Marah (band)
Encyclopedia
Marah is an American country band that formed in the early 1990s and is closely associated with the cities of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
and Brooklyn, New York. The band is known for its intense live performances, classic rock
production style, and association with authors Nick Hornby
and Sarah Vowell
and musicians Bruce Springsteen
and Steve Earle
.
, 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, which had a far different sound that resembled the Red Hot Chili Peppers
. 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
influenced banjo
s combined with standard rock music instruments to create a highly eclectic Roots 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 in south Philadelphia.
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
in late 2001 to record their third CD, Float Away With the Friday Night Gods
with former Oasis producer Owen Morris
and featuring Bruce Springsteen
on vocals and guitar on the title track. It was released on Artemis Records in 2002. This release spurred controversy amongst the band's early supporters due to its decidedly Britpop
sound.
In 2003, Marah returned to the auto garage and recorded their fourth record, 20,000 Streets Under the Sky
. The CD was released on Yep Roc Records in 2004. The band toured to support this album with Jon Wurster
(of Indie rock
-stalwarts Superchunk
) on drums, Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner on Lap steel guitar
, and Kirk Henderson on bass and keyboards.
. The resulting disc, If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry
(IYDLYC), met with near universal critical acclaim. Stephen King
, writing in Entertainment Weekly
, hailed IYDLYC as the best record of 2005.
, 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
contributor Sarah Vowell
entitled "Christmas at Valley Forge." The song, along with other selections from A Christmas Kind of Town
, was originally aired on This American Life
's Christmas
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
scenester/character Beatle Bob
and a cover of The Who
's "Baba O'Riley
." Marah later played the Austin City Limits Music Festival
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
(which was originally recorded and circulated as a fan bootleg
) entitled Sooner or Later in Spain
.
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 Brooklyn, New York'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'.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and Brooklyn, New York. The band is known for its intense live performances, classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
production style, and association with authors Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby
Nick Hornby is an English novelist, essayist and screenwriter. He is best known for the novels High Fidelity, About a Boy, and for the football memoir Fever Pitch. His work frequently touches upon music, sport, and the aimless and obsessive natures of his protagonists.-Life and career:Hornby was...
and Sarah Vowell
Sarah Vowell
Sarah Jane Vowell is an American author, journalist, essayist and social commentator. Often referred to as a "social observer," Vowell has written five nonfiction books on American history and culture, and was a contributing editor for the radio program This American Life on Public Radio...
and musicians Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
and Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
.
History
Marah was formed by singer/songwriter/guitarist Dave Bielanko from Conshohocken, PennsylvaniaConshohocken, Pennsylvania
Conshohocken is a borough on the Schuylkill River in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, in suburban Philadelphia. Historically a large mill town and industrial and manufacturing center, after the decline of industry in recent years Conshohocken has developed into a center of riverfront commercial and...
, bass guitarist Danny Metz and drummer Ronnie Vance in 1993. Singer/songwriter/guitarist and harmonica
Harmonica
The harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
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, which had a far different sound that resembled the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
. 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
Mummers Parade
The Mummers Parade is held each New Year's Day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Local clubs compete in one of four categories . They prepare elaborate costumes and moveable scenery, which take months to complete...
influenced banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
s combined with standard rock music instruments to create a highly eclectic Roots Rock
Roots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
sound that drew comparisons to early Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
.
Marah recorded two albums together: Let's Cut The Crap & Hook Up Later on Tonight
Let's Cut The Crap & Hook Up Later on Tonight
Let's Cut The Crap & Hook Up Later on Tonight is the debut album of Marah, released in 1998.-Track listing:#"Fever" – 4:28#"Another Day at Bay" – 1:37#"Eventually Rock" – 1:35#"Formula, Cola, Dollar Draft" – 4:43#"Baby Love" – 1:52...
, released on Black Dog Records in 1998, and Kids in Philly
Kids in Philly
Kids in Philly is an album by the band Marah, released in 2000.-Track listing:#"Faraway You" – 3:30#"Point Breeze" – 2:14#"Christian Street" – 3:21#"It's Only Money, Tyrone" – 3:26#"My Heart Is The Bums On The Street" – 2:19...
