“Buscadero" votes Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo "Mercy" as on the the top 10 CDs of the year.
Title track was recorded at Leopard Studio and features Garth Hudson.
January 2009
The prestigious magazine Buscadero gave an "award of the critics" to Mercy. Voted by several editors of the magazine, it was found to be one of the top ten disc of 2008 and the first among the Italian discs.
Here is the list of the "2008 Editor Buscadero Pool":
1) Bob Dylan - Tell Tale Signs
2) Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch / Live EP!
3) Van Morrison - Keep It Simple
4) Willie Nelson & Winton Marsalis - Two Man With The Blues
5) John Mellencamp - Life Death Love & Freedom
6) Lucinda Williams - Little Honey
7) Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology
8) Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo - Mercy
9) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
10) Rolling Stones - Shine A Light
“VIBERATTO - Beautiful” EP Release - Jimmy Goodman
Leopard Studio's personal release “Beautiful” by the Group Viberattto was released on August 17, 2008. Featuring primarily acoustic instruments, this ambient chamber rock group is captured on this five song EP.
After playing jazz, reggae, funk, trip/hip hop, and rock in Boston and the Lower East Side and engineering the Strokes’ major-label debut, musical maven Jimmy Goodman relocated to Stone Ridge, where he opened his increasingly popular Leopard Recording Studio. Perhaps best described as a kind of jazz/ambient/chamber ensemble, Goodman’s Viberatto project features the leader on vibraphone, synthesizers, piano, and programming, along with a hand-picked crew of his accomplished upstate friends: cellist Jane Scarpantoni, bassist Chris Maccia, percussionist Scott Hanna, guitarist Nat Russell, and our own Ross Rice on additional piano.
“ice palace” set of Dr. Zhivago. The opening title cut and the Far Eastern-tinged “Glacier” (again, perfectly named) float like soft lullabies in the arctic air, while the driving “Flight” works in clubby drum ‘n’ bass rhythms to hypnotic effect. And, in a seeming nod to this music’s partial electro roots, “After” hijacks Suicide’s “Che,” laying swirling vibes and lines over the top until everything melts into a gorgeous whirlpool of transfixing translucence. The only complaint about this release is that at 16:19 it’s just too damn short. No worries, though: Goodman is currently at work on next year’s follow-up.
Hear a sample of Viberatto - Beautiful: Glacier
Viberatto - Beautiful artwork: Hammerstein
Umbrella Brigade Full Length Studio Release: Ex Nihilo - produced by Jimmy Goodman
August 2008
Umbrella Brigade is the new project from Whitey f. Sterling, lead singer of the now-defunct New York City punk band Stiffs, Inc. Known as much for their "post-Orwellian Victorian" fashion and theatrical performances as for their music, Stiffs, Inc. were a hugely influential cult act and have been cited by none other than My Chemical Romance singer Gerard Way as the aesthetic template for his own platinum-selling act. With Umbrella Brigade, Sterling retains his unique image while leaving punk territory for avant-garde electronics. The project's debut album, Ex Nihilo, sees Sterling teaming up with members of The Brides and Unto Ashes to meld pulsing drum machines, twittering synthesizers, and a host of other sound sources ranging from violins to electric guitar. read more....
-Matthew Johnson, regen magazine - August 2008
Hear a sample of Umbrella Brigade - Ex Nihilo: Unsown
Here's a nice nod to Whitey f Sterling, Stiffs, Inc. and Umbrella Brigade from Gerard Way, front man for My Chemical Romance:
Where did you get the name for Umbrella Academy? Every time I read it, I can’t help but think of the scene coming down the steps in the MCR video for “Helena,” or Resident Evil. Any connection to either of those?
I hadn’t realized that too about Resident Evil. I actually really like Resident Evil, but I’ve never seen the films; I’ve only played the games. And I didn’t realize that that was such a big thing. I hadn’t even considered the “Helena” video thing. What it actually came from was—there’s an old punk band from New York called Stiffs Inc. They are one of the most influential bands to me, if not musically alone, then aesthetically as well. They were great. They kind of dressed like old Victorian detectives or butlers. The music was really punk, kind of in an adverse type way. The lyrics were about Sherlock Holmes and space travel and George Orwell and things like that. And they had pictures like old silent-film stars. They had a huge impact on me. That band had broken up a long time ago; I never got to see them live. Their singer, Whitey Sterling, had briefly formed this band called The Umbrella Brigade, then that band broke up. I always thought that would be a great concept for a team name, just something involving an umbrella. I’m glad I changed it to “Academy” because he reformed that band recently and he finally has a new record out, so that would have been awkward for sure. But at the time, I felt he was finished with that band, his second band. So to me, it was a really cool nod to this kind of obscure band that really inspired me. He’s got a new record out now and it’s awesome.
Umbrella Brigade - Ex Nihilo artwork: Jordan Haley (Karbine Labor Industries)
Norwegian Fiddler, Hallvard Bjørgum and Canadian Songwriter, Billie the Kid Visit Leopard Studio to record with Garth Hudson
March 2008
More really interesting projects have come to the studio to record with Garth Hudson. Norwegian treasure, Hallvard Bjørgum came in for a few days. Last time he recorded with Garth was 13 years ago in Oslo. He plays the traditional Norwegian fiddle where he is a major musical figure. With Hallvard was Ed Kaercher, who sang for a bit on tour with The Band and performed for many years with Rick Danko. Ed is contributing a song on Hallvard's upcoming album. It's great to work with reunited old friends.
Hallvard picked up the nickname "double time" at leopard studio, wearing two watches at the same time - one with NY time and one with Norwegian time.
Ed Kaercher, Garth Hudson & Hallvard Bjorgum
Also we did a few songs with Canadian singer/songwriter, Billy the Kid who is recording an album in LA with producer, Raine Maida. They wanted to feature Garth on a few songs.
