The Slant (band)
Encyclopedia
The Slant
The Slant was an experimental, psychedelicPsychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
, indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
,
alternative
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
, folk/rock music group based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. The group has received favorable reviews from National Public Radio and various other media outlets.
The Slant used
traditional and non-traditional instruments as well as various sounds produced by objects not typically classified as
instruments. These sounds can include desks, doors, suitcases, drawers, nails on chalkboard, cigarboxes, pages fluttering, TV static, forks, hammering of nails, amp pops, firebells,
vacuum cleaners, and stairwells.
History
The band had five members - Brad Austin, Zach Dow, Adam Dow, and Mark Zedonek of Coudersport, PennsylvaniaCoudersport, Pennsylvania
Coudersport is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, east by south of Erie on the Allegheny River. The populations were these: 1,530 in 1890; 3,217 in 1900; and 3,100 in 1910. The population was 2,650 at the 2000 census...
, and Andre Costello of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
Ellwood City, Pennsylvania
Ellwood City is a borough in Beaver and Lawrence counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Ellwood City is 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh and some 8 miles south by southeast of New Castle...
. Formed in 2007, the group has performed in and throughout the eastern United States. Live shows are energetic and feature variations of recorded material and an occasional joke or two.
After being featured on National Public Radio, the group
recorded The Makings of This House (released in 2009) and has performed with artists and groups including
Blind Pilot
Blind Pilot
Blind Pilot is an American indie folk band based in Portland, Oregon. Their debut album, 3 Rounds and a Sound, reached number 13 on the Billboard Top Digital Albums chart....
, Nicholas Megalis
Nicholas Megalis
Nicholas Megalis is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and producer.His music has been featured on MTV, covered nationally in music magazines such as SPIN and the Alternative Press, as well as regionally and locally with reviews and articles appearing in The Free Times, Cleveland Scene, and...
, Paleface
Paleface
Paleface is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and artist who has been active in the music business in the United States since 1989.-Early career:...
, Megafaun, Sybris
Sybris
-History:Sybris formed in 2003 in Chicago. The name is an intentional misspelling of Sybaris, an Ancient Greek city. They signed to Flameshovel Records for the release of their 2005 self-titled debut. A national tour followed the album's release...
, and many
others*. The
Slant performs regularly at the Austin Dam Show: a grassroots folk festival held in Austin, Pennsylvania
Austin, Pennsylvania
Austin is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 623 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Austin is located at ....
at the site of
the historic Austin Dam
Austin Dam
Austin Dam was a dam in the Freeman Run Valley, Potter County, Pennsylvania, which serviced the Bayless Pulp & Paper Mill. A failure of the dam in 1911 caused significant destruction in the valley below.-History:...
tragedy. Additionally, the group
has worked with Advanced Alternative Media with The Makings of This House, reaching new college-age fans across the United
States.
On 14 June 2010, the band disbanded due to lack of collective cooperation and creative tension amongst members. They played their final show in Coudersport, Pennsylvania
Coudersport, Pennsylvania
Coudersport is a borough in Potter County, Pennsylvania, east by south of Erie on the Allegheny River. The populations were these: 1,530 in 1890; 3,217 in 1900; and 3,100 in 1910. The population was 2,650 at the 2000 census...
on 17 July 2010.