May 12, 2013 | 0 Comments

MAL BLUM – TEMPEST IN A TEACUP at Top 200 Radio Now!!!

Man, does Mal Blum rule. I got to know Mal through Zoe Boekbinder, another Band Mom artist/pal, and she is just as great. She comes from the direction of anti-folk or folk-punk, although her new album’s clear production value and full instrumentation puts it a step above what you’d traditionally expect from that category. Her songs are at turns funny, cute, pretty, sad and/or sweet, sometimes all at once. Some of her songs are about zombies and some of them are about crappy parties or okay cities and they are all SO GOOD.

MAL BLUM

TEMPEST IN A TEACUP

Betterweather Music

“The thing about Mal’s songs is that they will rip your heart out of your fucking chest but also will make you laugh at the same time.” – Chris Gethard (The Chris Gethard Show)

Mal Blum writes tongue-in-cheek songs often filled with feelings, travel stories or anthropomorphic metaphors. Her music is best described as containing elements from folk, punk, and anti-folk genres. She has released four albums and played hundreds of shows across the US, usually alone in her little Honda but sometimes with a band or another artist to keep her company. Currently that NYC-based band also includes Maia Mcdonald (of the band Mitten) on bass and Steph Barker (of Mrs. Danvers) on drums. She has supported national artists including two tours with folk rocker Melissa Ferrick and three co-headlining tours with Zoe Boekbinder, plus single shows with Jeffrey Lewis, Amanda Palmer, Hammell On Trial and Kimya Dawson.

Her latest effort’s opening song, “Overseas Now,” was recorded by Melissa Ferrick and starts off with xylophone notes paired with Mal’s unconventional voice and straightforward guitar strumming. Throughout the album, additional instrumentation like glockenspiel, piano, banjo, harmonica, cello, harp, and more help to bring out Mal’s optimistic energy, tempered with touches of heartbreak and vulnerability.

“Mal Blum’s arrival on the indie scene gives us all hope for the future of smart music.” — Melissa Ferrick