Marah is an American Rock'n'Roll band that formed in the early 1990s and is closely associated with the cities of

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

and

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. The band is known for its intense live performances,

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prima ...

production style, and association with authors Nick Hornby and

Sarah Vowell Sarah Jane Vowell (born December 27, 1969) is an American author, journalist, essayist, social commentator and voice actress. She has written seven nonfiction books on American history and culture. She was a contributing editor for the radio pro ...

and musicians Bruce Springsteen and Steve Earle.

History

Marah was formed by singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Bielanko from Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, bass guitarist Danny Metz and drummer Ronnie Vance in 1993. Singer/songwriter/guitarist and harmonica player Serge Bielanko, Dave's older brother, joined the band in 1995. Several years before Marah formed, Serge and Dave Bielanko (still in high school) were in a band called the Lusty Toms with Michael Lepore, which had a far different sound that resembled the

Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...

. The Lusty Toms never got signed and distributed several cassette tapes locally. Marah saw Serge and Dave alter their sound and musical direction. Marah featured

Mummers Parade The Mummers Parade is held each New Year's Day in Philadelphia. Local clubs (usually called "New Years Associations" or "New Years Brigades") compete in one of five categories (Comics, Wench Brigades, Fancies, String Bands, and Fancy Brigades). ...

influenced banjos combined with standard rock music instruments to create a highly eclectic

Roots Rock Roots rock is a genre of rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid subgenres from the later 1960s, including blues rock, country rock, Southern rock, ...

sound that drew comparisons to early Bruce Springsteen. Marah recorded two albums together: Let's Cut The Crap & Hook Up Later on Tonight, released on Black Dog Records in 1998, and Kids in Philly, released on Steve Earle's now-defunct E-Squared Records in 2000. Both critically acclaimed records were recorded and produced by the band and recording engineer/producer Paul Smith above an auto repair garage (Frank's Auto Body) in south

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. Metz and Vance left the band in 2000, and were replaced by Mick Bader on drums and Joe Hooven on bass. Augmented by Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner on lap steel, this version of the group toured extensively to support Kids in Philly. Marah performed a song from that CD, "Point Breeze" on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' in 2000. Bader and Hooven left Marah in 2001 and were replaced by Jon Kois (drums) and Jamie Mahon (bass) of Philadelphia psychedelic rock band The Three 4 Tens. The Bielankos, with Kois and Mahon, left for

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

in late 2001 to record their third CD, Float Away With the Friday Night Gods with former Oasis producer

Owen Morris Owen Morris (born in Caernarfon, Wales) is a Welsh record producer who has worked with rock bands including Oasis, the Fratellis, Ash, the View, Loso and the Verve. Biography Morris started working in the music industry as a sound engineer a ...

and featuring Bruce Springsteen on vocals and guitar on the title track. It was released on

Artemis Records Artemis Records was a New York-based independent record label, founded in July 1999 by Danny Goldberg with Daniel Glass as President, and closed in April 2006. The label was acquired by E1 Entertainment. Artemis had a leading share of the U.S. ...

in 2002. This release spurred controversy amongst the band's early supporters due to its decidedly

Britpop Britpop was a mid-1990s British-based music culture movement that emphasised Britishness. It produced brighter, catchier alternative rock, partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of the US-led grunge music and to the ...

sound. In 2003, Marah returned to the auto garage (Franks Auto Body, aptly renamed "The Marage") and recorded their fourth record,

20,000 Streets Under the Sky ''20,000 Streets Under the Sky'' is a trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels by Patrick Hamilton. The three books are ''The Midnight Bell'' (1929), ''The Siege of Pleasure'' (1932) and ''The Plains of Cement'' (1934). They focus on three of ...

, and also played a series of shows in late October/early November, much to the delight of their devoted fan base. The CD was released on Yep Roc Records in 2004. The band toured to support this album with

Jon Wurster Jonathan Patrick Wurster (born October 31, 1966) is an American drummer and comedy writer. As a musician, he is best known for his work with Superchunk, the Mountain Goats, and Bob Mould. He is also known for appearing on '' The Best Show'' wit ...

(of

Indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...

-stalwarts Superchunk) on drums, Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner on Lap steel guitar, and Kirk Henderson on bass and keyboards.

