There's a lot to be said about any band that reaches it's ten year anniversary, but for The River City Rebels the list of accomplishments goes far beyond the simple passage of time. The fact that the band has remained consistently productive, without a significant idle stretch, since the year 2000 is just part of what makes their story noteworthy, if not a testament to perseverance.
The Rebels, founded by singer/songwriter Dan O'Day in White River Junction, VT, have to date recorded and released six full length albums and have played over 1,000 live shows across North America and Europe to support them. The signature ‘love' and ‘love lost' themes of the band are nothing new to rock music but, like all great lyricists, the situations detailed by O'Day always provide consistently relatable and unique perspectives for the listener. To help achieve these perspectives, they have collaborated with studio talent such as Jim Segal, Sylvain Sylvain, and Andy Ackland, in addition to high caliber guest musicians like Lisa Fisher, Jesse Malin, and Vic Ruggiero. Combine that with the bands own skilled and dedicated cast, led by original member Brandon Rainer, and The Rebels are a force to be reckoned with.
RCR have always carried with them a punk rock demeanor, but their musical evolution has created an ambiguous, eclectic genre that, though difficult to place, has allowed them to share the stage with a wide variety of bands. From the New York Dolls to Velvet Revolver, Dead Kennedys to the Suicide Machines, the charisma, raw energy, and honesty of the River City Rebels has been able to push classifications aside and capture the attention and adoration of people who simply enjoy quality music and live entertainment.
The band's seventh album, ‘Done With Love,' showing heavy influence from artists like The Replacements, Bruce Springsteen, and The Clash, marks many firsts for RCR, including being an entirely independent release on the bands recently unveiled record label Modhouse Productions. This, along with their previous album ‘In Love, Loveless,' will be available on both limited edition colored vinyl and for online download, via iTunes. The band's long term goals for Modhouse include providing a home and outlet for other like-minded artists that share the same commitment to quality music as they do.
Though there may already be a decades worth of groundwork laid down, in many ways it would seem that The River City Rebels are just getting started.