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Hailing from Santa Barbara,
California, Rebelution has
developed into the front runner
for grassroots, independent and
touring driven music groups
representing the Cali-Reggae
scene. Originally formed in
2004, members Eric Rachmany
(vocals / guitar,) Rory Carey
(keyboards,) Wesley Finley
(drums,) and Marley D. Williams
(bass) met in college, while
residing in Isla Vista, a
popular beachside community in
Santa Barbara. It was there that
the seeds to Rebelution’s future
would be planted-- and would
instill their kick back, “worry
free” vibes, catchy refrain, and
optimistic, inspiring, and
engaging music that would leave
their listeners with the sense
that they have the power to make
this world a better place.
Throughout 2004-05, Rebelution
began to build momentum through
consistently playing local shows
and by independently releasing
an EP. Before they knew it, they
were one of the biggest drawing
bands, not just in the reggae
genre, but in the entire area.
“It definitely went to the next
level when we literally had
thousands of people watching us
perform in Isla Vista on Friday
nights,” shares Rachmany. The
band’s upbeat, highly danceable
grooves were charting a direct
course for bigger and better
things.
Rebelution released their first
full-length album “Courage to
Grow” in June 2007, which would
become the breakthrough album
for the band. The album was
praised for its crafty melodies,
socially-conscious lyrics, and
savvy musicianship. Rebelution
quickly became known for
sticking strongly to the roots
of vintage reggae sound, all
while appealing not only to
reggae listeners, but also to
music fans of all genres.
“Courage to Grow” went on to
garner mass downloads and radio
play on monster stations such as
San Francisco’s Live 105 where
their single “Safe and Sound”
was played on heavy rotation,
with spins on San Diego’s 91X,
and Los Angels’ KROQ. The album
hit an all time high when it was
selected as iTunes Editor’s
Choice for Best Reggae Album of
2007. In addition, “Courage to
Grow” has been in the top 10
iTunes Reggae album sales since
its release two years ago. It
remained in the Billboard Top
Reggae Album Chart for 36 weeks,
and peaked at 4.
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On August 4, 2009, Rebelution
gave their fans
their long
awaited, sophomore full-length
album “Bright Side of Life.” Recorded in
their home town of Santa Barbara
at Santa Barbara Sound Design,
Rebelution entered the same studio the day
after Depeche Mode completed
their sessions for Sounds Of The
Universe. “Bright Side of Life”
features 12 new signature tracks
blending the band’s cohesive mix
of reggae, rock, and hip-hop
influences in a calliope awash
of front man Eric Rachmany’s
Santana-esque guitar flurries,
Marley D. Williams’ solid and
attacking bass lines, the
psychedelic and tasteful piano,
keyboard and Hammond b-3 stylist
of Rory Carey, and the jazz rock
fusion of Wesley Finley’s
finesse drumming and percussion.
Of the new album, Rebelution
shares, “After the positive
response from fans and critics
for ‘Courage to Grow’ and
touring in support of it for the
last few years, we are glad to
finally reveal our new material
to the fans who have waited so
patiently. We’ve played many of
the new songs live, but the
recorded versions will have that
‘studio magic’ from all the time
we’ve put into them.” The band
notes that their second album
shows their growth in
maturity musically, with a more
polished sound with flares of
new styles that fans and future
fans have yet to hear. “Bright
Side of Life” also has an
overall theme of encouragement.
The band shares, “Though it was
important for all of us in the
band to be motivated to continue
with what we do best, which is
making music, we feel people in
the world could use some
encouragement in this time to
stay motivated as well, which is
what we drew a lot of
inspiration for this album.”
The release of “Bright Side of
Life” marks the first release
under Rebelution’s newly founded
record label 87 Music, in
association with Controlled
Substance Sound Labs, the
California based music
collective, which is also home
to artists Slightly Stoopid and
Pepper, and their respective
artist imprints.
Rebelution is:
Eric Rachmany - Vocals / Guitar
Rory Carey - Keyboards
Marley D. Williams - Bass
Wesley Finley – Drums
Listen to the music of
Rebelution
Rebelution
Links:
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