Arriving on the ska scene in 2003, Streetlight Manifesto is really a follow-up to the many bands of guitarist/singer  Tom Kalnoky. Gimp, Catch 22, and today’s Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution are other bands that Kalnoky led in his earlier years. Best known for their epic horn lines and fast-paced songs, Streetlight Manifesto did not fail to disappoint upon release of their first album, Everything Goes Numb. The following year, the band embarked on their first tour entitled the TNT tour. Their sometimes ridiculous speeds and lack of a heavy ska rhythm lead some to the assumption that they are not a very “ska” band at all. However, there are more still that have hailed in this new band as the bringers of the fourth wave of ska. Only time will tell if Streetlight has had such a dramatic impact on the ska community, though they are definitely a favorite ska band these days.

Somewhere In The Between

The band continued touring, losing their equipment one show in April 2005 and again in November of that year, until they released there new album: Somewhere In The Between in 2007. This CD contains ten rockin’ tracks that further set Streetlight into the role they were assuming. Shortly before the release of this album, the band played on the epic Shout It Loud tour with headliners Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish. This tour really helped Streetlight Manifesto become part of the ska loving community. The fans are loving it and the good times are still to come with this young and exciting band.

Streetlight Today

Recently, the band began work on the 99 Songs of A Revolution collaboration spanning between eight CD’s and four different artists related to Streetlight Manifesto. They released the first installment of this project on March 16, 2010.  Future plans for the album have not been specified aside from Bandits of the Acoustic Revolution’s participation in the project. In 2011, the band announced that they would no longer be playing under Victory Records after the release of their next album. They also made plans to play as many dates as possible during this year. During said shows, the band announced that six months of work had already been put into the new album. The band’s current lineup is Tom Kalnoky – guitar/vocals, Pete McCullough – bass, Matt Stewart – trumpet, Mike Brown – alto/bari saxophone, Jim Conti – alto/tenor saxophone/backing vocals, Chris Thatcher – drums, and Nadive Nirenberg on trombone.

Trumpet -

If you are looking for that high-pitched brassy sound, then this is definitely the trumpet for you. Bach’s Prelude trumpet offers great sound at an affordable price. Though recommended for entry level students, ska bands the world around have found that this trumpet gives them exactly what they need.

Trombone -

Conn has been making superior quality trombones for years. This particular model is no exception with its F attachment to further extend your range. Also included with your purchase is a short throw giving you a seamless transition from Bb to F.

Saxophone -

Though this is the least common ska horn, there are many different variations of it used in the genre giving the most versatility of any horn. Here are a few of the different sized saxophones.

Alto -

This is the highest pitched version of the sax that is used in ska. While there are higher saxes such as the Sopranino and Soprano, they are not commonly seen in ska. Yamaha is arguably the best name in saxophones and it is easy to see why. With adjustable thumb rests and key guard felts, this sax is totally customizable!

Tenor -

Probably the most common of the ska saxes, the tenor is adept at playing beautiful harmonies over horn lines. The silver sax from Selmer is truly a top-of-the-line product. Nowhere else will you find the soft, sweet sound of a tenor so soothing than with this Selmer.

Bari -

Finally, we come to the largest of the ska saxes; the baritone. Again, there are lower versions of the saxophone, but they are not seen in ska. The bari has a crisp, deep sound that is difficult to imitate. Selmer again makes the best saxophone money can buy.

The genre of SKA was first originated in Jamaica where it was first started in the 1950′s as a slower more reggae sounding music. The sound of ska has an upbeat happy sound that people love to dance to. Ska was later seen in the UK where it was picked up with more of a punk sound and british accents. Bands such as The Specials and Madness came up during this time and were very big in the ska genre. Later Ska was revived in the 1990′s with a faster beat and more punk. Bands such as Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake started coming up and are still playing today.

The Ska genre is a very fun genre with lots of energy. Ska is not as common as it once was but you will still find ska shows every now and then. Ska has always been big in So Cal with most of the popular third wave ska bands coming from here.

Reel Big Fish is the band that single-handedly create the popularity of ska in southern California today. Playing since 1992, this band has been rocking that ska tune since many of us were babies. All of us ska-lovers owe a tribute to RBF. They are the masters of the third wave.

Chase Long Beach -

Having been around since the turn of the millenium, Chase Long Beach has gathered a large following in a relatively short amount of time. First noticed by Reel Big Fish’s Aaron Barret, the band continued to grow in popularity and tours on a global scale today.

Starpool -

Starpool is a band that never fails to deliver. With former members of No Doubt, the band has a very professional sound and a contradictorily silly stage presence. Recently, the band released a full length album.

The B-Sharps -

The B-Sharps have been around for many years. With wacky songs like Lil’ Lora to the punk inspired Paco, this band always pleases the crowd after every show. Putting out energy is what this band is known for and they rarely fail to do so.

Dubfound -

If Ska/Reaggae is what you like then Dubfound is for you. With a mix of slow reaggae and fast punk, this band will always keep you on your toes. Featuring two singers, this band is always interesting to watch.

Defunked -

This band features a very large horn section which is what they are most known for. Defunked has many songs that cross the borders between genres which makes their songs all the more fun to listen to.

