The Best Band You Have Never Heard Of- Marah

I am a hopeless romantic when it comes to this band. I love Marah, always have and always will. They are my third favorite band of all time behind The Beatles and Uncle Tupelo . They are the best live band I have ever seen and I have seen them numerous times. Never have I seen a show that was even remotely disappointing. They always leave every ounce of energy on stage. I have seen them in traditional clubs and church basements and they have always given their everything whether there were 30 people or 230 people. They bleed rock and roll music and all that comes with it. When someone asks me what rock and roll music is, I tell them to listen to Marah. They embody its grit, attitude, soul and never let it go.

This is a band loved by many from Bruce Springsteen, Oasis, and Steve Earle to author Nick Hornby. Yet when I mention them, the typical answer I get is “who?” Even many of my music friends have never heard of them. Why then aren’t they huge and on everyone’s tongue? It seems that they are destined to live the image of what a rock and roll band should be. They have always trusted themselves rather than the labels, management, or record companies. They bring a swagger and attitude with them and I imagine that doesn’t sit well with the upper wrung of executives who want to control them. They have recorded 9 full length albums that have been released on 5 different labels. To be honest, at times they almost seem to self destruct. I don’t know whether it is themselves, bad luck, or whatever but this seems to be part of their destiny. For their real fans, this is what makes us love them and their style.

The two principals of the band have been the Bielanko brothers, Serge and David. They formed Marah in Philadelphia in 1995 and released their first album Let’s Cut the Crap and Hook up Later in 1998. It got a lot of great press. They followed it up with Kids in Philly in 2000. Again another critically acclaimed album. This is one of my Top 5 albums of all time. They go through personal and label changes but always continue to further the Marah sound. In 2008 they released Angels of Destruction which was supposed to finally put them into the mainstream psyche. Their songwriting on this album was superb and this was my favorite line-up. Then a few days before a major European tour the band fell apart. It seemed the title about destruction seemed to fit them. Serge left the band after this album to start a family and we all figured Marah was finished for good. But David hooked up with some new players and released the aptly titled Life Is a Problem in 2010. In typical Marah fashion they only released it on vinyl and cassette until late last year when they finally agreed to put it out in CD. David is in the process of writing new material and putting it out this year.

Enjoy this live video of It's Only Money, Tyrone which is a song from the Kids from Philly album. It captures the enthusiasm of their live show and it is from my favorite Marah line-up. Make it full screen and turn up the volume!!

Despite all the reason to give up on Marah, I can’t. They are too good no matter what they do to me. How can you not love a band that uses bagpipes, bottles, lap steels, horn sections, dobros, train whistles, xylophones, and tapes of sleeping people and phone calls into their music. How can you not love a band that has recorded in an auto repair garage as well as a bathroom? This is what rock and roll is about. Trust your instincts and go out and do it, despite that people say differently. How can you give up on a band that gives their all every time out whether it is in a studio or a live show? Once you get them in your soul, they will never leave you. Working the merch table for many bands I get a lot of cool memorabilia. My favorite band memorabilia is a huge signed Marah poster that has David on the ground paying homage to his guitar and the crowd in front of him. It is Marah. It is rock and roll.

Hang Them Out To Dry-Cold War Kids

I was so excited when I found out that the Cold War Kids were finally coming to Baltimore last summer. I had been waiting to see them since 2006 when I heard the first song from their debut full length album Robbers and Cowards. I was totally consumed by this album from the real gritty life lyrics to the amazing rhythms of their songs. It all sounded off beat and very atonal. It seemed like everything fit together when nothing logically should have. The tempo and vocals seemed to be moving in opposite directions, yet it fit together so beautifully. It is hard to explain, you just need to listen. I do think they are an acquired taste and you either get them or you don’t. I haven’t spoken to many people who are middle of the road on them. You like them a lot or not at all. I am in the former camp obviously.

The band is now located out of Long Beach, California. They formed in 2004 and put out a few EP’s before they signed to Downtown Records who released their Robbers and Cowards album. This was a band that got a lot of internet buzz which propelled them to stardom before they had really gone through just being a band. The album got a lot of critical acclaim and they then toured almost non-stop until they went back into the studio to release their second full length album Loyalty to Loyalty. This album had a backlash from the bloggers who were so high on the first one. However they rose above it and continued to gain fans from all over the world. They have just released Mine is Yours a few weeks ago. Even though it seems more polished in the studio, it still incorporates the primal sound they are known for. I really love Cold Toes on the Cold Floor. It should get a lot of the blog base back with this one.

