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Aug 5,2007-Aug 12,2007 |
Gritty urban Marah rock
Philly band bring it on home on new disc 20,000 Streets...
By Kerry Doole
Originally Published: 2004-08-01
You may have never heard of Philadelphia rockers Marah, but their fan club features some pretty heavy names. Like Steve Earle, who signed them to his label, E-Squared, and brought them out as his tour support. There's writer Nick Hornby, of Hi-Fidelity fame, who sang their praises eloquently in The New York Times. And there's Bruce Springsteen, a key influence who guested on "Float Away" on Marah's 2002 album, Float Away With The Friday Night Gods.
Not that such peer praise has gone to the heads of these populists. As guitarist/songwriter Dave Bialenko once said, "I would trade one Nick Hornby for 10 regular people to like our band."
We reached singer/songwriter Serge Bialenko for an interview in England recently. Marah are touring there behind their much-praised fourth album, 20,000 Streets Under The Sky (out on Yeproc). The group have struck a chord with real music lovers across the pond.
"I wouldn't say we're press favourites there, but we have got noticed quite a bit, which is probably even better. In Britain, some music rags exist to build up bands just so they can tear them down in a most vicious fashion. Whatever. Those mags don't really bother us because we're not so flashy or fashionable. I'd say we get noticed in a really excellent light by Brits who like rock 'n roll better than hype."
Marah formed back in 1993, when Serge's younger brother, Dave, hooked up with drummer Ronnie Vance and bassist Danny Metz. An impressed Serge soon bugged them to let him join. Could he have anticipated they'd still be kicking out the jams a decade later? "Not in my wildest dreams. We're having such a thrilling life, so many ups and downs. I believe it'll make my brother and I a lot stronger someday soon, when we have to grow up, head to Hollywood, and become the giant film stars we are destined to be. Actually, we better get out to California now, while we still have our super looks!"
The fact that Marah have yet to score a major commercial breakthrough can be partially attributed to their musical eclecticism. Their 1998 debut album, Let's Cut The Crap And Hook Up Later On Tonight, was compared to a low-budget Exile On Main Street, while 2000's Kids In Philly was a critical favourite that stressed the gritty urban poeticism of the Bielanko brothers' songwriting. They then took a stylistic detour by heading to Wales to record Float Away With The Friday Night Gods with hot producer Owen Morris (The Verve, Oasis). Those results weren't as satisfying as Marah's earlier work, but they're back firing on all cylinders on their new disc.
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