''If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry'' and ''A Christmas Kind of Town''

In 2005, the band entered The Magic Shop recording studio in New York City to record their fifth album with the help of Henderson and two new members, guitarist Adam Garbinski and drummer/guitarist Dave Peterson formerly of the band

Squad Five-O Squad Five-O is an American punk rock band from Savannah, Georgia no longer formally touring or recording, but rather only performing occasional weekend concerts.

. The resulting disc, '' If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry'' ''(IYDLYC)'', met with near universal critical acclaim. Stephen King, writing in

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cu ...

, hailed IYDLYC as the best record of 2005.

''If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry'' is an apt enough title, when you consider that this is probably the best rock band in America that nobody knows. Am I being an elitist here, trying to one-up my audience? Nope. Marah is great in the scat, bop, and jive way Springsteen was great on The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. One listen to songs like ''The Closer'' and ''Fat Boy'' on this amazing record and I think you'll agree. These guys are either the American U2 or close enough for government work.

The release of ''IYDLYC'' was complemented by the recording and release of a Christmas album, ''A Christmas Kind of Town''. The band, now solidified as a three-guitar

quintet A quintet is a group containing five members. It is commonly associated with musical groups, such as a string quintet, or a group of five singers, but can be applied to any situation where five similar or related objects are considered a single ...

, embarked upon a year-long tour of the US and Europe to support the two albums. Highlights of the tour included Serge Bielanko's intense renditions of "Dishwasher's Dream" from ''IYDLYC'' as well as occasional performances of "Reservation Girl," a song the group has never released on a record. In addition to the release of '' A Christmas Kind of Town'', the band, along with keyboardist and vocalist Christine Smith, wrote and recorded music for lyrics written by

This American Life ''This American Life'' (''TAL'') is an American monthly hour-long radio program produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media and hosted by Ira Glass. It is broadcast on numerous public radio stations in the United States and internatio ...

contributor

entitled "Christmas at Valley Forge." The song, along with other selections from '' A Christmas Kind of Town'', was originally aired on

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

special in December 2005 and was re-released on the holiday EP "Counting the Days" in 2007. Marah played at the Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 16, 2006. Performance highlights included a rousing introduction by

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

scenester/character Beatle Bob and a cover of

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

's "

Baba O'Riley "Baba O'Riley" is a song by the English rock band the Who, and the opening track to their fifth album ''Who's Next'' (1971). It was issued in Europe as a single on 23 October 1971, coupled with "My Wife". Roger Daltrey sings most of the song ...

." Marah later played the

Austin City Limits Music Festival The Austin City Limits (ACL) Music Festival is an annual music festival held in Zilker Park in Austin, Texas on two consecutive three-day weekends. Inspired by the KLRU/PBS music series of the same name, the festival is produced by Austin-base ...

on September 15, 2006, delivering a spirited set in which both Dave and Serge Bielanko jumped over the crowd barriers and into the audience. The audio of this show was released on iTunes on November 7, 2006. On September 21, 2006, the band released a DVD of a concert in Mataro,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

(which was originally recorded and circulated as a fan bootleg) entitled '' Sooner or Later in Spain.''

''Angels of Destruction''

Marah, with Christine Smith now a full-time member, entered Nashville's 16 Ton Recording Studios in August 2006 to record songs for a new record. In April 2007, the group recorded and mixed additional songs at

's Excello Recording. In June, Marah announced that the new record, '' Angels of Destruction!'', would be released on January 8, 2008 and previewed the album at a concert/listening party in Philadelphia on September 8, 2007. ''Angels of Destruction!'' was preceded by a 6-song 10" EP entitled ''Can't Take It with You'' which was released in October 2007. A Christmas EP called ''Counting the Days'' was released in November 2007. The new album was released in early January 2008 to widespread acclaim. Almost immediately afterward, however, plans for an extensive US tour were canceled following the departure of Garbinski, Peterson, and Henderson, who all went on to form Adam & Dave's Bloodline. Bassist Johnny Pisano and drummer Joe Gorelick were hired as replacements, and in late February the band embarked on a European tour to promote the album. Serge Bielanko left the band shortly after the European tour to focus on family life. In August 2008, Dave Bielanko & Christine Smith started recording new material at 16 Ton Studios in Nashville with Pisano and Nashville-based drummer Martin Lynds who then joined the band. Bielanko had stated his intentions of recording "a lilting beautiful folky record of acoustic guitars, tack pianos, and the stand-up bass". Bielanko & Smith toured Europe with Pisano in December 2008 as a trio before returning to 16 Ton in January 2009 to continue work on the new album. In October, the band released the first new song from the 2009 recording sessions, the internet-only single 'Put 'Em In The Graveyard'.

