‘Desperation Blues’ #3 on Radio CUH ‘Top 10 Loud Chart’

Radio CHU, a campus radio station operated by Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii has announced that the title track from ZED’s new record, Desperation Blues has charted #3 on their ‘Top 10 Loud Chart‘ for the week of June 17th, 2013. In addition, the same song charted #27 overall for the station’s ‘Top 30’ songs for the same week!

This follows ‘Desperation Blues charting #9 on Radio CMU’s ‘Top 10 Loud Chart’ for the week of June 3rd, 2013, #6 for the week of  May 27th 2013, and #6 for the week of May 20th 2013. It seems this song has charted on CUH Radio since the album was released, and has been steadily rising ever since!

Great news!

Title Track From Desperation Blues #5 On ‘Loud Chart’

!Earshot, the National Campus and Community Radio Report based in Vancouver, British Columbia reports that ZED’s song Desperation Blues was #5 on CSCR’s ‘Loud’ chart for the week ending June 25th, 2013!

CSCR is Scarborough Fusion Radio, located at The University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontatio Canada.

!Earshot Magazine is published by the National Campus and Community Radio Association, representing 47 campus and community radio stations across Canada.

Airplay In Thunder Bay, Ontario!

Our thanks to Jason Wellwood, aka “Witchfinder General” and to LU Radio, 102.7 FM in Thunder Bay, Ontario for spinning, “Skin and Bones” off Desperastion Blues this past Monday! ZEDHEADS should click on Jason’s link above to visit his Facebook page, and give him a “Like!”

ZED blisters and burns through ‘Desperation Blues’

Check out this great review of Desperation Blues, thanks to Christopher Millard and Examiner.com:

It’s fair to label San Jose’s Zed a stoner metal band. The band has always carried an air of Southern-fried conflagration within their music. The aforementioned moniker may also pigeonhole the band in an inappropriate manner. On their latest, “Desperation Blues,” Zed shows listeners that they can tap their own blues veins a bit more exclusively, draw a bit deeper and build a variance of sound, without detracting from their core, musical beliefs.

You may not hear much stylistic difference between “Desperation Blues” and 2010’s “The Invitation” judging by the first few tracks. The album’s opener “Please” is a brutal, guttural display of hard riffage; they just do it better and harder, now. But the variations come within the breakdown of the blistering “Skin and Bones” and “Killing Machine” which lend to subtle harmonies ensconced in the choruses and breakdowns. “Skin and Bones” establishes a more psychedelic breakdown (ala Pink Floyd), while “Killing Machine” touts some Alice in Chains-esque, foreboding moments.

Songs like the wah-drenched main riff of “Desperation Blues” (smacks a bit of Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile”) and “More” infuse a flavor of swankiness amidst the rock-hard jams, while a creeping darkness overtakes the bluesy, back porch stomp of “Crawl Back to You” and the slow build of “Rain” which showcases Zed’s increased stylistic range and musical maturity. Variance seeps from the Dave Navarro (Jane’s Addiction) feel of the epic “The Empty Quarter – Settle The Score,” growing from a slow burn into an inferno, overtaking the records soundscape with an emphatic thrust.

Make no mistake, “Desperation Blues” is heavy as f*ck. But Zed’s form of ‘heavy’ goes beyond the riff, pulling at emotions and an energy that doesn’t rely on volume or sonic intensity. And though they’re a band fixed in high gear, they’re more than confident (and able) to downshift and grind out dark melodies when they see fit. Zed now has an upward trajectory to their musical career. “Desperation Blues” lives in that place of emotional form, creating a uniquely accessible collection of songs that can hit you like a double-shot of Jack or let the embers smolder on into the night.

Visit Examiner.com to view the original article.

Exclusive: ZED Premier Lyric Video For New Song, “More” – Heavy Metal News | Music Videos

This from Revolver Magazine:

San Fran hard rockers ZED have teamed up with Revolver to debut the lyric video for their new song, “More.” The track is off of the band’s recently-released sophomore full-length, Desperation Blues, which is the follow-up to 2010′s The Invitation.

Click here to read the complete article and watch the video on Revolver Magazine’s website.

New ZED Photos From Neto’s Market And Grill CD Release Party!

Photo courtesy of Will Rees

Here’s some great live shots taken by Will Rees, and more photos by Kenny Sinatra (KCS Photography) from ZED‘s CD release party at Neto’s Market and Grill in Santa Clara on May 31st with Spiralarms, Mukagee and Pushing The Sun. Check ’em out!

Will Rees Photos (101 images) 

Kenny Sinatra Photos (131 images)

Desperation Blues: “This Is Your Budweiser”

Upstate Metal writes:

…Right off the rip, you get a catchy tune coming from the first song on the album, “Please.” It comes out with heavy drums, and a distorted bass guitar. The first few seconds sounds like a funky, jazz/grunge fusion. And, you’ll get that peppered throughout. You can hear the influences of Clutch and Queens of the Stone Age, with the choice in cadence and delivery of lyrics from lead man, Pete Sattari.  You can even hear a little bit of Rage in the versatile guitar play of Greg Lopez, and some of that grunge-era bass play from Mark Aceves.  By the time you’re into “Crawl Back to You,” the fifth song on the album, you’ve experienced said versatility.

Overall, Zed rings true in what they advertise. To say that you’re not going to get anything new or innovative out of these guys is not meant to imply this album is tiresome or boring. This is you’re Budweiser. This is that steak joint downtown that you like.  It’s where you want to go, when you know what you want.  Its one thing for a band to say they’re bringing the rock and roll, but it’s quite another when that band succeeds in delivering, and that’s just what Zed can do.

Thanks to Michael Hallisey for the kind words! Click the link above to read the entire review.