| Micah Smaldone | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Micah Blue Smaldone |
| Born | 1978 |
| Genres | Punk Hardcore Folk Ragtime Blues |
| Occupations | Musician Songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, ukelele, banjo, upright bass |
| Labels | VML Records Go-Kart Records North East Indie Tequila Sunrise Young God Immune Recordings |
| Associated acts | The Pinkerton Thugs The Racketeers Out Cold Cops and Robbers Death Vessel The Shods Fire on Fire |
| Website | Official website |
Micah Smaldone (born 1978) is a guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter originally from Kennebunkport, Maine. A founding member of the political punk band The Pinkerton Thugs, Smaldone is now mostly known for his solo releases as Micah Blue Smaldone which incorporate a wide variety of influences from country blues to neo-traditional folk music.
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Influenced by The Clash, Conflict, and Sham 69 among others, The Pinkerton Thugs played an integral part in the revival of street-punk in the 1990s in Boston. Smaldone shared song-writing duties with Paul Russo and a number of tracks on the two Pinkerton Thugs albums were written or performed solely by Smaldone including "In the Town Where I Was Born," "The Deal" and "Youth." Smaldone's songs were noted for their anarchist and pro-labor themes.
After leaving The Pinkerton Thugs, Smaldone formed a hardcore group. The band, which he was the lead vocalist, was called Cops and Robbers. He later played and recorded with several other New England-based punk, hardcore and rockabilly acts including The Racketeers, The Shods, and Out Cold.
After a brief hiatus, Smaldone re-emerged with a new album of songs entitled Some Sweet Day in 2004. This solo effort marked a significant evolution away from the traditionally louder punk music Smaldone had been previously associated with. Employing a deft finger-picking style in the manner of Mississippi John Hurt and other piedmont blues and ragtime guitar masters and an emotive warbling croon not previously heard in any of his recordings, Some Sweet Day was released to modest critical acclaim and earned Smaldone a wide following in the indie music and folk communities. About his evolution in musical sensibilities Smaldone has said "It's a different dynamic, a different interaction with the crowd, but it's not any more or less sincere...Now, this [style] gives me a sense of growth; I can see progress in my life. This has created almost a dialogue with the world and I'm finding a way to articulate my place in it, my loved ones' place in it, my place with my loved ones."[1]
In 2005, Smaldone made a guest appearance on Death Vessel's debut album Stay Close and toured widely over the next two years in America, the United Kingdom and Europe promoting his second solo release Hither & Thither. Hither & Thither garnered considerable praise and earned him a feature in the music magazine Magnet (who declared "Micah Smaldone should, by the sound of it, be dead."[2]) This raised his profile even higher, though he has expressed annoyance at the tone of the article.
In early 2007, a live EP was released on North East Indie documenting a performance of Smaldone's in Belgium in 2006. Smaldone also continues to play with the band Fire on Fire from Portland, Maine.
Smaldone's third LP The Red River was released on November 4, 2008 by Immune Recordings.