Streetlight Manifesto is a seven-piece third-wave ska band from New Jersey that deserves more credit and recognition than they receive. Largely a product of the genius of lead singer and guitarist, Tomas Kalnoky, the band's songs are exceptionally well-written. Kalnoky initially writes the songs using an acoustic guitar. The band later takes this blueprint and fine-tunes it, cleverly combining guitar riffs typical of ska acts with intricate horn breakdowns. In short, these guys are brilliant musicians. Any band that can incorporate a horn section rendition of Johannes Brahms' "Hungarian Dance No. 5" into one of their songs ("If and When We Rise Again") deserves all kinds of praise.
Just last year, the band released an album of cover songs, titled 99 Songs of Revolution. Covers of songs like "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service and "Just" by Radiohead showcase Streetlight's ability to rework songs into a masterpiece all their own. It's been over three years since the band released any original material, but Kalnoky recently revealed that they had been in the studio recording a new album. The album will be released this year, though a date has not been set. To say that I'm excited would be an understatement.
"If and When We Rise Again"
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