#musicmonday Artist Feature – Speed Control

Hometown: Whitehorse, Yukon
Label: Independent | Website: http://www.speedcontrol.ca

Speed Control isn’t just any ordinary rock band.

They are a rock band with dedication and big hearts, as they partner with Yamaha Canada in the summer with “RAWK Camps” to provide kids across Canada with music education. With brand new instruments and equipment, Speed Control is able to bring music into smaller communities that lack musical resources.

Lead singer Graeme Peters, bassist Jody Peters, and drummer Ian March certainly have a lot under their musical belts. Not only are they music teachers, but the trio from Whitehorse are also known for their live shows – playing hard and fast. Speed Control released their second album last week, titled F.A.B. and are currently touring Western Canada, with more tour dates to be announced for November and December.

Their live show energy is translated well into their sophomore effort, as it packs a punch straight from the first track, ‘Because I Can’, throughout the remaining eleven tracks.

F.A.B. is available now. The band will be playing at the Fairview Pub in Vancouver on Friday October 11th. Don’t miss out on seeing the hardest working band from the Yukon!

#musicmonday Artist Feature – THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario | Label: Independent
Website: http://thelittleblackdressmusic.com

The Little Black Dress is more than a piece of apparel – it is in fact a five-piece band from Toronto consisting of Dan Sadowski (vocals/guitar), Kyle Hohmann (keys/synths/vocals), Brian Seligman (guitar), Damian Dobrowolski (bass), and Lewis Spring (drums). The LBD was first brought to my attention a few years ago, when I noticed the connection between Dan and Kyle with fellow Canadian artist Jesse Labelle – as they were part of his backing band while he was on tour. Connection aside, The LBD have built quite the following in their hometown, selling out local shows and with the support of their own fan army.

Their debut album, Spotlight, was released last month – and for an independent release, it is quite impressive and is best described as energetic/pop rock. The material on the album is full of punch, and would translate well towards a live show. Though it was hard to narrow down to pick a favourite track on the thirteen-track album, my top picks are “Call The Paparazzi” and “Radio” – the latter would fit seamlessly on its namesake. The album is currently streaming on the band’s website, which you can check out here.

The cohesiveness of the band, along with Sadowski’s vocals, are certainly the prime features of The Little Black Dress. Though I haven’t seen the band live yet, it is easy to see why they sell out shows, and why they have earned themselves a legion of dedicated fans. Watch out TLBD, the “Spotlight” is on you.