In 1996 Thomas Kalnoky (Also Toh Kay for short), and Chris Greer started Catch 22, recruiting Kevin Gunther and Ryan Eldred as well, by 1998 they would release their first album, Keasbey Nights, and I highly recommend going and listening to 1234 1234 off of that album. I'll be here waiting for you when you get back, go on now.
Alright have you gone and listened to it? Good. What you just listened to was the last time this band would be whole.
If this was a video essay this is where I'd play the cinematic intro, ending with the title
The Catch 22/Streetlight Manifesto Story
or something.
Anyways, after this album, lead singer and lyricist Thomas Kalnoky would leave the band after this first album, bringing a couple of members of Catch 22 with him, to make the band Streetlight Manifesto. Something that both bands have in common is that their members are essentially a rotating door of talent coming and going with Catch 22 having a total of 15 members across their existence, and Streetlight Manifesto having a total of 18 members. This sort of thing is just kinda par for the course for Ska Bands, as The Aquabats have had 19 members across their existence, and The Mighty Mighty Bosstones have had 13.
Anyways, Catch 22 followed Toh Kay's departure up with a couple albums, none of them quite living up to their debut album, despite songs such as "No Love For the Roadie" being on them, which I have in the past described as "What if Jessie Pinkman tried to rap". Streetlight Manifesto would get around to releasing their first album in 2003, to critical acclaim, and it would include the song "A Moment of Silence" which had the line "If you hate me so much then stop singing my songs" a clear jab at Catch 22.
Now, I may be missing something, but it really seems like this feud is pretty one sided, as Catch 22 doesn't really talk about Toh Kay much, and there doesn't seem to be much animosity from them. The closest thing to a response to that comes off C22's next album, in 2003, with the song So Cold, where they basically say "You're still mad about us rhyming up with up? We miss you". As a whole, this album, Dinosaur Sounds, has been received better than their last couple, although still doesn't quite live up to their debut, but really it isn't trying to, Catch 22 hasn't had Toh Kay in the band for 5 years at this point, and have really started to come into their own without him, and it's become clear that he's kinda a perfectionist, and that just really didn't vibe with the rest of the band, so he left.
Toh Kay's perfectionism really comes through on his next album though, "Keasbey Nights"... wait what? Okay so, C22 and SM were both on the same Record Label, Victory Records, a label that has basically always been embroiled in criticism and drama. Anyways, they wanted C22 to rerelease Keasbey Nights, and Toh Kay caught wind of this and was like "Hey, I'm not just going to let you sell people an album they already own with no changes" and so he got Streetlight Manifesto together, and they rerecorded the entire album. It's basically the same, with all of the songs being a bit tighter, and a couple lines and instruments changed, with one big notable exception. As you'll recall the end of 1234 1234 (You did listen to it right?), has the band basically unscriptedly thanking people who made the album happen, while the music continues on, and it's a lot of fun, they're all kinda goofy, and clearly just enjoying each other. Well you see, Toh Kay, did not do that.
Instead, at the end of Streetlight Manifesto's version there is a text to speech transcript of an interview that has Toh Kay explaining why this album exists. And it kinda makes the song unlistenable. Oh well. Anyways, Catch 22 had 1 more album after this, in 2006, titled Permanent Revolution, about the life of Leon Trotsky, which is all around an incredible album, despite the fact that it's a major departure from their older stuff. C22 by this point has absolutely proven that they are beyond needing Toh Kay, and honestly I think that's great. Streetlight Manifesto would release a couple more albums as well, Somewhere in the Between (2007), and The Hands that Thieve (2013), and they would take some shots at C22, which just kinda feels petty at this point. Both albums are pretty great though, definitely recommend We Will Fall Together, and The Three of Us. Neither band ever fully dissolved, going on Tours occasionally, and still working on music in the background. Both bands are scheduled to release music soon, with C22 having announced in 2023 that they were working on new songs, and SM announcing an album that comes out in June of this year. (Editor's note: lol. lmao.)
Who knows how it will go! okay love you bye.
<= Previous Index Next =>