Somewhere in the Between by Streetlight Manifesto free essay sample

Streetlight Manifesto (music review) There are a lot of different reasons somebody might like a certain kind of music. Maybe it’s the catchy tunes, the cool singer, or the crazy guitarist. Streetlight Manifesto is a very unique genre of music called Ska. Ska is different because it uses brass instruments, and in Streetlight Manifesto’s case, a few saxophones. Ska is sort of a mix between reggae and jazz but really fast and upbeat. Despite having a large brass section (plus several saxophones), Streetlight Manifesto possesses the traditional guitar, bass guitar, and drums. All of the seven band members sing back up on the choruses. A classic ska song would be â€Å"Walking Away† complete with solos from trombone, trumpet and bass guitar. But the lead singer/guitarist Thomas Kolnoky is probably the most important member. Thomas Kolnoky writes all the songs, usually incorporating his own past. An example is when he was in a band called Catch-22, who he wrote songs for. We will write a custom essay sample on Somewhere in the Between by Streetlight Manifesto or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page After he left that band, they kept playing his songs, and in the song â€Å"A moment of Silence† by Streetlight Manifesto he sings the phrase â€Å"if you hate me so much then stop singing my songs!† which everybody assumes to be directed at Catch-22. After a few years the two bands resolved their problems, and that line has been eliminated from the song when they play it live. Despite the upbeat tunes, a lot of the lyrics are kind of depressing. In the song â€Å"Here’s to Life†, they sing about Ernest Hemmingway’s suicide. Other examples of more serious songs are â€Å"As the Footsteps Die Out Forever†, â€Å"The Big Sleep† and â€Å"Point/Counterpoint† Streetlight Manifesto is one of my favorite bands because of the uniqueness of the music they play, even compared to other ska bands. Streetlight Manifesto uses dissonant chords once in a while, which adds more meaning to some of their songs by making it seem like more of a clash. Also, their music uses the off-beats more than the down-beats. They combine all these different characteristics with trombones, trumpets, and saxophones; which is a uniqueness all its own. The reason I love Streetlight Manifesto is because of how different it is from almost any other kind of music. That should be enough for anybody to at least check them out.