Bob Mallon

Cambridge, MA. Mobility, Indie Rock & Politics. Proud husband of @ammallon. EV Product @ Wex. Member of the 'Secret Bike Lobby' He/his.

[Kamala Harris @KamalaHarris]

On behalf of the American people, I thank Joe Biden for his extraordinary leadership as President of the United States and for his decades of service to our country.

I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination.

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

Final Note: Was very excited for new songs (finally!) from one of the two guys from the Wrens (authors of my #1 Album ever The Meadowlands), now inexplicably called Car Colors, after Aeon Station (the rest of the band) did their thing 2 years ago. Both amazing, despite the names!

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

Best show of the year: boy genius with my daughter in East Boston, followed by my old faves the Church with a resurgent energy I did not expect, and New Pornographers who are always incredible live.

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

Special shout-out to PJ Harvey whose new album I wrote off initially and then ended up listening to more than maybe anyone this year. What an amazing gift to the world that she still does her (ever-morphing) thing with grace and vigor.

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

In the streaming era, all of this activity waned, and I don’t listen as much as I like, but once a year I force myself to re-immerse and figure it all out. I repeat myself, a lot. But I also find some new things each year! Here is my 2023 in a nutshell.

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

So I kept doing it year after year, with a growing list and then mailing out “Top Ten” CDs for a decade. At one point I parlayed this yearly habit into a music review gig, then a magazine column, then a job editing said music magazine.

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

30 years! In 1994 when I was in grad school, I wrote up an email with my thoughts on the best 10 albums of that year, according to me. I sent it to a few people who I thought would care, and some of them even did!

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

30th Annual Mallon Top Ten Albums of the Year
2023 Edition

1. boygenius - the record
2. Bar italia - Tracey Denim
3. PJ Harvey - I Inside the Old Year Dying
4. The Church - the Hypnogogue
5. Mitski - The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

6. Wednesday - Rat Saw God
7. The National - Laugh Track / First Two Pages of Frankenstein
8. Beach Fossils - Bunny
9. Wilco - Cousin
10. Mandy, Indiana - i’ve seen a way

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

@DavidZipper Hallelujah!

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

Big props to whatever music nerd curated the playlist at the Santa Clara Marriott lobby(!). Have heard Grizzly Bear, Decembrists, and Real Estate in the last 48 hours.

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

Pretty excited to be a single issue voter in #cambma tomorrow, voting for candidates who are supporting the completion of our network of protected bike lanes!!

[Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler @VoteJivan]

Great to see part of Cambridge becoming a living example of people-centered streets dismissed as impossible in the US!

With 3 City Council vacancies, it’s this kind of possibility or one dominated by fossil-fuel infrastructure that’s on the ballot

https://t.co/hDcudNhx0M

[David Zipper @DavidZipper]

New report finds that over 8,000 pedestrians were killed on US roadways in 2022.

Jimmy Carter was president the last time that happened.

https://t.co/k6Lak5eZC3

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

We are so so proud of you and all that you accomplished! I wish the rest of the city could have had the first-hand view that we had into your dedication, effort and thoughtfulness in doing this job. Love you so much - always my #1 vote in all things!!!

[Alanna Mallon @Ammallon]

After months of careful thought and reflection, I have decided not to seek another term to the #CambMA City Council in November. As you can imagine, this was an extremely difficult decision to make.

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

6. Pusha T - It’s Almost Dry
7. Wet Leg - Wet Leg
xodern Performancex
9. NIlufer Yanya - Painless
10. Dry Cleaning - Stumpwork

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

29th Annual Mallon Top Ten list, 2022 version

First the playlist, with lots of other good stuff:
https://t.co/WwBMt6Ds4j

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

1. Alvvays - Blue Rev
2. Big Thief - Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe in You
3. Spoon - Lucifer on the Sofa
4. Hurray for the Riff Raff - Life on Earth
5. Sharon Van Etten - We Have Been Going About This All Wrong

[Bob Mallon @mallonbob]

Posting this fun thing. You never know what's going to be your last one! Good music year in 2022.