, released on Steve Earle
Steve Earle
Stephen Fain "Steve" Earle is an American singer-songwriter known for his rock and Texas Country as well as his political views. He is also a producer, author, a political activist, and an actor, and has written and directed a play....
'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 in south Philadelphia.
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
Kids in Philly
Kids in Philly is an album by the band Marah, released in 2000.-Track listing:#"Faraway You" – 3:30#"Point Breeze" – 2:14#"Christian Street" – 3:21#"It's Only Money, Tyrone" – 3:26#"My Heart Is The Bums On The Street" – 2:19...
. Marah performed a song from that CD, "Point Breeze" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Conan O'Brien
Conan Christopher O'Brien is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer and performer. Since November 2010 he has hosted Conan, a late-night talk show that airs on the American cable television station TBS....
in 2000. Bader and Hooven left Marah in 2001 and were replaced by Jon Kois (drums) and Jamie Mahon (bass) of Philadelphia psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band The Three 4 Tens
The Three 4 Tens
The Three 4 Tens are an American garage rock band based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.- History :The Three 4 Tens formed in 1995 by bassist Jamie Mahon, guitarist Joe Tagg, guitarist Brian McNamara and drummer Jon Kois...
.
The Bielankos, with Kois and Mahon, left for Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in late 2001 to record their third CD, Float Away With the Friday Night Gods
Float Away With the Friday Night Gods
Float Away With the Friday Night Gods is an album by the band Marah, released in 2002.The Bielanko Brothers were joined by Jamie Mahon and Jon Kois of The Three 4 Tens....
with former Oasis producer Owen Morris
Owen Morris
Owen Morris is a music producer who has worked with rock bands such as Oasis, The Fratellis, The View and The Verve.He started working in the music industry as a sound engineer at Spaceward Studio in Cambridge when he was 16. He continued as an engineer until 1994 when he started producing some...
and featuring Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
on vocals and guitar on the title track. It was released on Artemis Records in 2002. This release spurred controversy amongst the band's early supporters due to its decidedly Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
sound.
In 2003, Marah returned to the auto garage and recorded their fourth record, 20,000 Streets Under the Sky
20,000 Streets Under the Sky (album)
-Personnel:* Mike Ambs: Drums* David Bielanko: Banjo, Bass, Guitar, Vocals* Serge Bielnako: Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals* Mark Boyce: Organ, Piano, Clavinet* Matt Cappy: Trumpet* Kirk Henderson: Keyboards, Background Vocals* Nancy Falkow: Background Vocals...
. The CD was released on Yep Roc Records in 2004. The band toured to support this album with Jon Wurster
Jon Wurster
Jon Wurster is an American musician and humorist best known as the drummer for indie rockers Superchunk and recently for The Mountain Goats, as well for his comedic work with radio host Tom Scharpling on the The Best Show on WFMU....
(of Indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
-stalwarts Superchunk
Superchunk
Superchunk is an American indie rock band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, consisting of singer/guitarist Mac McCaughan, guitarist Jim Wilbur, bassist Laura Ballance, and drummer Jon Wurster. Formed in 1989, they were one of the bands that helped define the Chapel Hill music scene of the 1990s...
) on drums, Mike "Slo-Mo" Brenner on Lap steel guitar
Lap steel guitar
The lap steel guitar is a type of steel guitar, an instrument derived from and similar to the guitar. The player changes pitch by pressing a metal or glass bar against the strings instead of by pressing strings against the fingerboard....
, 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-OSquad Five-O
Before being signed, there was a demo released, titled: "Cop Rock Demo". This is a highly sought after recording, which included a track titled "Pair of Dice City"....
. The resulting disc, If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry
If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry
-Track listing:#"The Closer" – 2:44#"The Hustle" – 3:34#"City of Dreams" – 2:56#"Fat Boy" – 2:27#"Sooner or Later" – 3:53#"Out of Tune" – 3:45#"Demon of White Sadness" – 3:51#"The Dishwasher's Dreams" – 3:56#"Poor People" – 4:25#"Walt Whitman Bridge" – 3:06...
