Volume LOUD

“What’s up? It’s me, Caribou Lou again.” – Tech N9ne (Don’t Tweet This from the E.B.A.H. EP)

Well, here I am remembering to post and actually doing it. Usually I get to “remembering to post” and, SQUIRREL!

Sorry, just a shadow. Anyway, let’s talk music.

My tastes have changed over time, and yet they haven’t in some ways. However, with that, there are some bands I still very much enjoy listening to, and yet I’ve totally lost track of them.

For starters, Hoobastank, Incubus, Saving Abel, Shinedown, Halestorm, My Darkest Days, and several other bands have put out new albums (I say new, how about within the last year or so). I either knew and still haven’t heard the albums (more than a preview), or I just recently found out.

I like a lot of genres, though lately I tend to focus on rap/hip hop, so those just slipped right by me. Then while previewing the albums, I’m just disappointed. I like when I can recognize a band, but still see new innovation. I like seeing evolution with a band (or artist, I suppose I should mention). What doesn’t really interest me is when I pick up a new album from an artist I used to really enjoy, and it’s like “Oh, okay. Same old stuff?” or worse yet, when it doesn’t even compare to their last big album. I know it’s hard to match something big you did before, but let’s avoid the Nickelback syndrome (always sounding the same).

Shame on me, I couldn’t resist slipping a little Nickelback dig in there. I used to listen to them too.

So lately I’ve been on a rap/hip hop kick, as I mentioned. With that, I’ve also been neglecting this place, and I haven’t kept up to date with new albums I’ve picked up. So let’s get to it!

In no kind of order really:

• ¡MAYDAY! - Thrift Store Halos
• Ces Cru – 13
• Tech N9ne – E.B.A.H.
• Slaughterhouse – Welcome To Our House
• Busta Rhymes – Year of the Dragon
• Rittz – White Jesus: Revival
• P!nk – The Truth About Love

I’ve picked up a few mixtapes too (Hopsin, SwizZz, Slaughterhouse, and some others).

So I’ve been a little busy since my last post (June 20? Holy balls). I wish I was the kind of guy that could keep you up with reviews and such. There are so many great sites out there for that. I originally opened up volumeloud.com to talk about music while I was working in an environment where I listened to my music player during most of my shift. Things changed for a bit, but I’m back to that now (or close enough to it). I’ll find a good balance to what works best for me and writing here.

Rittz signed over to Strange Music, and I’ve really enjoyed listening to the White Jesus: Revival mixtape. I’m looking forward to what he does with Strange.

P!nk’s album was my wife’s call, and we’ve enjoyed a lot of her previous stuff (as many people do/have).  The track with Eminem is definitely my favorite (Here Comes the Weekend), but over-all it wasn’t bad.

Tech N9ne’s EP, E.B.A.H. is definitely a party/fun EP, and it’s great. He does a good job doing both the party shit and the serious shit and I like that.

Busta Rhymes – Year of the Dragon. I’ve listened to it a few times now and I just can’t even point anything specific out about it. I recall thinking “Where are his fast raps?” at some point. He’s a great rapper, but I’ve got nothing on this album.

The Slaughterhouse album (Welcome to our House) was different, for me. I’ve actually never heard their previous albums, except the mixtape they released right before the new album dropped. I can’t recall anything specific on this one either really. Not bad, but not my first pick if I’m looking for an album in my list.

The Ces Cru EP (13) was great. Loved the track with Tech N9ne and Krizz Kaliko of course, but over-all it has stayed in my playlist recently.

¡MAYDAY! - Thrift Store Halos was a great EP coming off of their album Take Me To Your Leader. Darker Shades is my favorite song, but the EP as a whole is great.

I picked up on Hopsin from “Am I A Psycho?” by Tech N9ne (ft B.O.B. and Hopsin), and both him and SwizZz on “Raw Talk” by Stevie Stone (ft. Hopsin and SwizZz). Crazy guys with a lot of BS and good beats, but Hopsin also seems to have some real shit to put out (seen in his “Ill Mind of Hopsin” series online).

I think that covers it for now. Nothing too fancy, though a little long-winded.

“Lately my mind is racing, but there’s no finish line.” – ¡MAYDAY! ”Darker Shades”