Marah (band)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Marah | ||
|---|---|---|
 Left to Right: Adam Garbinski, Kirk Henderson, Serge Bielanko, Dave Bielanko, Dave Petersen
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| Background information | ||
| Origin | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Brooklyn, New York, USA | |
| Genre(s) | Alternative country, Rock and Roll, Garage Rock | |
| Years active | 1993 – present | |
| Label(s) | Yep Roc Records, Artemis Records, PHIdelity Records | |
| Website | Official site | |
| Members | ||
| David Bielanko Serge Bielanko Adam Garbinski Kirk Henderson Dave Peterson |
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| Former members | ||
| Mark Boyce Mike Brenner Jamie Mahon Danny Metz Ronnie Vance Jon Wurster |
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Marah is an American rock band that formed in the early 1990s and is closely associated with the city of Philadelphia. The band is known for its intense live preformances, Classic Rock production style, and association with writers like Nick Hornby and Sarah Vowell.
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[edit] History
Marah was formed by singer/songwriter Dave Bielanko, bassist Danny Metz and drummer Ronnie Vance in 1993. After hearing the band play, the trio was augmented by Dave's older brother, Serge Bielanko, in 1995.
[edit] If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry and A Christmas Kind of Town
In 2005, the band entered the studio in New York to record their fifth album with the help of Henderson and two new members, Adam Garbinski and Dave Peterson. The result, If You Didn't Laugh, You'd Cry (IYDLYC), was hailed by critics as a return to form for the band. The release of IYDLYC was complemented by the recording and release of a christmas album, A Christmas Kind of Town, on October 18, 2005. The band, solidified as a three-guitar quintet, embarked on 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" off of the new album, as well as occasional performances of "Reservation Girl," an original song that has never been officially released by the band.
In addition to the release of A Christmas Kind of Town, the band recorded the 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 aired on the show's holiday special in December 2005.
The band played at the Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 16, 2006, which was highlighted by a cover of The Who's "Baba O'Riley" and a bizarre introduction by an unknown man, portraying himself as a famous music executive seemingly from the late 1950s. The band later played the Austin City Limits Music Festival on September 15th, 2006, featuring a spirited performance from the band and Dave and Serge Bielanko jumping over the crowd barriers into the audience. The audio of this performance was released on iTunes on November 7th, 2006.
On September 21, 2006, the band's website announced the release of a live DVD of the IYDLYC tour, entitled Sooner or Later in Spain. The DVD, which was originally recorded and released as a fan bootleg, is scheduled for release on November 17th, 2006.
[edit] Recent Activity
Marah entered a Nashville studio in August 2006 to record the soundtrack for an upcoming independent film entitled War Eagle. This new record is expected to be released in March 2007.
[edit] Discography
[edit] 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: 20,000 Streets Under the Sky (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)
[edit] Singles/EPs
- 2000: Point Breeze (CD Single) (E-Squared/Artemis)
- 2004: Freedom Park (CD Single) (Munich)
- 2004: Money & Z's (iTunes Single) (Yep Roc)
[edit] DVDs
- 2006: Sooner or Later in Spain (Yep Roc)
[edit] 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)