Here is a live video of my favorite Cold War Kids song Hang Me Out to Dry. Make sure you watch the whole video for the end is really cool.

As you can see they are an exciting band live. When they finally came through Baltimore last year, I was not disappointed. They delivered everything I thought they would and even more. Make sure you check them out when they come to your town.

UPDATE: Larry and I have decided to have some updates about bands that we have written about, for those of you who might be interested. I wanted to update you about Harper Blynn. They have just released a new EP a few months ago. Again it features great harmonies and some wonderful songs. I had the pleasure of working them when they opened for Liz Phair and will see them in a few weeks as they become Schuyler Fisk’s band and then they will tour as The Damnwells featuring Alex Dezen. They are also working on a new full length album. They are busy!!!..... On another newsworthy note Matt Vasquez from one of my favorite bands Delta Spirit, has joined forces with two other bands to form the indie super group Middle Brother. He teams with members from the bands Deertick and Dawes. They are releasing an album and will go on a short tour, for this will not be a full time gig for them. They all remain committed long term to their own original bands.. I am currently in love with the single Me, Me, Me. They are guaranteed to rock the house.

Indie Music, The Decemberists, and The King is Dead

What makes music "Indie"? Is it the label, or is it a quality in the music or the lyrics? Is it the size of the audience or the type of venue a band plays? My friend, and co-blogger Fletcher believes that it is the amount of control that a band has over the music (type of music, track length, etc.) that is selected for an artists albums.  When I think of The Decemberists, these questions come to mind because, depending on which of the Decemberists' albums I play, I find that I  hear music with a huge range of influences and styles ranging from early English folk music to 1970s progressive rock. Further, while The Decemberists recorded for two different independent labels during their early years, The Decemberists now record for Capital Records, hardly what comes to mind when I think of an "indie" label. 

The Decemberists recently released their 6th album, their 3rd for Capital Records, entitled The King Is Dead.  It has been well promoted. I listened to it streamed from NPR for a couple of weeks prior to its official release. It is also featured on the iTunes home page and was reportedly the most downloaded album from iTunes on the day of its release.

The music on the new album has a wonderfully rootsy American sound,  a sound not heard on earlier releases, at least not in such abundance. The album starts off with the sounds of a harmonica, acoustic guitar and rhythmic drum, immediately signaling that this album will be decidedly different than 2009's The Hazards of Love which began wish an incredibly long and dramatic crescendo performed on a pipe organ.  Unlike that album, and all their previous albums, which was a concept album, The King is Dead is not. While the music has a different sound, the band's distinctively salient lyrics as written by frontman Colin Meloy, remain, well salient.  He seemingly unintentionally continues to drop AP-like word such as "trillium" into his songs. A guest appearance on The King Is Dead by REM's Peter Buck on guitar adds a welcome richly textured sound on six tracks, as does moving vocal harmony by Gillian Welch.

Another interesting note about this album is that for the first time The Decemberists have released an album in which none of the songs are longer than 10 minutes.  The longest track on The King Is Dead, "This is Why We Fight" runs 5:30.  While I have enjoyed their longer songs in the post on this album I enjoy the shorter numbers.  I can already tell that this will be one of my favorite albums of 2011.  "Down by the Water" from the new album was stuck in my head after just a couple of spins.

Here is a well-recorded live performance of O Valencia!, a song about two star-crossed lovers, from  The Crane Wife, The Decemberists' 4th album:


To me, "Indie" represents a creative spirit. No matter how successful artists or musical groups become, they are still "Indie" if they continue to create work that is new and innovative. Thus, in spite of their success, I believe The Decemberists are still one of the best "Indie" bands around.

Say Yes and Be Set Free- Langhorne Slim

The guitar player is kneeling on the ground strumming his guitar in a rock and roll frenzy. The drummer’s sweat is flying all over as he is beating his snare drums and smashing cymbals at an incredible pace. The bass player is frantically hitting the frets as he spins his upright bass. The crowd is bouncing up and down and is right with the band as the song hits its final crescendo. Welcome to the energy of Langhorne Slim.

