The Bellrays
Vocalist Lisa Kekaula and guitarist Bob Vennum formed the BellRays around 1990 in Riverside, California. Originally, the duo leaned heavily toward a vintage R&B sound flecked with smoky jazz overtones. But with the addition of guitarist Tony Fate and Vennum moving to bass, the sound soon began to mix Kekaula's alley cat soul vocals with a biting punk rock bottom end. The In the Light of the Sun cassette appeared in 1993, followed by the "Wall of Soul" 7" two years later. The BellRays issued their debut full-length, Let It Blast, in 1998 and supported it with an extensive tour that included a particularly fiery appearance at Austin's South by Southwest conference. By now, drummer Ray Chin had joined the fold, and the 'Rays were making waves with their furiously passionate sound. The Grand Fury LP dropped in 2001 from Los Angeles indie Upper Cut and was followed by a European release combining it with Let It Blast. Tours with notables like Rocket from the Crypt and Nashville Pussy continued to spread the word, and In Music We Trust reissued In the Light of the Sun. 2003 saw the Upper Cut release of Raw Collection, an odds 'n' sods compilation featuring B-sides, rarities, and vinyl-only material from 1995 through 2002. Red White and Black also arrived in 2003, and the band continued to crank out soulful garage punk on 2006's Have a Little Faith and 2008's Hard, Sweet and Sticky. The group turned to crowd-funding to bankroll their next full-length release, 2011's Black Lightning and summed up the ingredients of their style with the 2017 EP Punk Funk Rock Soul 1, released in December 2017. The full-length companion album, Punk Funk Rock Soul, Vol. 2, followed in February 2018.
© Johnny Loftus /TiVo
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Discography
17 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller
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Let it Blast
Pop/Rock - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 23, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
It's Never Too Late to Fall in Love with... The BellRays
Rock - Released by Twenty Stone Blatt on Jan 31, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Punk Funk Rock Soul, Vol. 2
Rock - Released by Hunnypot Unlimited on Feb 9, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Red, White & Black
Alternative & Indie - Released by Alternative Tentacles on Oct 28, 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In the Light of the Sun
Punk / New Wave - Released by In Music We Trust on Jan 1, 1992
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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The BellRays
Alternative & Indie - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 23, 2024
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Punk Funk Rock Soul V1
Pop/Rock - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 24, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Grand Fury
Pop/Rock - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 25, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Have a Little Faith
Pop/Rock - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 24, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Black Lightning
Alternative & Indie - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 25, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In The Light Of The Sun
Pop/Rock - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 26, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hard Sweet and Sticky
Pop/Rock - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 25, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Punk Funk Rock Soul V2
Pop/Rock - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 23, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Red, White and Black
Pop/Rock - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 21, 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Merry Xmas Heart the BellRays
Alternative & Indie - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 22, 2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Raw Collection Vol 1 and 2
Pop/Rock - Released by Sweet Gee Records on Feb 21, 2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo