News From Stepbridge Studios

FELIPE RUIBAL "La Voz"

Felipe Ruibal is a vocalist, Guitarist and composer, inspired by the land and people of his beginnings, who strives to reach the world with a song for the future. While studying in Guadalajara, Mexico, Felipe was awarded Mejor Cantante (Best Vocalist) by El Tecnológico de Monterrey Arts Department. In 2004, as lead vocalist and composer of Nosotros, Ruibal's "Cinco Sentidos" was voted Traditional Hispanic Song of the Year by the New Mexico Music Industry Awards;the recording itself was awarded Album of the Year. More recently, Felipe has produced and performed with two newer groups, the first being "Los Primos", which was named Albuquerque Magazine's "Best Of” in 2006. His latest group is the Latin combo Quemozo, and is sure to deliver. In the meantime Felipe is currently in the studio recording his newest effort "Mayordomo", which fuses traditional Latin rhythms with a contemporary flair. Felipe has shared the stage with a variety of world-renowned artists such as the Gipsy Kings, Etta James, and Los Lonely Boys.

MATTHEW ANDRAE

Matthew is going to be in the studio making a new record in August! He will record with Dominique Fillon (Angélique Kidjo, Jimmy Cliff) on Piano and Keyboards, Steve Rodby (The Pat Metheny Group) on bass and Stephane Huchard (Tania Maria, Louis Winsberg) on drums. Helik Hadar (Tracy Chapman, Tina Turner, Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock) will engineer the record. Look for updates at Matthew's You Tube thing. (You Tube name: "Thatguyweheard".

MANZANARES

Led by brothers David and Michael Manzanares and accompanied by some of the best musicians in the industry, MANZANARES has been labeled one of the hottest latin acts to hit the music scene and has gained both national and international attention. They continue to expand their already extensive fan base all over the U.S., Europe, South America, Japan and Australia. Sharing their music with the world is what the brothers like best. Born with a passion for music, they grew up the youngest two of six children on a century-old Spanish ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Steeped in strong family traditions, they were raised with a deep respect for their culture, their land and their family.

BRAVE NEW WORLD - BNW Almost ready

Ah, so ya wanna know what the hell's going on with BNW eh????? Well here's the skinny; Our drummer Brian "Cave Man" Collins is healing nicely from his surgery....BNW wished that we could have played the big CINCO DE MAYO bash at the LP but health before rockin'. Do we have future dates planned? You bet your sweet ass we do....and we are also finishing up our new CD so look for that by the end of summer. We thank all of our fans and friends i.e. family that have stood by us and made well wishes for B's speedy recovery. We will be giving back to you all soon. Look for us to play sometime in June....and if we do anything before.....I'll make sure ya all know!!!!

LORENZO ANTONIO

"RANCHERAS VOL. 2" - THE NEW ALBUM BY LORENZO ANTONIO

Successfully confronting a new challenge in his professional career, Lorenzo Antonio once again reveals his diversity as an artist and performer. Lorenzo Antonio repeats his simple style of interpreting rancheras in his new album, “Rancheras Vol. 2,” released by Universal and Viva Records. This album is full of Ranchera songs that recognize the importance of the feelings of anyone who has ever felt what it is to love.

To live and love; to love and lose; to reveal what the heart feels as it travels along the rollercoaster of life. Lorenzo Antonio keeps his artistic personality intact by taking on a repertoire which talks about those issues which appear to be so simple but yet are so important.

Working in the studio to produce the best sound possible, Lorenzo Antonio’s voice and guitar playing come together in the interpretation of ten great songs. The CD starts with “Anillo Grabado.” This song is a story of a man’s affectionate plea to a woman asking her to wear on her hand, as a reminder of his passion, a ring on which his name is inscribed.

It continues with songs about heartbreak and scorn, blame, hurt, and deceit. But while Lorenzo interprets these songs of lost love beautifully, he has always been a true romantic, and on this album he doesn’t walk away without singing about unrestrained, passionate love. “El Dia Del Amor,” and “Si No Existieras,” are two of the songs that express the kind of sincere secrets and romanticism that are only shared from one heart to another.

“Rancheras Vol. 2” is a brilliant diamond that consolidates Lorenzo Antonio’s success as a singer and guitarist. It is a gem of Ranchera music that seduces, inspires love, invites us all to dance, and reaffirms Lorenzo Antonio’s discographic success.

CAFE 8 BALL

CAFE 8 BALL will be New Mexico’s very first feature-length animated film showcasing our talented animators and film community. The film combines state-of-the-art 3-D animation with 2-D animation to create the surreal world inside the cafe filled with a colorful cast of characters. CAFE 8 BALL provides a visual delight for audiences as each of the film's 8 chapters is brought to life by a different animator with a distinctive style.