Langhorne (Sean Scolnick) and his reliable band of Jeff Ratner (bass) and his longtime drummer Malachi DeLorenzo have been making great music together the past few years. Langhorne is truly happy when he is making music and his music has made many of his fans happy. His music is hard to define. It is a mixture of roots, americana, alt-country, with a mix of folk, bluegrass and a touch of punk. His voice brings forward all his influences with his great phrasing of the lyrics. You honestly need to listen to a full album to appreciate his musical range.

He takes his name from his hometown of Langhorne, Pennsylvania. He and his original band The War Eagles were signed to V2 records in 2006 and released an EP on that label. They then signed with Kemado Records and released a critically acclaimed self titled album in 2008. In 2009 he released Be Set Free which was produced by Chris Funk of The Decemberists.They have been touring almost non stop since 2006. They have opened for bands like Cake, The Avett Brothers, The Violent Femmes, and the Drive By Truckers .They have earned a very loyal fan base that is constantly expanding. Many people go to his live shows because of his great reputation. You can get a sense of this from this in-studio video of "Say Yes" from Be Set Free:

I have had the pleasure of working his merch table a number of times. He is a very nice,personable, and a thoughtful person. I have always been impressed with the amount of time he spends with his fans. He must be zapped of energy after one of his shows, but every show I have worked for him, he has come out after the show to sign autographs and have his picture taken. He seems to be very comfortable and really enjoys this interaction. He is always humble and looks the person who he is talking with, in the eye. He gives that person his undivided attention and makes them feel as though he has known them for a while. This is not always typical of a lot of bands. I encourage you to listen to his music and enjoy his vast musical range.

Best of 2010

What a year it's been at Audio-Didact. The blog went live in April. In June my good friend and emerging band mentor Fletcher kindly agreed to co-blog with me. We never dreamed that by the year's end we would have close to 700 visits from a dozen countries. It was Fletcher who came up with the terrific idea to make our final post of the year a "best of" posting by both of us. Enjoy! And please comment with your thoughts about the best music of 2010. Fletcher and I hope that this piece will truly be interactive with our readers, to whom we are grateful for making this blog possible. We wish all of you a wonderful holiday and look forward to enjoying new music with you in 2011.

Fletcher's Picks

It’s the end of the year as we know it (and I feel fine). It has been a great year for music and we are going to reveal some highlights for each of us.

First of all, it has been a wonderful year for this rookie blog. I thank Larry so much for inviting me to share some of my musical passions with all of you. I have been overwhelmed by the positive response and thank all of you for that support. I have really enjoyed writing it. I will say that many of my year's favorites are bands that I have written about. I always write about bands that I am passionate about, and it is good for me to see that at the end of the year, I am still in love with their music. Now, let’s get down to it.

Top Albums of the Year (alphabetical by band)

Delta Spirit, History from Below -- A great album from one of the best live bands on tour. Don’t miss this album, don’t miss this live show.

Goldspot, And the Elephant Is Dancing -- Every song on this album will get stuck in your head (in a positive way).

Jukebox the Ghost, Everything Under the Sun -- Piano pop at its best by this upcoming band.

Portugal the Man, American Ghetto -- A solid follow up to Satanic Satanist. Lots of intriguing sounds mixed with sonic sounds throughout.

Vampire Weekend, Contra -- A great album influenced by world music, it will pleasantly surprise you. Many hummable tunes. "Holiday" even used in a car commercial.

Top Songs of the Year (alphabetical by band)

Birds and Arrows, "Not Interested" -- Stunningly beautiful harmonies by this husband-wife team from North Carolina. Very soothing vocals in this song about life on the road.

Caleb Stine, "The Last Curtain Call" -- A man, with just his guitar, who will move you with his songs about the difficulties of living today. Truly a folksinger in the mode and spirit of Woody Guthrie. This one melts me every time I listen to it.

Delta Spirit, "Golden State" -- My favorite song on this album and a band that I can’t say enough good things about. Matt’s vocals are so passionate that you can hear his love for his home state.

Fools and Horses, "Follow" -- This radio friendly song comes from a band that has all the talent needed for a modern rock career. The soaring guitars and layered vocals of this song are the best on their new self-titled album, their finest yet. Lot of catchy hooks that deliver.

