Hailing from Santa Barbara, Calif., Rebelution has exploded onto the music scene as a reggae band known for its laid-back, worry-free and engaging music. The band, made up of Eric Rachmany (vocals/guitar), Marley Williams (bass), Wesley Finley (drums) and Rory Carey (keyboards), was created in 2004 and has since released two full-length albums.
The first album, “Courage to Grow,” was released in June 2007. It was widely praised for its creative melodies and socially conscious lyrics. Rebelution continued to gain momentum as “Courage to Grow” garnered mass downloads as well as air time on local radio stations. The album was even chosen as iTunes Editor’s Choice for Best Reggae Album of 2007. It remained on the Billboard Top Reggae Album Chart for 36 weeks, peaking at number four.
“‘Courage to Grow’ is an example of our overall vibe, our overall sound,” Rachmany said. “It’s also Rebelution in the early phases… we’ve kind of grown since then as musicians and performers. We’re very proud of it. We’re very excited to show off our next album, which is ‘Bright Side of Life.’ We think it’s an example of the progression of the band, musically and even as people.”
Rebelution has grown from a little known band playing gigs in Santa Barbara clubs to a “Cali-reggae” sensation with tens of thousands of fans and a record label. This band appears to be on a direct course to bigger and better things, and as Rebelution grows in popularity, they will continue to share their simple message with the world: love life and stay positive.
Rebelution released its sophomore album, “Bright Side of Life,” Aug. 4, 2009. “Bright Side of Life” features 12 new tracks blending the band’s cohesive mix of reggae, rock and hip-hop influences. According to Rachmany, “Bright Side of Life” has a lot more diversity in it as far as song stylization, and the album has a strong underlying theme of optimism.
“A lot of the themes of the songs are about encouragement and staying positive,” Rachmany said. “We live in a crazy time right now; things are always changing. It’s part of the reason why we named the album ‘Bright Side of Life,’ because people need a little motivation to stay positive and continue on a good path, so we try to lighten up people’s days just by listening to music and getting down to Rebelution.”
Currently, Rebelution is touring the U.S. with Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad and Passafire. They will be playing at 7 p.m. on Oct. 9, at The Basement on 391 Neil Ave. The concert is open to all ages. Tickets are $12.50 and can be bought at TicketMaster.com.