POWDER: Sonic Machine
POWDER has spent the last year dominating the Los Angeles music scene. Known as the best live act in the city, Powder backs up their reputation with the October 2001 LA Music Awards for "Best Rock / Pop Artist" and "Best Live Show." Additionally, the Rock City News has recognized their efforts with the award for "Independent Rock Band of the Year" and "Guitar Player of the Year" (November 2001) and the NoHo News did the same with the accolade, "Rock Band Of the Year" (September 2001).But the Powder story is not limited to the confines of Southern California. Last fall Powder was the first unsigned band ever to be included on the A&M Records compilation, A Very Special Christmas. This charity recording is an ongoing series that raises money for the Special Olympics. The most recent volume found Powder sharing a disc with other artists such as Bon Jovi, Macy Gray, Eve 6, City High, Dido, Tom Petty, Stevie Wonder, Stevie Nicks and others. Powder's TURBO POP version of "Christmas Don't Be Late" (The Chipmunk Song) not only received national airplay throughout the holiday season, but also won critical acclaim as the stand out track on the album. As their visibility grew, Powder was then asked to contribute a track for the Limp Bizkit compilation released by Cleopatra Records in February of 2002.
Never the type to rest of their laurels, Powder exposed themselves to the world last December making their international television debut on Playboy's pay-per-view program Night Calls. Originally the show's producers were looking for a band to play one song at the end of the program (ala Letterman), but after an amazing dress rehearsal just hours prior to the live broadcast, Powder was asked to play three songs during the 60-minute show. In typical fashion, Powder stepped up, kicked ass and shot themselves into 35 MILLION households throughout the US, Europe and Asia. Footage of this performance can be seen on their website www.powdermusic.com.
As anyone who knows the band can attest to, Powder does things their own way. With this mindset in place, Powder concentrated their energies towards recording during the winter of 2001 / 2002. The end result is a self-produced high octane, 11-track jolt. That's not to say the band didn't have help along the way. Co-Producer John Vitale (Republica) worked closely with guitarist Phil X in creating a truly unique sound explosion on songs such as the mind blasting Need A Little Help and the Zeppelin classic What Is And What Should Never Be. Mixer Scott Humphrey (Rob Zombie / Crystal Method) brings a full-blown punch to the hooky anthem Up Here. And Mixer Phil Kaffel (No Doubt) lends his touch on the high-energy songs Go and Red. This soon to be landmark album can currently be purchased through the band's website.
POWDER IS ...
Ninette (vocals). In early 2000, Ninette's voice caught the attention of acclaimed songwriter/producer Kenny Babyface Edmonds who asked her to sing on live tracks for the JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS movie. This was followed by in invitation to coach the film's actresses on performance skills. With extensive classical training as a vocalist under her belt, Ninette decided to follow her heart and form the Turbo Pop band POWDER. Ninette's ability to write memorable hooks and shove them down the throats of an audience with her powerful voice and charismatic stage persona have become the cascading rainbow that is POWDER.
Phil X (guitar) spent a few years kicking around the club scene in Toronto, Canada. It wasn't long before he started developing a reputation as a guitarist with some serious power behind his sound. One day, after a twist of fate, he was asked to play for Tommy Lee. The next day he was in the studio and began recording guitars for MCA's Methods of Mayhem (Dec.'99). As his name started to float around the circuit, Phil X was asked to perform on more and more recordings, including those by Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and Andrew W.K.
Allan Hearn (bass) studied many forms of music at Hollywood's Musicians Institute. He met Ninette and Phil soon after the duo started searching for the right individual who could fill out their sound yet add to their stage dynamic. Allan was that match. The outcome was a finely tuned sonic machine with a dynamic punch.
J-Bo Dynamite (drums) Reminiscent of a pint-sized Arthur Fonzerelli, J-BO plays drums like The Fonz jumps trash cans! J-Bo's outlandish/quirky appearance combined with fierce drumming sprinkled with a thunderous playback of loops and sound effects have taken POWDER to an even higher realm of turbo pop ass-kicking. To quote MTV's Carson Daly, "I saw Powder in L.A. and was blown away ... the next wave in rock music."
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.powdermusic.com
Track List:
1. The Interplanetary Pop Revolution
2. Sonic Machine
3. Up Here
4. Seat of My Pants
5. Losing You
6. What Is and What Should Never Be
7. Need a Little Help
8. Go
9. Monger
10. Red
11. Fly On the Wall
Suggested CDs:Other Genres:
- ROCK: Hard Rock
- ROCK: Glam
- FEATURING GUITAR