\When I started thinking about the music topic, several bands came to mind. One of my favorite bands is called Streetlight Manifesto. Streetlight Manifesto is a ska band. They use live horns an saxophones when they perform. The reason I chose Streetlight Manifesto is because ever since I was about 6, I have been playing many different instruments. I have played guitar, drums, piano, and my favorite; saxophone. Few people have heard of this band, mostly because ska isn’t that popular of a genre. Some other bands that are considered “ska” for comparisons sake are: Reel Big Fish, Catch 22, and Mustard Plug. Streetlight Manifesto’s music is very upbeat and the horn/sax section is very prominent. Also, the lyrics are quite brilliant in my opinion. Streetlight Manifesto gets inspirations from 50’s and 60’s music, Nirvana, and look to a lot of Eastern European music to base the horn/sax parts off of. All but one of the members of Streetlight Manifesto were born in America. Tomas Kalnoky, lead singer and songwriter, originates from Czechoslovakia. I believe that he being from Eastern Europe influences a lot of their music. They just recently released their newest album; Somewhere in the Between, and have 4 or 5 other albums. This may not seem like a lot to people, but considering that you have to also account for 3 saxophones and 3 horns, it is pretty impressive. Some of my favorite songs from Streetlight Manifesto are: “Keasbey Nights”, “Kristina She Don’t Know I Exist”, “Point/Counterpoint”, A Better Place, A Better Time”, and “A Moment of Silence”. I think that Kristina She Don’t Know I Exist would happen to be my favorite of all of these. The main reason for me is the music, it is very catch and is full of saxophone and guitar solos. Also, many people can relate to the lyrics:

Not long ago in my high school days,
I watched a girl from far so away,
But every time she passed me by,
I turned my head away and quietly sighed.
And when she walked by her hair would dance,
A secret tango that only I could understand,
And when she’d ask me for the time of day,
I’d look her in the eyes and quietly say.

Oh Kristina, Kristina, do you have any clue who I am? (HELL NO!)
So listen up cause I’ll tell ya once and I’ll explain myself the best that I can, whoa,
Kristina, Kristina you don’t know me so ill have to persist, (whistle)
I’m kinda shy so no wonder why,
Kristina she don’t know I exist.

From class to class, I followed her,
But I swore id leave her undisturbed,
And if she’d ever stopped and turned around,
I’d get so nervous that I’d stare at the ground.
And then one day in photography,
I found a contact print that I could not believe,
and there she was staring back at me.
So I took her home so quietly.

Oh Kristina, Kristina, do you have any clue who I am? (HELL NO!)
So listen up cause I’ll tell ya once
and I’ll explain myself the best that I can,
Kristina, Kristina you don’t know me so I’ll have to persist, [whistle]
I’m kinda shy so no wonder why,
Kristina she don’t know I exist.

1.17.98 has been a day that I’ve come to hate,
As I walked into the video store,
There she stood as my jaw fell to the floor.
Tapping her toe, and waiting in line,
With a movie and another guy,
Why did I bother, Why did I care,
About this girl named Kristina Behr?

Kristina, Kristina, you’ll never get to know who I am (YOUR LOSS!)
This is goodbye so please don’t cry and ill let you down as softly as I can,
Kristina, Kristina, another name to cross off my list.
Another life, it could’ve been nice, but Kristina she won’t know what she missed.

I think that there are a lot of people that can relate to this song, as well as many of their other songs. I think that people should give a listen to Streetlight Manifesto and I think that many will like them.

Point Counterpoint:

Kristina She Don’t Know I exist:

http://dmig.imeem.com/music/9Z1nygSm/catch_22_kristina_she_dont_know_i_exist/

 

 

_Ihor