Tag: Liquid Mike

What did I miss? Fortitude Valley, Liquid Mike, The Vapors

powerpopaholic

Yeah, I will spend this week reviewing a few albums I missed in 2025.

Fortitude Valley

Fortitude Valley “Part Of The Problem, Baby”

Fortitude Valley’s album “Part Of The Problem, Baby” has received praise for its infectious power-pop sound, which features melodic and catchy hooks throughout its ten tracks. The album explores personal themes of growth and distance, with lead vocalist Laura Kovic drawing similarities to Rachel Sweet and Karla Kane (Corner Laughers). The musicianship here is tight and supports Kovic’s lead effectively. This was added to my Top 25 list, so check out the popular singles “Totally” and “Don’t You Wanna Be Near Me” Highly recommended!

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“Liquid

Liquid Mike “Hell is an Airport”

Marquette, Michigan heavy power pop band returns and Liquid Mike’s “Hell Is An Airport” keeps things moving along with short songs loaded with hooks, which makes them stick in your head right away. Like early Green Day, tunes like “Double Dutch” just grab you with its energy and driving riffs. Other great tunes include “Groucho Marx” and “Claws.” The album’s humorous theme is about feeling stuck in life and how everyday stuff just drags on, in a monotonous way. The lyrics are self deprecating, like the band poking fun at themselves, and that goes with their energetic sound really well. It all feels relatable, but overall some songs tend to sound a bit too similar to each other. Still, pound for pound one of the best heavy guitar bands with melody out there. Highly Recommended.

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The Vapors

The Vapors “Wasp In A Jar”

“Wasp in a Jar,” released early in the year, veteran indie rockers The Vapors’ album showcases their signature punk-pop sound with energetic tracks like “Hit the Ground Running” and “Nonstop Radio.” These guys still can rock pretty hard, and the social commentary of “The Human Race” blends the hooks well. David Fenton is the lead singer, and he probably will not hit those big pop moments from “Turning Japanese” anymore. Still, he writes solid hooks, I feel like on “Forever & Ever” and “The Words” especially. This is another album that just charms you with its songs. Overall, a strong return for the band that has always been criminally under-rated. Check it out!

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Liquid Mike and On The Runway

powerpopaholic
Liquid Mike

Liquid Mike “Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot”

I am admittedly late to the Liquid Mike bandwagon. Michigan musician Mike Maple (aka Liquid Mike) has been toiling away in obscurity doing pretty impressive indie rock for the past few years. With last year’s self-titled LP, Mike added more of a melodic power pop structure, and it gained some recognition amongst the power pop community. And he is quickly capitalizing on his new fame with Paul Bunyan’s Slingshot.

Liquid Mike’s sound is a link that sits between emo, grunge, and power pop that is rarely done correctly, similar to The Foo Fighters but compressed into 2-minute melody bombs. The new album comes out of the gate pounding away on “Drinking and Driving,” but it catches you with the hook on “K2” about idyllic school days. The buzzing rumble of “Town Ease,” the Nirvana-like “Mouse Trap,” and the Velvet Crush adjacent “Drug Dealer” are all excellent songs that deliver the goods. “USPS” and “Small Giants” are compelling character studies that you almost wish were longer. Almost all these songs stick fast with no pretension. Highly Recommended!

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On the Runway

On The Runway “Tell Yourself It’s Pretty”

Atlanta-based frontman and band leader Dave Norris (Crash into June) has a new band, and it starts with the light jangle of “Loser of the Year.” The easygoing feel is similar to Dropkick, but with a bit more of an Americana vibe. The songs take on a more majestic tone on the excellent “Consolation Prize” as it effortlessly draws you into its melody. The moody narrative of “This Charade” and “House Is Not A Home” continues with jangling guitars and Dave’s steady vocal, Neilson Hubbard’s bass and keyboard, and Will Kimbrough’s shimmering guitar. It draws from college rock of the late 1980s a bit but still feels quite timeless in approach.

“Lifeline” and ” This Will Be Your Year” almost reminded me of a sedate version of the Gin Blossoms, and while nicely performed, they don’t stick in your head long. The ending track is another great tune; “Bring Yourself Down” goes back to a faster tempo, but it shows the contrast here. This is an album that deserves to be heard, and I hope Norris can take a few more stylistic chances with future works.

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