Mal Blum

Mal Blum (born July 7, 1988) 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]

Mal Blum
Background information
GenresFolk, Anti-folk, Rock, Punk Folk punk
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
InstrumentsVocals, guitar
LabelsDon Giovanni Records
Associated actsMal Blum and the Blums
Websitemalblum.com

Career

They[lower-alpha 1] spent their early career promoting self-booked DIY solo tours[3] and also self-released their early albums before signing to a record label[4]

In 2014, they signed to 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 as a band with a bassist and drummer, contributing to what critics called a "more developed but still gritty, punk" sound.[6] Describing the process of making You Look a Lot Like Me, Blum says:

When I wrote all the songs on the album I was so depressed at that time that I actually didn’t have a concept that I was writing songs. But when I started feeling better everything started to come into place: Don Giovanni wanted me to put out the album, then they put me in touch with Marissa to produce it.[7]

Blum was a recurring musical and non-musical guest on The Chris Gethard Show.[8][9] and has had their music featured on Logo TV's The Click List: Top 10 Videos and NewNowNext Music[10] They also have appeared as a musical guest on the Welcome to Night Vale (WTNV) podcast and toured extensively with WTNV live shows in 2018.[11][12]. In February 2019 Blum released a new single, "Things Still Left To Say,"[13] and in March 2019 they toured with Lucy Dacus.[14] That year they released the album Pity Boy.[1]

They have contributed non-musical written work to Autostraddle,[15] Huffington Post,[16] and The Fader.[17]

Personal life

Blum is openly transgender and queer.[1] They attended State University of New York at Purchase.[18] They are Jewish. Of their songwriting style, a recent reviewer writes:

Although their songs’ subject matters often touch on heavier subjects, Blum’s dry approach to otherwise difficult topics typifies Jewish humor.[19]

Discography
  • The Malblum Album (2007) (out of print)
  1. Pretty Cute
  2. Christmas Eve
  3. Timebomb
  4. This Is Not A Date
  5. Vegan Song
  6. Westchester County
  7. Worst of All
  8. I Forgot You Were a Feline
  9. Westchester County (feat. Chelsea)
  10. Brand New Pivot
  11. When It's New


  • Goodnight Sugarpop (2008)
  1. Cut it off
  2. Dysmorphic
  3. Country Song
  4. Hypocrite
  5. My Name is Earthworm
  6. Waiting In Line
  7. The Suburban Summer Polka
  8. Tumbleweed
  9. Ode to Kulele * video reached number 10 on LOGO's Video of Year for 2009
  10. You Should Be Here
  11. The Jugular
  12. I have been listening


  • For Making Art: The EP (2009) (out of print)
  1. Baltimore
  2. New Year's Eve
  3. For Making Art
  4. Wagon Wheel (Live At the Sidewalk Cafe, Nyc)
  5. Tumbleweed (Live At the Sidewalk Cafe, Nyc)
  6. I Could Tell You


  • Every Time You Go Somewhere (2010)
  1. San Cristóbal
  2. Watercolors
  3. Baltimore
  4. New Year's Eve
  5. Fine!
  6. Wait Forever, Baby
  7. Circus Heart Pt. 1
  8. Circus Heart Pt. 2
  9. I Got Drunk
  10. Weary


  • Tempest In A Teacup (2013)
  1. Overseas Now
  2. Side I'm On
  3. Altitude (This Party Sucks)
  4. The Bodies, The Zombies!
  5. Counting My Breaths
  6. Brooklyn
  7. With Samson In Washington State
  8. The Difference
  9. Valentine's Day


  • You Look A Lot Like Me (2015)
  1. Archive
  2. Better Go
  3. Robert Frost
  4. Cool Party
  5. Split, Splitting
  6. Reality TV
  7. Iowa
  8. Better Than I Was
  9. New Orleans
  10. The Shrink Thinks


  • Pity Boy (2019)
  1. Things Still Left To Say
  2. Not My Job
  3. See Me
  4. Odds
  5. Splinter
  6. Black Coffee
  7. Did You Get What You Wanted
  8. I Don't Want To
  9. Salt Flats
  10. Well, Fuck
  11. Gotta Go
  12. Maybe I'll Wait[20]

See also

Notes
  1. Blum is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns.[2]

References
  1. Wolper, Caitlin. "Mal Blum Explores Self-Destructive Habits On 'Pity Boy'". Nylon. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  2. Keller, Jessica. "Hanging Out With Mal Blum". Her Campus.
  3. "Mal Blum". Mal Blum. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  4. Fleishman, Hannah. "Mal Blum's Music Was Made For Queer Jews".
  5. "Mal Blum joins Don Giovanni Records". Mal Blum. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  6. "REVIEW: Allison Weiss, Mal Blum, Winter, Kid in the Attic, Dump Him at Cuisine En Locale (11/4) - Allston Pudding". November 10, 2015.
  7. "About". Mal Blum. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  8. "Shows". Mal Blum. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  9. "I think we can all agree that Mal Blum has been a... | The Chris Gethard Show". Thechrisgethardshow.tumblr.com. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  10. St.Brooklyn, The Acheron 57 Waterbury; NY; is 21, 11206 Doors 8:00 PM This event; over. "Emilyn Brodsky, Mal Blum, Hailey Wojcik, Kid In The Attick - Tickets - The Acheron - Brooklyn, NY - December 4th, 2014". Ticketfly. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  11. Merka Nelson, Kelly (November 24, 2017). "Welcome to Night Vale Brings Eldritch Weather to San Antonio". San Antonio Current. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  12. Biese, Alex (September 10, 2018). "Mal Blum on tour with Welcome to Night Vale for A Spy in the Desert". app. USA Today. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  13. "Watch: Mal Blum Returns With 'Things Still Left To Say'". NPR.org. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  14. "Shows". Mal Blum. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  15. "Mal Blum". Autostraddle.
  16. "Mal Blum - HuffPost". www.huffingtonpost.com.
  17. "10 NYC DIY Venues That Closed This Year And Why We'll Miss Them". The FADER.
  18. "Josh Gondelman and People He Admires". www.unionhallny.com. Retrieved March 19, 2019.
  19. Fleishman, Hannah. "Mal Blum's Music Was Made For Queer Jews".
  20. "Albums". Mal Blum. Retrieved March 19, 2019.


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