Rebelution

Santa Barbara's laid-back pride and joy, Rebelution have made a name for themselves the old-fashioned way: by working for it. The group met back in 2004 while attending U.C. Santa Barbara and living in Isla Vista, a Santa Barbara beach neighborhood that's equally steeped in reggae and surfboarders. The band took up reggae, playing songs penned primarily by lead singer and guitarist Eric Rachmany, and hewed to a vintage sound that was immensely appealing to friends and schoolmates. With the release of an EP and consistent gigging, the crew developed a following that snowballed in size, until they found themselves playing to thousands on some nights. Their reputation continues to spread primarily by word of mouth. They dropped their debut, Courage to Grow, in 2007, to accolades; Bright Side of Life followed two years later.