For Your Consideration: Marah, Angels of Destruction
By Mr. Moderator on Jan 25, 2008
Rhythm section: Don't buy green bananas!
Here are a few tracks from the latest album by Marah. Our Philly Phaithful are likely rolling their eyes, huffing, and lining up to take sides.
Marah, "Old Time Tickin' Away"
I have no idea how this band actually plays outside of my hometown. They've been praised to the high heavens by a lot of cooler Establishment members, but do they play to The People? I picked up the band's latest album, Angels of Destruction, and although I've never been the band's greatest supporter (and have been guilty of all of what I describe below), this album has its strengths. There's no reason to hate this stuff, Philly brothers and sisters. Can we get over it?
Marah, "Angels of Destruction"
For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here's a band that had the good fortune of breaking from my hometown to a greater degree than most Philly bands ever break. Their perceived arrogance; constant firing of rhythm sections; overt Boss-isms; Boss, Nick Hornby, and Stephen King blessings, move to England to record with Oasis' producer, and now move to Brooklyn have earned them constant back-biting in the brothers' hometown, but a lot of it comes down to old-time jealousy, doesn't it?
Have you ever experienced feelings of jealousy over the success of a local band? Do tell.
15 comments
Comment from: mrclean [Member] 
Was this post inspired by the report over at Philebrity about their recent implosion just days before the new tour?
I saw them live a few times when that Jonny Wurster kid was on drums and they put on a hell of a live show - especially one night at the Tin Angel here in Philly. But I've never felt like I needed to buy a CD - I'm not a fan of "The Boss" like most of the rest of the tri-state area is...
I saw them live a few times when that Jonny Wurster kid was on drums and they put on a hell of a live show - especially one night at the Tin Angel here in Philly. But I've never felt like I needed to buy a CD - I'm not a fan of "The Boss" like most of the rest of the tri-state area is...
01/25/08 @ 16:30
Comment from: shawnkilroy [Member]
Of course I'm jealous of their success.
I'm also jealous of the success of:
Man Man
Dr. Dog
Plastic Little
Diplo
Hail Social
Pissed Jeans
Fursaxa
Spank Rock
Bardo Pond
and many many others.
When I see write ups and record reviews (good or bad) and tour dates of bands who have well surpassed me and my music making, i grind my teeth and wonder if my day will ever come. It will or it won't.
Regardless, Marah gets hated by me and a lot of other folks in this town because Dave Marah is a fucking creep.
It's really quite simple.
i'm not the only person who thinks this.
i'm just the only one who says it.
I'm also jealous of the success of:
Man Man
Dr. Dog
Plastic Little
Diplo
Hail Social
Pissed Jeans
Fursaxa
Spank Rock
Bardo Pond
and many many others.
When I see write ups and record reviews (good or bad) and tour dates of bands who have well surpassed me and my music making, i grind my teeth and wonder if my day will ever come. It will or it won't.
Regardless, Marah gets hated by me and a lot of other folks in this town because Dave Marah is a fucking creep.
It's really quite simple.
i'm not the only person who thinks this.
i'm just the only one who says it.
01/25/08 @ 16:57
Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]
II had no idea about a recent implosion, Mrclean. Oh, brother!
01/27/08 @ 15:29
Comment from: saturnismine [Member]
I remember seeing these guys at doc watson's, practically on the eve of their local fame. i had never heard of them, but an art historian friend of mine apologetically coaxed me out to see her friend's boyfriend's band: "they're not very original", she said, "they're kind of like eddie and the cruisers, because they sound like bruce springsteen, but they're NOT bruce springsteen. but they're really good at it." she was right: they WERE good at it.
i couldn't believe they weren't more well known locally. the small crowd in attendance was a bunch of genuine friends, real supporters who loved their songs. their girlfriends were very proud, humble...nice girls.
it seemed like only weeks later that joey sweeney wrote the cover story on them for the Weekly, I believe.
and the next time i ran into them, we struck up a conversation. nice lads. real self-effacing. i've never had to deal with some of the things that have been laid before them, so i can't judge. but, no, i was never really jealous of their success. maybe that's because i saw them before they had garnered any attention and liked what i saw.
i couldn't believe they weren't more well known locally. the small crowd in attendance was a bunch of genuine friends, real supporters who loved their songs. their girlfriends were very proud, humble...nice girls.
it seemed like only weeks later that joey sweeney wrote the cover story on them for the Weekly, I believe.
and the next time i ran into them, we struck up a conversation. nice lads. real self-effacing. i've never had to deal with some of the things that have been laid before them, so i can't judge. but, no, i was never really jealous of their success. maybe that's because i saw them before they had garnered any attention and liked what i saw.
01/27/08 @ 18:57
Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]
Thanks for sharing, Sat. There's still time to answer the broader question at hand: Have you ever been jealous of any local band?