Goldspot, "One Year Anniversary" -- As I said before, every song on this album will get stuck in your head. I just love the way this song builds and the great chorus with the Beach Boy perfect harmonies.

Jukebox the Ghost, "Empire" -- From the opening to the end you get caught up in this song that wowed folks when they opened for Ben Folds and Guster this year. Another great chorus.

Port O’Brien, "My Will is Good" -- I had never heard of this band until I saw them open for Portugal the Man. This song blew me away. A fantastic opening and vocal. Wonderful backing instrumental track on this song. I really like the way this song is mixed.

Ra Ra Riot, "Boy"-- What can you say about a band that features chamber music with cellos and violins and combines it perfectly with indie rock? You get this band. This song has a killer bass line that drives it all the way through.

Victoria Vox, "Oh I Wonder" -- Uke need to make sure uke listen to this one. Victoria is an amazing singer-songwriter with a beautiful voice; she is also a ukulele player. My favorite song on this wonderful new album takes playing and listening to a ukulele to a new level.

Wye Oak, "My Neighbor" -- This duo creates beautiful sonic music that seems to have control and lose control at the same time. Jenn’s vocals and Andy’s drumming are both stunning as they take you on a musical journey with this song. I love this band's sound.

Best Musical Moments

Portugal the Man in Denver and Delta Spirit in Baltimore. Both of these were the best live shows for me during the year. I wrote about the Portugal show in an earlier blog. I just worked the Delta Spirit show when they came through here a few weeks ago -- it was the best show I have seen in three years. Both shows were magical nights and remind me why I love to see live music.

I have worked the merch table for many bands this year and appreciate all the good people I have met.

Looking Forward to in 2011

New Wye Oak and Cold War Kids albums. Can’t wait for either of them.

Larry's Picks

Top Albums of the Year (alphabetical by band)

Arcade Fire, The Suburbs -- A great album with overtones of a concept approach. Having grown up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., I found the album's autobiographical climax set in Houston's suburb of The Woodlands particularly moving.

Esperanza Spalding, Chamber Music Society -- How can one not love the excitement of this young prodigy not fitting into her jazz box? She is moving towards something new, something beautiful, something profound.

Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings, I Learned The Hard Way -- So retro they sound comparatively avant-garde. This band just plain improves with each album.

Spoon, Transference -- A welcome return to raw rhythmic energy. I found myself listening to this album daily for many weeks this year.

Vampire Weekend, Contra-- Like Fletcher, I fell in love with the music on this album. Incredibly complex world music flows from this quartet like cool flowing water.

Top Songs of the Year (alphabetical by band)

Bettye LaVette, "Love Reign" -- Ms. LaVette takes the Who's song from Quadrophenia and re-invents it as a R&B song. Although this live performance took place in 2008, the recording was released this year on Interpretations, The British Rock Songbook Album.
Buddy Guy, "74 Years Young" -- Buddy Guy, the living legend, starts off his autobiographical album Living Proof proudly proclaiming, "I'm 74 years young." Yes, he is, and he is still a master at singing and playing the blues.
The Damnwells, "She Goes Around" -- Catchy, rocking, and fun. This song is from their forthcoming album. You can receive a download of this song by supporting their new album or signing up for their mailing list here.

The Decemberists, "Down By The Water" -- Terrific Americana sounds and beautiful harmony. I can't wait for the album The King is Dead, scheduled to be released on January 18th, 2011.

Harper Blynn, "Lonliest Generation" -- Fletcher turned me on to this band and song, and I could not get enough of them for weeks. The delightfully comic video for this song is fun to watch as well.

Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings, "If You Call" -- Powerful longing, blues, emotion, tears, it's all there. Fasten your seat-belt and prepare to suffer with Sharon.
Vampire Weekend, "Cousins" -- Incredible energy, tight, lots of sounds, the driving snare drum -- I often find myself humming this song.

Best Musical Moments

Early in the year I saw John Scofield at Tipitinas in NOLA. He performed many of his amazing transformations of New Orleans-inspired gospel music with a quartet of gifted jazz and r&b musicians. Vampire Weekend put on a truly amazing and magical show in Houston. Alex Denzen from The Damnwells played an terrific hour set at the Houston's wonderful independent record store, Cactus Music. He played both new music and old favorites from the Damnwells.

Looking Forward to in 2011:

New Decemberists and Damnwells albums. I eagerly look forward to both.