Nestled in Portland, Oregon’s predominately white and hipster culture is all-Asian American dance rock band, The Slants. The Slants took their influence from grabbing onto the corners of foundational 80s synth-pop music and blending it with modern dance rock sensibilities. They call this amalgamation of contagious, energetic, and danceable music “Chinatown Dance Rock.”

Their third full-length release, The Yellow Album, explores the dichotomy between darker undertones and the thrills of new love.

The Yellow Album could be a natural progression from either 2010’s Pageantry or their 2007 debut Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts. Musically, it draws from the wider synthesizer driven palette of the first album while retaining the harder hitting rock sounds of the second. The lyrics explore the personal lives and experiences of the members of the band.

Frontman Aron Moxley’s life began with abandonment. He explains, “I was one of the babies born in Saigon during the Vietnam War. I’ll never know my real birthday, let alone find out who my mother is or know if she’s still alive.” The song “Adopted” illustrates Moxley confronting these feelings, which have plagued him for so long.

[audio:Adopted.mp3|titles=Adopted|artists=The Slants]
“Adopted” by The Slants