Marah

The veteran band Marah has created a small, but passionate and devoted fan base. Although the band formed in the early 1990's and released their first full-length album over ten years ago in 1997, they remain relatively unknown to the general public. The band's obscurity, however, largely contributes to their uniqueness.

Dave Bielanko, from Conshocken, Pennsylania, formed the band with two other members, Danny Metz and Ronnie Vance in 1993. Two years later, Dave's brother, Serge Bielanko, joined the band. Throughout the subsequent years, the Bielanko brothers would stay in the band, trading in and out various other members. Currently, Dave Bielanko (vocals, guitar, banjo), Serge Bielanko (guitar, harmonica, vocals), Christine Smith (keyboard, accordian), Johnny Pisano (bass), and Joe Gorelick (drums) make up the band.

Of their thirteen albums, 20,000 Streets Under the Sky (2002) and If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry (2005) are two classics. Both albums share the unique sound that is Marah, but still have their own idiosyncrasies and unique quirks.

   In their earlier album, If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry, shows Springsteen-like energy and purity in each song. In their more mature album, If You Didn't Laugh You'd Cry, the hard rock sound coupled with more melodic tunes creates the perfect balance of the band's obvious passion for music and easy listening. The album starts of with the energetic song "The Closer," which immediately captivates the listener. 

 Anyways, I highly recommend listening to either of the aforementioned albums or any other one that interests you.