The Tontons: “Golden”
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Way back in 2009, The Tontons gave an interview with the Houston Chronicle in which frontwoman Asli Omar had this to say about her band’s sound: “When we first started playing music we made jokes about the way we wanted to sound. We joked that our main goal was to make ‘sexy music.’” With the band’s slinky, sometimes arty, sometimes jazzy sound and Omar’s sultry voice, all joking aside, almost three years after the interview, the Houston-based quartet are pretty darn close to achieving that goal.
The Tontons are Omar on vocals, bassist Tom Nguyen, guitarist Adam Martinez and his brother Justin on drums. Star Wars fans (I am loathe to call them “nerds” because I count myself in that bunch) may recognize (and maybe criticize, because it’s a misspelling) the band name from the weird camel-meets-ostrich animal (with the smelly insides) Luke and Han ride on the snow planet of Hoth. The Tontons have become local Bayou City favorites since put out their first record, the loose, jazzy Sea and Stars EP, back in 2008. The following year the band released their 2009 eponymous full-length debut. You can hear the the band’s evolution, even in the short span between. From the EP to the LP, The Tontons get tighter and the sounds brighter and more adventurous.
The Tontons latest, October 2011′s Golden EP, is their most cohesive and polished yet. The record’s title track is today’s song of the day. The tune has a disco, hi-hat-riding rhythm and the production just shimmers. Omar has amazing emotional range in her voice, from “come hither” to “get back.” With “Golden” they are definitely on their way to making sexy music.
You can hear for yourself this Friday when The Tontons come to Austin to play Stubb’s along with Wild Child and Emily Wolfe.
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