(IYDLYC), met with near universal critical acclaim. Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
, writing in Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, hailed IYDLYC as the best record of 2005.
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
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 U2U2U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
or close enough for government work.
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 unit....
, 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
A Christmas Kind of Town
-Personnel:* David Bielanko – singing, guitar, bass, banjo, percussion, car horns, xylophone, jingle bells, etc.* Serge Bielanko – singing, guitar, banjo, harmonica, singing into the dryer, percussion, jingle bells, etc....
, the band, along with keyboardist and vocalist Christine Smith, wrote and recorded music for lyrics written by This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
contributor Sarah Vowell
Sarah Vowell
Sarah Jane Vowell is an American author, journalist, essayist and social commentator. Often referred to as a "social observer," Vowell has written five nonfiction books on American history and culture, and was a contributing editor for the radio program This American Life on Public Radio...
entitled "Christmas at Valley Forge." The song, along with other selections from A Christmas Kind of Town
A Christmas Kind of Town
-Personnel:* David Bielanko – singing, guitar, bass, banjo, percussion, car horns, xylophone, jingle bells, etc.* Serge Bielanko – singing, guitar, banjo, harmonica, singing into the dryer, percussion, jingle bells, etc....
, was originally aired on This American Life
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly hour-long radio program produced by WBEZ and hosted by Ira Glass. It is distributed by Public Radio International on PRI affiliate stations and is also available as a free weekly podcast. Primarily a journalistic non-fiction program, it has also featured essays,...
's Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
special in December 2005 and was re-released on the holiday EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
"Counting the Days" in 2007.
Marah played at the Bonnaroo Music Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is an annual four day music festival created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, held at Great Stage Park on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. It hosted its tenth annual event June 9–12, 2011...
on June 16, 2006. Performance highlights included a rousing introduction by St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
scenester/character Beatle Bob
Beatle Bob
Beatle Bob is a well-known figure in the St. Louis, Missouri music scene. He has been seen doing his characteristic dancing at a wide range of concerts including Ani DiFranco, Less Than Jake and Chuck Berry, both in the crowd and onstage with the performers...
and a cover of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's "Baba O'Riley
Baba O'Riley
"Baba O'Riley" is a song written by Pete Townshend for the English rock band The Who. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Pete Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenaged wasteland"...
." Marah later played the Austin City Limits Music Festival
Austin City Limits Music Festival
The Austin City Limits Music Festival is an annual three-day American music festival that takes place in Austin, Texas at the city's central public park, Zilker Park...
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
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
on November 7, 2006.
On September 21, 2006, the band released a DVD of a concert in Mataro, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
(which was originally recorded and circulated as a fan bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
) entitled Sooner or Later in Spain
Sooner or Later in Spain
Sooner or Later in Spain is a DVD/CD released by Marah on November 14, 2006. It is the first official video release by the band. The release includes a 21-song DVD recorded in Mataro, Spain in 2005. The release is accompanied by a 7 song live CD featuring recordings from radio appearances and...
.
Angels of Destruction
Marah, with Christine SmithChristine Smith
Christine Smith is the name of:* Christine Smith , American Playboy model* Christine Smith , Labor member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly* Christine Smith , Olympic skier for Australia-See also:...
now a full time member, entered Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
'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 Brooklyn, New York's Excello Recording. In June, Marah announced that the new record, Angels of Destruction!
Angels of Destruction!
Angels of Destruction! is the sixth album by the band Marah. It was released by Yep Roc Records on January 8, 2008.- Track listing :# Coughing Up Blood# Old Time Tickin' Away# Angels on a Passing Train# Wild West Love Song# Blue But Cool...
, 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
Can't Take It with You
Can't Take It with You is the name of a 2007 EP released by the band Marah. It was released as a digital download and limited edition 10" vinyl by Yep Roc Records.-Track listing:#"Shine on Harvest Moon " #"Angels on a Passing Train"...
which was released in October 2007. A Christmas EP called Counting the Days
Counting the Days
Counting the Days is the title of a 2007 Marah Christmas EP. The album was released on November 14, 2007 and is the band's second vinyl release.-Track listing:#"Home For the Holidays"#"New York is a Christmas Kind of Town"#"Mele"#"Mele "...
