
They also gained considerable attention when they competed in a Battle of the Bands competition for a million dollar recording deal, only to turn down the deal after being given a 76 page non-negotiable contract. "We're happy doing everything ourselves," Young stated confidently. "Everything we do is strictly our own. Doing things independently preserves the creative control and integrity we want." Considering how much attention they've received on their own merits, I have to hand it to them.
The sounds of "Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts" can be described as a synthy dance rock that they call "Chinatown Rock." It has definite Depeche Mode influences, which makes sense as Young credits them as one of his favorite bands. Their new album, "Pageantry," will be released this spring, and Young recommends the track "You Make Me Alive."
The Slants are now on their seventh tour since their recent release, "Slanted Eyes Slanted Hearts." Young describes their regular domestic route as "pretty much our standard tour, just right up and down I-5, doing the West Coast circuit." They are doing several Hot Topic shows, which is a partnership The Slants are interested in exploring despite the pared-down, acoustic quality of the shows. "We wanted to try doing some of those shows because it's smaller, and in a mall, which gets us more exposure. Also, a lot of our fans aren't 21, so this gives them a good opportunity to see us live."
In San Diego on March 12, The Slants are playing two shows, one at Hot Topic (for free, all ages) in the afternoon, and at night at the Radio Room (21+). Check them out and dance yourself silly while basking in their Asian, hard-rocking glory.