Mike Fox : Distinguished Rocker

Today's find is Mike Fox. I came across this distinguished rocker when looking up cover of Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer". His was one of many covers but the one with the most vibrant energy. Strumming away on his roundback guitar, Mike really pulls those vocals off in a way that is a perfect match for an acoustic version of the song. He brings up the tempo a bit, which I feel was a good choice for the unplugged version of the song. When you're relying on your voice and one instrument, you can find yourself dragging the song along if you don't infuse it with emotion. And that's just what Mike does here. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDtjl_Aauo8

Great sound. There's so much personality in Mike's voice that I'm digging and I'm loving the sound of that roundback guitar. I've been considering getting one myself, and Mike's definitely got me leaning in that direction. But quite honestly, it seems so different from the original, which might be why I like it so much. He's truly made it his own and infused it with heart and soul. So often, a song you'd never expect to sound brilliant unplugged, is done with such a tactful approach that you realise every great song can be stripped down to one guitar (or piano) and a vocal.

Moving along, I obviously subscribed to Mike's channel, which you could do through the last video, or the videos to follow. He's got a bunch of great covers as well as some originals that I'm listening to now, but I'll get to later. Another cover of his that I definitely think you should check out is of U2's big hit "With Or Without You". Once again, he's got a very rhythmic thing going on with the guitar, which works for the song, and approaches the song on a more sensitive level vocally. Nevertheless, the song sort of grows, as it should. Have a listen and "see" for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABsdfZM7loI

Beautiful tune, and a beautiful cover. As you may have noticed, there is a piano/keyboard set up behind Mike, which you can see him play quite well in other covers of his. As for this one, I guess the reason I liked it so much was because he went back and forth between slow and fast and soft and loud. Not only does he do that, but he seems to blend them together, which makes the performance flow like a river. Essentially, I think it was a great cover and suspect you feel the same way.

And as I brought up previously, Mike's got some really nice originals that I really hope you check out. Even if you only listen to one, it's worth it. I'd advise you to listen to a song entitled "Neverwill". I got a feel of Bon Iver on this one, and almost a taste of Pearl Jam on that guitar. Nevertheless, it's very folky and very unique, as are all his other originals. I really dug them and hope you do too. Check back tomorrow for another fantastic artist.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RvEsari3IQ

Alex Hamel