It’s not often a band has one of the most iconic Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, come to their defence, but The Slants have the rare privilege of staking that claim with their 2017 case, Matal v. Tam, which found the Portland, Oregon-based all Asian American dance-rock band taking on the US Patent and Trademark Office to trademark their name.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled 8-0, that a federal law prohibiting trademark names that disparage others was unconstitutional because “speech may not be banned on the grounds that it expresses ideas that offend.”
RBG said this,
“Dance-rock band frontman Simon Tam sought to trademark The Slants. His aim was to reappropriate a term long used to disparage a minority group and to render the term a badge of pride. All of us agreed.”
With the release of their final full length album, The Band Plays On, a 14 song collection featuring a menagerie of guest vocalists including the likes of Bao, Lola Menthol, Aaron Moxley, Johnny Hi-Fi, and so many more, The Slants may have said goodbye to recording music but not to making an impact on music.
The Slants latest addition to the music world is the video for their song, “Family”. From the album, The Band Plays On, Joe X, says this about the song,
“‘Family’ was written about how being in a band parallels the up and down dynamics of an immediate family. When we planned shows in the Pacific Northwest with many former Slants members, who also performed on the recording, I knew I wanted to capture the gatherings like a family reunion. The music video serves as a gift to the fans, updating them on how these beloved bandmates are doing after so many years.”
Simon further adds this about the video that was directed by Joe,
“I think the best part of this video was being a part of it. It’s been a long journey with many folks who have come and gone in The Slants but there’s genuine brotherhood and warmth there, no matter how many cities and states away we’ve moved to over the years. Getting together one more time to share the stage, to check out the new exhibit featuring the band at the Wing Luke Museum, and breaking bread together was a dream come true – something we never imagined would happen again when we decided to take an indefinite hiatus before the pandemic.”
The video beautifully captures the familial bond of the band and serves a wonderful catch up of what past and present members of The Slants are doing.