''Life is a Problem''

"Life is a Problem" was released on June 22, 2010 through the band's own new label, Valley Farm Songs. As well as coming out on gatefold vinyl and digital download, the band took the unusual step of releasing it on cassette tape. In May, Dave Bielanko announced two new band members for their upcoming summer tour, Mark Francis Sosnoskie on bass and Bruce W. Derr on guitar. In October, 2011 Serge Bielanko returned to the band for U.S. shows at Jammin' Java in Vienna VA, and the Elk Creek Cafe in Millheim, PA, followed by a brief Spanish tour, but soon left again to focus on family life.

''Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania''

In February, 2014 Marah released Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania based on an obscure 1931 book with the same title. The book consists of a collection of song lyrics gathered in the mountains of Pennsylvania by folklorist

Henry W. Shoemaker Henry Wharton Shoemaker (February 24, 1880 – July 14, 1958) was a prominent American folklorist, historian, diplomat, writer, publisher, and conservationist. Early life, family, and career Shoemaker was born in New York City, but was closely ...

. Dave Bielanko and Christine Smith used the lyrics in Shoemaker's book as the basis for the songs on the album. Working in their studio in an old church in Millheim, Pennsylvania, the record was made on a Studer 8 track tape machine and mastered directly to a recording lathe. They also collaborated with an 8-year-old fiddle prodigy named Gus Tritsch, who plays on the album.

''2015 "Reunion" Shows''

In July, 2015 the band announced that they would play a reunion show of sorts on October 17 at Underground Arts in Philadelphia to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their 2000 album Kids in Philly and that they would release a re-mastered edition of that album for the first time on vinyl. The re-formed lineup will include Dave and Serge Bielanko, Christine Smith, Adam Garbinski, Dave Petersen, and Mark Sosnoskie plus special guests Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner, Jeff "Coolerman" Clarke and th
Matt Cappy Horns
The band also announced two warmup gigs in advance of the Underground Arts show - one at Jammin' Java in Vienna VA on 7/23/15, and another at the Elk Creek Cafe in Milheim, PA on 10/10/15.

Discography

Albums

*1998: '' Let's Cut The Crap & Hook Up Later on Tonight'' (Black Dog - 1998 / Phidelity - released in 2004) *2000: '' Kids in Philly'' (E-Squared/Artemis) *2002: '' Float Away With the Friday Night Gods'' (E-Squared/Artemis) *2004: ''

'' (US: Yep Roc/Europe: Munich) *2004: ''Kids in Amsterdam: Live on VPRO'' (Phidelity) *2005: '' Float Away Deconstructed'' (Phidelity) *2005: '' If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry'' (US: Yep Roc/Europe: Munich) *2005: '' A Christmas Kind of Town'' (Yep Roc) *2008: '' Angels of Destruction!'' (US: Yep Roc/Europe: Munich) *2010: '' Life is a Problem'' (Valley Farm Songs) *2014: '' Marah Presents Mountain Minstrelsy of Pennsylvania'' (Valley Farm Songs)

EPs

*2007: ''Can't Take It with You'' (Yep Roc) *2007: ''Counting the Days'' (Yep Roc)

DVDs

*2006: ''Sooner or Later in Spain'' (Yep Roc)

Compilations

*1997: ''Season's Greetings Philadelphia'' (Record Cellar) *1998: ''Camp Black Dog Presents: Rock & Roll Summer Camp '98'' (Black Dog) *1999: ''No Electric Guitars'' (Record Cellar) *1999: ''Put Your Tongue to the Rail: The Philly Comp for Catholic Children (Songs of the Jim Caroll Band)'' (Genus)

References

External links

Official siteMarah on FacebookMarah on Twitter
{{Authority control Marah American alternative country groups Musical groups established in 1993 1993 establishments in the United States Yep Roc Records artists