Book The Slants

The Slants were an American dance-rock band made up entirely of Asian American musicians, founded by bassist Simon Tam in Portland, Oregon, in 2006. Inspired by 1980s acts like New Order and Depeche Mode as well as the Killers and the Bravery, they called their sound "Chinatown Dance Rock." By 2009 the core lineup featured singer Aron Moxley, Tam, guitarist Jonathan Fontanilla and drummer Tyler Chen, and by 2015 the group centered on Tam, guitarist Joe X. Jiang and vocalist Ken Shima. Their releases include Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts (2007), Pageantry (2010) and The Yellow Album (2012), along with EPs and the concert film The Slants - Taiwan Tour. The band played on four continents, including tours for the Armed Forces and a set at Taiwan's Spring Scream festival. Deeply engaged with the Asian American community, members raised funds for health research and anti-bullying work and launched The Slants Foundation in 2018 to back artist-activists. The band stopped touring in 2019 and issued its final record, The Band Plays On, in 2023.