On National Public Radio’s All Things Considered, April Baer profiles the Asian American band, The Slants in “The Slants: Trading in Stereotypes” (Listen here: [4 min 46 sec]):
“In the 20th century, younger members of many minority groups repurposed offensive words that had been used as slurs and insults. African Americans and gays, in particular, transformed hateful brands into badges of pride or belonging. Now, in the 21st century, a few Asian-American musicians are trying to do the same, particularly in the name they chose for their band: The Slants…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.”
The Slants got their big “break” at a anime convention (ComicCon?), where they started to grow their fan base. I took a look at their official website, and describe their sounds as a”cross between The Faint, Joy Division, Gang of Four, Depeche Mode, and the Kill Bill soundtrack.” You can listen for yourself on their MySpace page, and see their summer tour schedule. Personally, I’ve never heard of The Slants until tonight, and thought it odd that NPR did profile them, considering I don’t think that they are that great. Let me know if you think the same…