01/27/08 @ 19:32
Comment from: saturnismine [Member]
oh...the broader question...right.
nah...i can't really say that i have. i may not have liked all of the tunes that successful local bands have churned out, but that didn't make me jealous of their success.
besides, success comes with its own can of worms. who knows how well equipped i would be to handle it?
marah's a good example but not the only one (think of that mod band...shit, what was their name? herschel's band...): i don't envy them in the least: whether it's their own fault or not, their success hasn't come without a price. lots of people who don't even know them have all sorts of negative energy for them, including hatred (and based on what? they're look? the fact that they don't do something as good as someone else who hasn't made it out of the basement? so what?). not cool. wouldn't want that. "success" isn't *that* important. those guys all seemed alot happier before their success than they did after. jealous? nope.
nah...i can't really say that i have. i may not have liked all of the tunes that successful local bands have churned out, but that didn't make me jealous of their success.
besides, success comes with its own can of worms. who knows how well equipped i would be to handle it?
marah's a good example but not the only one (think of that mod band...shit, what was their name? herschel's band...): i don't envy them in the least: whether it's their own fault or not, their success hasn't come without a price. lots of people who don't even know them have all sorts of negative energy for them, including hatred (and based on what? they're look? the fact that they don't do something as good as someone else who hasn't made it out of the basement? so what?). not cool. wouldn't want that. "success" isn't *that* important. those guys all seemed alot happier before their success than they did after. jealous? nope.
01/27/08 @ 20:05
Comment from: chickenfrank [Member]
Of course! Saturn, you're a person I get the impression truly enjoys your non-music vocation. If you work a day job that is not what you dreamed of as a little kid, how can you not be jealous of a band that does make it's living from R&R? I will never be jealous of spending 3/4 of my life in a van, or living on Raman noodles, but their biggest idol (THE BOSS) played with them on stage. That would be me playing with Costello, XTC, or The Clash. (I'm no Icarus , I wouldn't dare even imagine Beatles, Stones, or Who) How can that part not make you jealous? That's you with Hendrix. It's a different question, what would you sacrifice of yourself or your principles to gain success. But the pure question, am I jealous of their success? Yes! The one with the most fans wins.
01/27/08 @ 21:39
Comment from: saturnismine [Member]
meh.
in this way, we're VERY different people, chickenfrank.
in this way, we're VERY different people, chickenfrank.
01/28/08 @ 01:06
Comment from: Mr. Moderator [Member]
It's a good thing not everyone is like Chickenfrank and I on this subject, even though Chick and I differ a little bit in the roots of our jealousy - a tiny bit? It doesn't surprise me that you feel the way you do, Sat, and that's great. Of those of you who've been silent, how many are sitting silently on a point of view similar to one of us? Kilroy pulled no punches, and for that I thank him.
Another thing that has not been explored in this post, however, is the quality of the tracks I've posted. Does anyone else agree with me that, had these been from a new Graham Parker album, say, we'd be celebrating the fact that this is his best album since whatever album anyone thinks is half decent since The Mona Lisa's Sister? I think these tracks are good, and they stay away from some of the excesses that can wear thin on me in Marah's music and the music of others along these lines.
Another thing that has not been explored in this post, however, is the quality of the tracks I've posted. Does anyone else agree with me that, had these been from a new Graham Parker album, say, we'd be celebrating the fact that this is his best album since whatever album anyone thinks is half decent since The Mona Lisa's Sister? I think these tracks are good, and they stay away from some of the excesses that can wear thin on me in Marah's music and the music of others along these lines.
01/28/08 @ 09:29
Comment from: mrclean [Member]
The songs are OK...I would have suggested trimming the "Angels.." track by about a minute.
I don't think I've been jealous of other bands (maybe I'm disqualified from commenting on this issue...) If anything I've always wanted to champion hometown artists (at least good ones) and lets show some Philly greatness to the world...
Are these guys "Philly" anymore - they moved to Brooklyn like some other bands seem to have done as well?
I don't think I've been jealous of other bands (maybe I'm disqualified from commenting on this issue...) If anything I've always wanted to champion hometown artists (at least good ones) and lets show some Philly greatness to the world...
Are these guys "Philly" anymore - they moved to Brooklyn like some other bands seem to have done as well?
01/28/08 @ 10:07
Comment from: saturnismine [Member]
mrclean says it well. and, yes, they've moved to brooklyn. but they spent so much time here, and they came from here, so i suppose they'll always be "philly" in that way. they're more philly than, say, rundgren, right?
and yes, michael, i was thinking of the interpreters.
and yes, michael, i was thinking of the interpreters.
01/28/08 @ 11:39
Comment from: andyr [Member]
Dude, you *know* I stand shoulder to shoulder with you and Chickenfrank on the jelousy issue.
Actually the Marah songs are better than I expected. Better production and arrangments. If this was a GP album I would certainly say this is a return to form.
Actually the Marah songs are better than I expected. Better production and arrangments. If this was a GP album I would certainly say this is a return to form.
01/28/08 @ 11:47
Comment from: shawnkilroy [Member]
last band rockin-
from Conshohocken!
I think they are AS Philly as:
Rundgren
Hazzard
Hooters
Hall and Oates
Paul Green
and everyone else who moves to NYC as soon as something good happens to them.
I myself will go to Rome.
from Conshohocken!
I think they are AS Philly as:
Rundgren
Hazzard
Hooters
Hall and Oates
Paul Green
and everyone else who moves to NYC as soon as something good happens to them.
I myself will go to Rome.
01/28/08 @ 12:06
Comment from: shawnkilroy [Member]
as for the songs, I'll bet they're great.
but you couldn't pay me to listen to them.
but you couldn't pay me to listen to them.
01/28/08 @ 12:07
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