GarageBand Profile Mini-Series: Mike Cliffe

It doesn't seem like we just started this special mini-series just 9 days ago, does it? Time's flying by! Well, it's July 9th, and as promised, it's time for the fourth entry in our GarageBand Profile Mini-Series, where I continue to archive and share the profiles of local metal/hard rock acts that had pages on GarageBand.com, which will soon be shut down. Today, we take a look at a local hard rock solo artist that I'm VERY surprised I haven't discussed in detail on here before, even though he's been listed in the band links since this blog was launched.
Remember, aside from spelling/grammar edits, link/video updates, and some additional useful artist info and analysis, this is a closely transferred copy of the original GarageBand profile, with everything relevant still intact. Enjoy today's profile, and of course, stay tuned to the SMS through Thursday for the last two profile entries!
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Mike Cliffe

Genre: Experimental Rock (Metal/Industrial/Rock/Blues/Jazz)
Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

Bio: I play guitar and write and record my own music. I welcome any collaborations. I also run the AudioFumes label on Reverbnation and the PaudioFumes venue. Musically, I am inspired by Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix, John Du Cann, John McLaughlin, Tony Iommi, Robert Fripp, Carlos Santana, Uli Jon Roth, Frank Marino, Spike Jones, Frank Zappa, Ian Anderson, Lenny Breau, Johnny Winter, Pangaea's People, etc.

Members: Mike Cliffe (Everything)

Artist URL:
Mike Cliffe's official website
Mike Cliffe on iLike
Mike Cliffe on Reverbnation
Mike Cliffe on Facebook
Mike Cliffe on MySpace
Mike Cliffe on YouTube

Influenced By: Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Atomic Rooster, Frank Zappa, Uli Jon Roth

Songs: i-Miss, Night of Day, The Bit, In Equity, Woodstock Was Sad, Repeat Repeat, I Don't Care, Annoying Buzz, Wave, Snarg, Dead Moon, Ditched It, Shut No Shut, All I Want, Rengbe, Bitter Fruit, Sleep, Diecinueve de Mayo, Beans on Toast Again, Wine and Eggs, Tai Chi/Chai Tea, and Willow

SMS Analysis: If you visit an online music site, chances are Mike Cliffe's on there either for his prolific solo work or for his AudioFumes projects. A veteran of many local bands, Mike self-produces, mixes, and records numerous solo songs of varying styles for online release, mostly of the instrumental variety. And for the sheer versatility and output of all this, he deserves credit! Musically, he has loads of talent, and I don't think people notice it like they should because he doesn't gig regularly. Mike's output is too huge for me to individually go through each song he had on GarageBand, but from the progressive mellowness of "Rengbe" to the heavy groove of "Night of Day", to the dark undertones of "I Don't Care", he shows a lot of musical diversity on each song! There's honestly something for everyone in Mike's back catalog, and luckily, he has the guitar and bass skills to back it up! Though face melting solos aren't a general sight, and his music far outshines the vocals we do minimally hear, his technical ability and eye for good melodies and riffs is always present! Don't let Mike Cliffe slip you by in local music searches, he's a real hidden gem with some very good instrumental stuff that deserves to be heard! Check all the above links for tons of material and much more!

Videos: Mike Cliffe is an active YouTube user, so naturally, he has a YouTube channel among his vast collection of internet pages! Because there's active Mike Cliffe videos online, I won't upload anything new for this profile, there's ample material from Mike himself on YouTube already! From uploads of solo recorded material to some live video performances, his channel's another good source of original music! Click here to check out some of Mike's videos, and I'll embed three below that I recommend you check out: His song "In Equity", a live demo performance of what eventually became "Bitter Fruit", and an eight-minute long piece named "Darch"!






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Hope you enjoyed my long overdue look at Mike Cliffe! I'll make sure to talk about him in normal posts from here on out, cause he deserves it! We're on the home stretch of the GarageBand Profile Mini-Series, with our last entries coming on Monday and Thursday! On Monday, we'll take a look at the GarageBand profile of defunct local hard rock trio Sin Stereo, who've since morphed into Stiffler's Mom! And then, the mini-series concludes on Thursday, so keep an eye out! Also stay tuned for a new news post tonight or tomorrow, and of course, I'll see you guys Saturday night at Coch's Corner for Frightlight!