Streetlight Manifesto

In a sea of uptempo ska bands that sound strikingly similar, New Jersey’s Streetlight Manifesto make it a point to stand out, using varied guitar patterns (versus ska's traditional off-beat upstrokes) that make its songs far more textured and well-rounded that its contemporaries. Also different is the way singer Tomas Kalnoky practically raps his lyrics, squeezing lines of words into short bursts. Streetlight Manifesto—as with most ska acts—is notorious for its energetic live shows, which feature intricate horn solos, seemingly choreographed dance steps, and lots of skanking audience members. Last year, the band released 99 Songs Of Revolution: Vol. 1, the first in a series of collaborative cover albums that saw Streetlight Manifesto contributing versions of tunes by Radiohead, The Postal Service, and Bad Religion, among others.  

Updated 02/08/2011