tontons Photo by: Jessica Grieves as printed in Hater Magazine

My Abbreviated Two Cents:

If you’ve been living in or around Houston in the last couple of years,  I’m  sure you’ve heard an excited whisper or two in regards to The Tontons.  They’ve wasted no time in capturing the ears of many a local music fan.   Their sultry brand of jazz/rock/blues/indie fusion made a buzz almost instantaneously and their live performances have gotten tighter and more representative of the quartet’s true talents.

Though they’ve only been pounding the proverbial pavement for a couple of  years, they’ve already landed some pretty impressive gigs and some stage time at SXSW. Don’t take my word for it though – be sure to check them out at the Summer Fest on Friday, August 8th at 1 PM.

For More Information on The Tontons:

The Tontons

Hater Magazine’s Interview with The Tontons

I’m a pessimist when it comes to indie music.

I always think that a band sucks until they prove otherwise.  I’ve spent countless evenings at live music venues resisting the urge to yell “boo!”, but that was until I heard the seductive sound of The Tontons.  Asli Omar, Adam Martinez, Justin Martinez and Tom Nguyen make up this motley crew of young and incredibly talented musicians.

Despite being consumed with the recording of their new album, the brood was gracious enough to meet with me at Café Brasil to discuss their inevitable future success.  Adam Martinez, lead guitarist, who apparently has an issue with tardiness, was absent  for the first half of the interview, but the other present and accounted for members more than made up for his absence.

Though excited about the April release (hopefully!) of their first full-length album, the band openly admits that deadlines are no friend of theirs.  They tend to work better under pressure and fans will appreciate the final product, even if it takes a little longer. The album is an eclectic mix of almost every genre of music. “It has a little bit of everything except metal…right now,” admits Justin.  Asli giggled in agreement, “As of right now, it’s really similar to the last album. The signature things are still there, but it’s more mature.  We don’t have as many solos and weird endings that we didn’t have figured out. Overall, it’s just a little more developed.”

After receiving the 2008 Houston Press Best New Act award, the band has seen new and important doors open up for them – making life as an up and coming indie band a lot easier.  “We just get offered shows now and I think we take that for granted,” Tom says.  In the same respect, the endearing quartet recognizes that fame, while exciting, is also limited in scope.  “It’s fun being big in Houston, but it only means something to a certain extent. Once you step outside of the city, the way people react to us is mostly like wondering who the hell we are. It’s nice to be big in Houston, but I’d rather be big in Austin because that means most likely you are big outside of Austin.  If you’re big in Houston, then you’re just big in Houston,”

And outside of Houston, the Tontons will be the only American band to play the Reeperbahn Festival showcase at SXSW. The band made their SXSW debut in 2008 and Asli encountered her first international fan. “I got stopped on the street by a foreign girl and asked me if I was the singer from The Tontons. I told her yes and her only reply was that I look really thin in person.  That would have been great to hear, but she was really negative about it.  I went and ate some barbecue and cried myself to sleep!” she joked.

Maybe being big in Houston ain’t so bad after all, guys!

Monique Crump

Reprinted with permission