The quartet 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 CD's were recorded and produced by the band and recording engineer 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 the song, "Point Breeze" from Kids in Philly on The Late Show 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 For 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. It was released on Artemis Records in 2002.
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 Rock records in 2004. The band toured this album with John Wurster (of Indie Rock-stalwarts Superchunk) on drums, Mike Brenner on lap steel, and Kirk Henderson on bass and keyboards.
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, 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 IYDLYC, as well as occasional performances of "Reservation Girl," an original song that has never been officially released by the band.
Dave Bielanko, Serge Bielanko, and Adam Garbinski at ACL 2006.The band played at the Bonnaroo Music Festival on June 16, 2006, which was highlighted by a rousing introduction by St. Louis 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 15th, 2006, featuring a spirited performance from the band with 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, was released on November 17th, 2006.
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 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 8th, 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 afterwards, however, plans for an extensive US tour were cancelled following the departure of Garbinski, Peterson, and Henderson. A statement from Dave Bielenko stated that the current line-up could not agree on tour plans, and that to acquiesce to rhythm section would have represented a "musical regression." 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.
In August 2008, Dave Bielanko, Smith and Pisano started recording new material at 16 Ton Studios in Nashville. Bielanko has stated his intentions of recording "a lilting beautiful folky record of acoustic guitars, tack pianos, and the stand-up bass".
The History of Where Someone Has Been Killed
Marah Lyrics
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Looked like a black bear in the road
There is a stain of blood, a Sixers cap
And the stench of piss and beer
There was an outskirt's glow of lamplight
From a half a block away
And there was the ghost of greed,
The ghost of fury and the ghost of fear
There was a charred spot in the gutter
That would slick up in the rain
There was a half tin can
That been burned over the brand (name)
Tall windows paned and plywood, where houses closed forever
And the every night mosquitoes
With no intent to land
There came an old dog with a bad limp
He had a slow gait and a hunger
There was some pigeons on a wire
And they were open-eyed and still
There was an aura to the whole place
Like someone else was lurking
Such is the history of where someone has been killed…
The Marah song, "The History of Where Someone Has Been Killed," tells a haunting story of a crime scene in a rundown part of town. Using vivid imagery, the lyrics paint a picture of the aftermath of a violent act. The first verse describes a dumpster that resembles a black bear in the middle of the road, with bloodstains and the smell of urine and alcohol. The ghostly presence of greed, fury, and fear is palpable. In the second verse, a charred spot on the street is described as slick when it rains, while tall windows are boarded up, and mosquitoes swarm at night. The third verse introduces an old dog with a limp and hungry pigeons on a wire. The entire scene has an eerie aura, as if someone is still lurking around.
The song invokes a sense of foreboding and sadness. It speaks to the violence and neglect that exists in parts of many cities, where people often become victims or face other dangers. The lyrics suggest that this crime scene is not unique but a part of a long history of such incidents in the same location. The song also raises questions about why some communities are neglected and left to deteriorate.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a dumpster in an alley
A large garbage container was present in a narrow passageway
Looked like a black bear in the road
The appearance of the dumpster resembled that of a wild animal blocking the way
There is a stain of blood, a Sixers cap
Evidence of a violent incident included a red mark and a hat belonging to a basketball team
And the stench of piss and beer
An unpleasant smell of urine and alcohol filled the air
There was an outskirt's glow of lamplight
The dim illumination of a streetlamp was visible from a distance
From a half a block away
The light was emanating from a nearby location
And there was the ghost of greed,
An intangible presence reminiscent of a desire for wealth
The ghost of fury and the ghost of fear
Additional elusive influences reminiscent of anger and anxiety
There was a charred spot in the gutter
A burnt area of the street where water would collect
That would slick up in the rain
The surface would become slippery when wet
There was a half tin can
Part of an aluminum container remained
That been burned over the brand (name)
The material melted from exposure to a hot surface
Tall windows paned and plywood, where houses closed forever
Abandoned residential buildings with covered windows
And the every night mosquitoes
Insects common to the area, buzzing around in the dark
With no intent to land
The mosquitoes were not actively seeking a place to settle
There came an old dog with a bad limp
A canine with impaired mobility appeared
He had a slow gait and a hunger
The dog moved slowly and displayed signs of a lack of food
There was some pigeons on a wire
Several birds perched on a metal cable
And they were open-eyed and still
The pigeons remained alert but motionless
There was an aura to the whole place
A distinct atmosphere surrounded the location
Like someone else was lurking
The environment gave the impression of another presence nearby
Such is the history of where someone has been killed…
All of these details serve as an eerie record of an area where a person lost their life
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elizabeth Boyk
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