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
The new Marah album called "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 as well. In May, Dave Bielanko announced two new band members for their upcoming summer tour, namely Mark Francis Sosnoskie on bass and Bruce W. Derr on guitar.Albums
- 1998: Let's Cut The Crap & Hook Up Later on TonightLet's Cut The Crap & Hook Up Later on TonightLet's Cut The Crap & Hook Up Later on Tonight is the debut album of Marah, released in 1998.-Track listing:#"Fever" – 4:28#"Another Day at Bay" – 1:37#"Eventually Rock" – 1:35#"Formula, Cola, Dollar Draft" – 4:43#"Baby Love" – 1:52...
(Black Dog - 1998 / Phidelity - released in 2004) - 2000: Kids in PhillyKids in PhillyKids in Philly is an album by the band Marah, released in 2000.-Track listing:#"Faraway You" – 3:30#"Point Breeze" – 2:14#"Christian Street" – 3:21#"It's Only Money, Tyrone" – 3:26#"My Heart Is The Bums On The Street" – 2:19...
(E-Squared/Artemis) - 2002: Float Away With the Friday Night GodsFloat Away With the Friday Night GodsFloat Away With the Friday Night Gods is an album by the band Marah, released in 2002.The Bielanko Brothers were joined by Jamie Mahon and Jon Kois of The Three 4 Tens....
(E-Squared/Artemis) - 2004: 20,000 Streets Under the Sky20,000 Streets Under the Sky (album)-Personnel:* Mike Ambs: Drums* David Bielanko: Banjo, Bass, Guitar, Vocals* Serge Bielnako: Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals* Mark Boyce: Organ, Piano, Clavinet* Matt Cappy: Trumpet* Kirk Henderson: Keyboards, Background Vocals* Nancy Falkow: Background Vocals...
(US: Yep Roc/Europe: Munich) - 2004: Kids in Amsterdam: Live on VPROKids in Amsterdam: Live on VPROKids in Amsterdam: Live on VPRO is a live album by the band Marah, released in 2004. It is the first live album officially released by the band.-Track listing:#"The Catfisherman" – 3:24#"Fly Me to the Moon " – 3:55...
(Phidelity) - 2005: Float Away DeconstructedFloat Away DeconstructedFloat Away Deconstructed is an album released by the band Marah in 2005. It consists of demos from the band's 2002 release, Float Away With the Friday Night Gods.-Track listing:#"Float Away Intro" – 0:25#"Float Away" – 3:01#"Soul" – 3:47...
(Phidelity) - 2005: If You Didn't Laugh, You'd CryIf You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry-Track listing:#"The Closer" – 2:44#"The Hustle" – 3:34#"City of Dreams" – 2:56#"Fat Boy" – 2:27#"Sooner or Later" – 3:53#"Out of Tune" – 3:45#"Demon of White Sadness" – 3:51#"The Dishwasher's Dreams" – 3:56#"Poor People" – 4:25#"Walt Whitman Bridge" – 3:06...
(US: Yep Roc/Europe: Munich) - 2005: A Christmas Kind of TownA Christmas Kind of Town-Personnel:* David Bielanko – singing, guitar, bass, banjo, percussion, car horns, xylophone, jingle bells, etc.* Serge Bielanko – singing, guitar, banjo, harmonica, singing into the dryer, percussion, jingle bells, etc....
(Yep Roc) - 2008: Angels of Destruction!Angels of Destruction!Angels of Destruction! is the sixth album by the band Marah. It was released by Yep Roc Records on January 8, 2008.- Track listing :# Coughing Up Blood# Old Time Tickin' Away# Angels on a Passing Train# Wild West Love Song# Blue But Cool...
(US: Yep Roc/Europe: Munich) - 2010: Life is a Problem (Valley Farm Songs)
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)