Budos Band "Budos Band III" album review by Ryan at ZIA Speedway

Budos Band "Budos Band III"

You will have to bear with me for this review, it is somewhat wacky, but sometimes you have to let the loons out, they do get restless after all. OK...Several words came to mind within seconds of listening to this record for the first time: BAD ASS. I had never heard this band’s other two releases, even though I had read reviews about them. Now that I have actually heard them, I get it. Reviews don’t do this artist justice, you have to just listen to it and either you will like it or you won’t. What do they sound like? A thousand mile odyssey through desert wastelands, punctuated by encounters with villains from the James Bond and Star Wars films (I will get to which ones later, or maybe I won't). This is the soundtrack that the Sand People listen to EVERYDAY. Hell, I imagined that all the band members WERE Sand People when I sat down and really listened to the record in depth. Sound silly? That's just the mental picture this band paints for me. All I can say about the actual music is that it is instrumental and mixes many styles such as funk, jazz, and Americana into a thick porridge that makes you want to dance. Did I mention that the cover artwork features a cobra ready to strike? This alone should motivate you to slap them greenbacks down on the counter. Still not convinced? This album is not a flat experience, you get to ride up the peaks and down into the valleys. The songs swing back in forth in tempo and mood, but never lose focus. There are some tense and quieter moments, but the urge to keep moving doesn't let up. Listen to the entire album from start to finish; you will see what I mean! At this point you shouldn't be reading this drivel; you should be out there jamming to this album with a bunch of Jawas around a bonfire! For all you people who are too serious and stuck in one genre of music, this album just may be the antidote you've been waiting for. Years ago, I probably would have put this CD in a paper shredder in nothing flat (don't do that, CDs + paper shredders=broken), but this music is so infectious, it makes the common cold virus jealous to the point of locking itself in a closet and listening to Morrissey records. Ouch. Okay, no more lame attempts at comedy. In conclusion, this record can be classified as one of those that can make a bad day into a good one. You put it on and all the worries wash away for a little while as you escape to a world of good grooves and happy rhythms. So give this record a try, it’s fresh and exciting, it is your destiny. Sand People need love too.

Dax Riggs "Say Goodnight To The World" Album Review by Ryan at ZIA Records Speedway

Dax Riggs "Say Goodnight to the World"

This latest record, and second "solo" release overall from Dax Riggs is yet another example of his ability to instill real mood and emotion into songs. The atmosphere of this record is incredible, you put it on and it rolls in like a grey fog bank of blues tinged melancholy, enveloping the listener completely. This is not to say that its depressing, in fact, its downright awesome, because within the slow, laid back tempos on the majority of the songs, you get that sense of " joyful madness" that seems to infect every song Dax has sung, whether it be in the metal days of Acid Bath, or the more recent era of swampy blues in Dead boy & The Elephant men. A definite highlight of the record is his cover of that little Elvis tune: "Heartbreak Hotel". Dax makes the lyrics to this song about a hundred times more ominous as he sings them over the creeping, plodding shuffle of the music. Other stand out tracks include the beautifully sad "Like Moonlight", the fastest song of the album "Grave Dirt on My Blue Suede Shoes", and the closer "See You All in Hell or New Orleans". This album could have been made in an earlier time period, that’s what this reviewer keeps thinking when listening to it. The recording sounds like it was done on tape and not digitally. The mix is very old school, everything is balanced and level and very organic. More so, the attitude in the music is what rock ‘n roll and blues used to be, the right notes are there and why they are being played and sung is known by this artist. Hopefully some time soon Dax will sit down and record a covers album, as he has done covers on two records now and his take on songs is pretty unique. Also, what would he choose to cover? Live he has played quite a few different and diverse songs, who can tell? If not, the original material is still as relevant and amazing; this listener is already looking forward to the next release.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World movie review by Kris at ZIA Records Sahara

Summer is that special time of year when movies just get a little bit less complicated. Explosions replace emotional awakenings, blood replaces tears, plot holes replace plot revelations, and all out wars on alien planets replace inward emotional struggles. These changes aren’t always a bad thing. Sometimes a huge battle between a hero and a villain that ends with the hero narrowly escaping death and uttering a cool line of dialogue before offing the bad guy can be extremely fun and satisfying. Such is the case with Scott Pilgrim vs. The World which comes out Friday, August 13th.

The film stars Michael Cera as the same character he always plays – the socially awkward outsider who is just hip and adorable enough for audiences not to be turned off completely to his geekiness. If you’ve seen Juno, Youth in Revolt, Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Paper Heart, Superbad, or any of Jesse Eisenberg’s recent movies for that matter, you know the character. He’s Scott Pilgrim, a young guitar player with a teenage Asian school girl girlfriend and no future.

The film really takes no time in setting up every character and getting to the main conflict of the movie. We meet all the characters early on and get to know them quickly though short bits of dialogue, on-screen text, and fancy directing and editing by Edgar Wright of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame. The supporting players include Scott’s gay roommate Wallace (a hilarious Kieran Culkin), his bandmates, and the above mentioned Asian school girl girlfriend. Scott meets Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead of Death Proof fame) one day and is instantly smitten. In only a few scenes that take place over a matter of minutes, he embarrassingly introduces himself, gets her to show up at his house by ordering from Amazon.com (with whom he works for), begs her for a date, wins her over, then gets her in her underwear and makes out with her. It’s not exactly a deep, well-developed romance, but thanks again to Wright’s hilarious direction and puking up of all things pop culture on to the screen including an out-of-nowhere Seinfeld-inspired scene and numerous video game graphic references it all works splendidly and we’re more than happy to go along for the ride. The fast setup gets up to the “vs.” part of the title very quickly.

Alas, Scott and Ramona cannot live happily ever after (and we cannot be satisfied with a 20 minute movie) without a little drama. We quickly learn that Ramona’s exes, all 7 of them, have teamed up to form the League of Evil Exes who all want to destroy Scott. The league includes a scorned emo/pirate kid, twins, a disgruntled female fling, Chris Pine as an X-Game douche bag turned action star douche bag, Brandon Routh in a great turn as a man in possession of fantastic super powers thanks to being a vegan, and their ring leader played by Jason Schwartzmen, who provides Scott with the final Boss Battle he must win in order to gain Ramona’s heart. Cool one-liners, amazing finishing moves, and several “oh shit” moments round out the incredibly pleasing last hour of the film.

All the fight scenes are directed with colorful fury and artistry. The visuals make the film look like it’s the latest installment of the Street Fighter series with characters performing superhuman feats, possessing incredible strength and having the ability to be beaten senseless and not have a single mark on them. That is one of the film’s flaws - there’s never any real sense of danger or consequence here. We never feel like Scott is ever going to lose or be hurt, and that takes a little away from his quest to defeat the league, but the film’s kinetic energy, humor, and visual style overcome any shortcomings. After all, if you die in a video game, can’t you simply press “Continue” like it never happened?

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, despite some nitpicky flaws that one can easily sweep under the rug, is a real savior of a movie in a summer that has done nothing but underwhelm so far.