Ska originated in Jamaica in the early 1950′s and later evolved into a faster genre with ska horns and more of a punk sound. Ska was later brought to America in the third of ska with bands such as Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake, Catch 22 and much more. The Third wave of SKA was big in the 1990′s and is still popular today. New bands are starting to come up with different genre’s such as ska-core and skunk and other genres. New bands such as Streetlight Manifesto are changing the sound of the ska genre and adding a twist.Ska is most known for its upbeat sound and having different kinds of horns in the band. The most common horns found in a ska band are Trumpet, Trombone and Sax.

Different Ska Horns

Trumpet – Many ska bands have a trumpet in them as it brings out a nice brass sound with the ska music. Trumpet is one of the most common ska horn you will find in many of the different ska bands. The trumpet gives a higher brass sound.

Trombone - The trombone is also very common in many ska bands, but not as common as the trumpet. You will find trombone to have a lower brass sound and many say that the sound of a trombone resembles FARTS.

Sax – Saxophone is also another common ska horn that you will see in many ska bands. Sax is much different then trumpet and trombone because it is a different type of horn known as woodwind. You also need a wooden mouthpiece when playing the sax unlike trombone and trumpet. Sax is played by using different combinations of buttons to create different notes. The sax also comes in different sizes for lower to higher sounds. The different types of Saxophones are Barri, Tenor, Alto.

In their first days as a band, Less Than Jake came together as a power pop trio. Over time, they eventually morphed into the wacky combination of ska and punk that we all know today! After the loss of their original bassist Shaun Grief, the band recruited current bassist Roger Manginelli. Jessica Mills (saxophone) joined soon after and added to their ska/punk sound. After putting out their first 7″, Smoke Spot, the band continued playing until the release of their EP; Better Class of Losers. Just before the band’s first US tour with ska greats Skankin’ Pickle, Buddy Schaub(trombone) took a short leave and was filled in for by Derron Nuhfer(saxophone.) Derron became a permanent member in 1995. It was around this time the band’s first album debuted titled Pezcore. This album led to success in the ska-crazed generation of the 90′s.

Growth and Popularity

The band was released to Capitol Records just in time for the release of their next album; Losing Streak. Jessica Nuhfer left soon after this and was replaced by Pete Anna on trombone. Drummer Vinnie also formed his own record label called Fueled by Ramen. After the lively Ska Against Racism tour, the band released arguably their best album; Hello Rockview. Due to disputes with the record company, the band left before the next album, Borders and Boundaries, could be released. They instead released this album on Fat Wreck Chords in collaboration with Mike Burkette of NoFX. Label troubles continued with the release of their next album; Anthem. Released on Warner Bros. Records, Anthem was a much more poppy record than fans were used to.

Recent Years and Changes

After quite a long break, the band released In With the Out Crowd on Sire Records. This album received very negative reviews from many fans and led to criticism. In a response to this, drummer Vinnie again made his own record label in Sleep It Off Records which would release Less Than Jake’s future records. After a monumental tour with other ska greats of the day; Streetlight Manifesto and Reel Big Fish, as well as opener Against All Authority, the band again took time off to write their new record; GNV FLA. Though not much like the band’s older sound, this CD received much better reviews from fans and Less Than Jake once had a face in ska/punk. After the release of their brand new TV EP in which the band covers ska/punk version of old tv shows, the band’s amin stage appearance on Warped Tour 2011 was anounced. The band’s current line-up is Chris Demakes – guitar/vocals, Roger Manginelli – bass/vocals, Vinnie Fiorello – drums/lyrics, Buddy Schaub – trombone/backing vocals, JR Wasilewski – sax/ backing vocals.

Streetlight Manifesto released their new cd “99 songs of a revolution” in 2010. This cd is all songs by other musical artists that streetlight manifesto covers with a ska twist. This cd contains covers from many bands such as The Postal Service, NOFX, Paul Simon and many others. This new cd by streetlight manifesto is a great piece of work and is available for purchase online at the amazon store. You can also purchase this CD as a bundle with the other streetlight manifesto cd’s and get a good discount.

2 Tone ska started in the late 1970′s in a small city in England. This genre brought ska more of the punk genre and faster tempos. This genre was named after the record label known as “2 Tone Records”. 2 Tone Ska was mostly popular in the UK but later got popular in the US. Bands that were popular in the 2 Tone Genre were The Specials and Madness. The 2 Tone genre is also considered to be the Second Wave of Ska.

The Specials

The band that the 2 Tone Genre was most known for is The Specials. This band was formed in Coventry, England and was started by the keyboardist Jerry Dammers. The Specials have many hits such as Too Much too Young, Ghost Town and A Message to You Rudy. The Specials recently had a reunion in 2008 and are now touring and may soon possibly be recording. The Specials have been touring since their recent reunion and are soon the have their 30th anniversary.

Ska is Dead was started as a Tour to prove that ska was not dead and that there was still a ska scene and it worked very well. The tour took place in 2004 and in 2005 and has has released a CD with many various artists that play ska. There artists on these cd’s all have different style of ska from light to more punk. The Ska is Dead Tour was a Tour in the United States that went from the east coast to west and featured bands such as Catch 22, Mustard Plug and Big D and the Kids Table. These are all very well known ska bands that prove that ska is still not completely dead. Ska is still not Dead!

Ska is Dead Cd

The ska is dead Cd features many ska artists from earlier ska to new ska. The Ska is Dead Cd has 23 different artists on it and is a great buy for the ska fans. Support your Ska and keep it alive!