Mal Blum | |
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| Background information | |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, singer-songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, guitar |
| Labels | Don Giovanni Records Saddle Creek Records |
| Website | malblum |
Mal Blum is an American songwriter, musician, writer and performer from New York. Blum has released six full-length albums, most recently Pity Boy in 2019. [1]
Blum spent their [lower-alpha 1] early career promoting self-booked DIY solo tours [3] and also self-released their early albums before signing to record labels. [4]
In 2014, they signed to punk label Don Giovanni Records and announced they would be working on a new album produced by Marissa Paternoster of the band Screaming Females. [5] After the Don Giovanni release of You Look a Lot Like Me in 2015, Blum began touring nationally with a band, contributing to what critics called a "more developed but still gritty, punk" sound. [6]
Blum was a recurring musical and comedic guest on The Chris Gethard Show [7] [8] They have also appeared as a musical guest on the Welcome to Night Vale (WTNV) podcast and have toured extensively opening for WTNV's National and International live shows in 2018, 2019 and 2023 [9] [10]
In February 2019 Blum released a new single, "Things Still Left To Say," [11] and in March 2019 they toured with Lucy Dacus. [7] That year they released the album Pity Boy, [1] recorded with Joe Reinhart of Hop Along at Headroom Studios in Philadelphia. [12] Pitchfork's Abby Jones categorized Pity Boy as a shift "into potent pop-punk that recalls both Hop Along and Titus Andronicus." noting the newfound focus on guitarist Audrey Zee Whitesides' electric riffs, while maintaining the lyrics as "the album's centerpiece" writes Jones,
If the electric guitar had evolved into a supporting actor by Blum’s last album, 2016’s You Look a Lot Like Me, then it’s the lead on Pity Boy. The nimble, vigorous riffs [...] ricocheting like rubber balls around “I Don’t Want To” and “Not My Job” with Blum’s vocals surging in countermelody. [13]
Max Cohen, in their review for Bandcamp's "Album of the Day" series, writes of Pity Boy's production value:
It’s punk in spirit, but the production is rich and warm, wrapping the power chords and solos in a sunny, welcoming fuzz. At their best, as on the jangly opener “Things Still Left to Say,” they sound like The Buzzcocks, if The Buzzcocks opted for compassion instead of bile. [14]
On Oct 20, 2020 Blum announced a new single to be released on Saddle Creek Records as part of the label's 7 inch series. [15]
In August 2020, Mal Blum was tapped to write music for Season 2 of Netflix's Trinkets television show. They wrote the song "Passenger Seat" to be used in a recurring story arc for the character Elodie. [16]
Blum signed a publishing deal with Terrorbird Media seemingly during this same time period [17] and began contributing music to other tv and film projects. Upon co-writing with other artists on the roster, he forged a connection with Kyle Andrews and together the two worked remotely during the pandemic on a collection of 6 songs that would ultimately become the EP "Ain't it Nice." [18]
On April 15, 2022 Mal Blum released "Ain't it Nice" which critics described musically as "a bridge between indie rock and Americana" [19]
Thematically, writer Mel Woods described the EP as
a dust-covered collection of tracks that wouldn’t sound out of place in a wayward diner off the side of the highway. Drawing inspiration from John Prine, Bruce Springsteen and others, Blum has crafted a record steeped in pandemic loneliness and the messiness of queer and trans masculinity. [20]
On February 11, 2023 Blum announced plans to record a new full length album with producer Jessica Boudreaux of the band Summer Cannibals [21]
Blum is openly transgender and queer. They have spoken about their voice changing while recording "Ain't it Nice" in 2020 [22]
They attended State University of New York at Purchase. [23] They are Jewish. [24] Hannah Fleischman of Hey Alma magazine wrote:
Although their songs’ subject matters often touch on heavier subjects, Blum’s dry approach to otherwise difficult topics typifies Jewish humor. [4]
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Goodnight Sugarpop |
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| Every Time You Go Somewhere |
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| Tempest in a Teacup |
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| You Look a Lot Like Me |
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| Pity Boy |
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| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Ain't It Nice |
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| Title | Single details |
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| "Nobody Waits" / "San Cristobal" |
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| "Xmas Eve" |
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Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Bolton in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop, and pop punk. They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady, an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as a "punk masterpiece".
Pop-punk is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes. It is distinguished from other punk-variant genres by drawing more heavily from 1960s bands such as the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Beach Boys. The genre has evolved throughout its history, absorbing elements from new wave, college rock, ska, hip hop, emo, boy band pop and even hardcore punk. It is sometimes considered interchangeable with power pop and skate punk.
Pete Shelley was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early punk band Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist in 1977 when Devoto left. The group released their biggest hit "Ever Fallen in Love " in 1978. The band broke up in 1981 and reformed at the end of the decade. Shelley also had a solo career; his song "Homosapien" charted in Australasia and Canada in 1981 and 1982.
Heartland rock is a genre of rock music characterized by a straightforward, often roots musical style, often with a focus on blue-collar workers, and a conviction that rock music has a social or communal purpose beyond just entertainment.
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Singles Going Steady is a compilation album by English punk rock band Buzzcocks, first released on I.R.S. Records in the United States on 25 September 1979.
U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. One of the first hardcore punk bands, elements of rhythm and blues music - including harmonica - also remained an occasional element of their work.
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Modern is the sixth studio album by English pop punk band Buzzcocks. After the critical success of the band's previous album All Set (1996), the band became disillusioned with trying to be a rock band and set out to become more "modern," thus birthing the project. Recording the album in Chipping Barnet with the band's bassist Tony Barber producing, Modern sees a strong electronic music influence, with electronic instruments and drum machines featuring on the songs, especially those written by Steve Diggle, who wrote five of the album's songs whilst Pete Shelley wrote the other eight songs.
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