The Slants
The Band Plays On
The Band Plays On is the final entry in the provocative career of The Slants. The band emerged from the Portland music scene playing politically-charged, dance-oriented rock and roll. They describe their sound as “Chinatown Dance Rock,” and look to bands like Depeche Mode and New Order for inspiration. The band name is a reappropriation of an ethnic slur, turning it into a form of empowerment. They ran into trouble when they tried to trademark their name, leading to a prolonged legal battle that ended up in the Supreme Court. The Slants won the case.
The Band Plays On is another product of the pandemic. Bassist Simon Tam and guitarist Joe X Jiang were writing music but felt the timing was wrong to put together another version of the band. Their solution was to invite other Asian American musicians to play and sing on the album. Every song features guest musicians, and most have outside vocalists.
The title track, “The Band Plays On,” speaks to the anti-Asian hatred that the band has encountered and their determination to power through the pain (featuring BAO and most former members of The Slants). “Advocate” is a road song about being burned out by touring and just going through the motions (featuring Edson Choi). “One Last Summer” finds Katherine Ho reminiscing about summer love. “Say Goodbye” is a bittersweet breakup song (featuring The Complements).
Tam and Jiang decided to make this the last Slants album, because they were devoting more and more time to The Slants Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to provide mentoring and scholarships to aspiring artist–activists of color. To counter the rise in anti-Asian activity during the pandemic, The Slants Foundation rolled out the “Countering Hate with Art” campaign that funded numerous works in music, poetry, and film. So, even though the band may have gone quiet, the Slants will continue with the good fight.
