The Rebel Light

There’s nothing like a high energy, super melodic power pop song with some “bah-bah-bah’s” and a singalong at the top-of-your-lungs chorus to get the musical juices flowing. That’s the case with “Strangers” by The Rebel Light, a Los Angeles based indie pop trio comprised of 2 brothers from Montauk, New York and their long lost cousin from Yucaipa, California. The two brothers are Will Steil on vocals, piano, and rhythm guitar, and Jarrett Steil on lead guitar, bass, and vocals. Drummer Brandon Cooke brings the beats. The band have “sunshine daydream pop” written all over their songs, and while I wouldn’t ever encourage a band to cover any song by The Ronettes, they manage to pull off a great version of the classic “Be My Baby.”

Below, download “Strangers” by The Rebel Light, a buzzband from LA, on the brink of exploding into Summer. - WXPN THE KEY Philadelphia By Bruce Warren

In life, we will come across many loves. Loves that last minutes, hours, mere seconds, months, years and maybe even decades. Loves that are good, loves that are bad for us, loves that are passionate, loves that are intense or just crazy, and loves that simply go. Once in a while, one of these loves will appear out of nowhere with the sole purpose of healing us again. Healing our broken hearts the way a kiss heals a wound.

In a summer that can be romantically rough, Jukebox Dream is that healer. The one that makes you feel as if you have known each other before—in this life or some past one. The one that feels so familiar you fallback snuggly into its embrace without the slightest hint of distrust. Not because this individual is a saint, because you barely know them, but because their warmth is so intense and so attractive that you are caught in its gaze like the mosquito to the lamp.

There is nothing wrong with these loves—the ones that heal. They are almost magically placed in our paths to do exactly just that. It could be that our own souls and minds call out to these energies, and like a superhero with their own branded distress device, they come swooping down out of the darkness to save us, heal us, and show us that everything will always be ok.

Last week, a friend of mine posted on her Instagram a picture with text that read: “Nothing Good Ever Comes Easy.” To which I say that she is kind of wrong. I mean, if you believe this to be true, then it is true—for you. But, if you can learn to understand that ‘Everything Good Comes Easy‘, then she would be wrong, right?

Normal is an Illusion.
What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.”
The Rebel Light is an indie pop band from LA that according to the world sounds like so many other popular bands of the past. On Jukebox Dream, for me, they sound like a mix of The Monkees and the Beach Boys, and in that kind of company they could really do no wrong.

Jukebox Dream was recorded at home. Instruments in the living room, vocals in the kitchen, and the vibe? Well, that seems to have been recorded somewhere in their past lives, before they were born, maybe between the 50’s & 60’s, and yet still on the same coast. It’s a song that draws us in from the moment the tambourines begin the race. It has an old soul that is meant to heal all our summertime woes, dressed up like a beautiful care-free surfer that only spews that very golden sunshine he has absorbed all day in forms of honey love.

In your darkest moments of love, get up, brush yourself off, put on your spiffiest rags and get ready for a love that will soon heal you once again. It does not have to last forever, it just has to do its job long enough for you to love life again.

Last night I fell for you, I got a love that’s coming true.” - ET MUSIQUE POUR TOUS

The new single from L.A.-via-Ireland trio the Rebel Light harks back to the days of bowl cuts and bell bottoms. The trio — brothers Alan and Jarrett Steil and their cousin Brandon Cooke dove headlong into explorations of the sunny ’60s with a self-titled EP released last year and followed it up with the “Jukebox Dream” single. Many retro-poppers are fixated these days on the garage-rock ’60s, but with their “bah-bah-bah” choruses and chiming harmonies, the Rebel Light have pronounced themselves much more “American Bandstand”-ready. Cut me a 45 rpm piece of vinyl so I can scratch it up a little bit, OK? - BUZZ BANDS LA - Kevin Bronson

“Strangers” is the latest from Los Angeles based indie pop outfit The Rebel Light and it’s a solid radio-ready pop tune with hazy lust filled lyrics. Can’t get enough of this song right now. - a journal of musical things.com alan cross

"We’ve been fans of The Rebel Light since this blog was started…time flies. This Los Angeles-based band is known for its infectious retro style and modern indie pop twist. The Rebel Light just released a new song titled “Strangers”. It still has the cool retro style that we love from the beginning and it certainly brings the LA lax vibe.

Connect with The Rebel Light:" - ABDUCTION RADIATION

A trio comprised of two brothers and their cousin, The Rebel Light recorded vocals for their new music in a bathroom and drums in a woodshed. How's that for DIY? Today, we are premiering a new song called "Strangers." Check it out if you're looking for some indie-pop music fit for summer beaches. Fans of recent Hellogoodbye with more of a Beach Boys influence should enjoy this one. - absolute punk