Blocks Recording Club
Encyclopedia
Blocks Recording Club is a Canadian
co-operative of musicians, which serves as both a collaborative artist community and a record label
for its member artists.
The label's name may also be cited graphically as □□□□□□ rather than the word "Blocks". Although this is in fact the label's official name, the word "Blocks" is used where it is not typographically possible to use the graphical series of blocks.
Since then the club has been run by an elected board of directors. The first board of directors was James Anderson, Steve Kado and Matt McDonough. The second board comprised Katarina Gligorijevic and Bob Wiseman
, along with the three members of the board from the previous year. Blocks' current board of directors is John Caffery, Brian Joseph Davis
, Magali Meagher, Matt Smith and Jeremy Singer.
In 2009, NME
included the Blocks Recording Club in its annual Future 50 list.
, Fucked Up
, Bob Wiseman
, Katie Stelmanis
, Barcelona Pavilion
, The Phonemes, Les Mouches, Ninja High School
, The Blankket, Hank, PDF Format (the Band)
, Kids on TV
, SS Cardiacs
and The Creeping Nobodies
.
Final Fantasy's second album on Blocks, He Poos Clouds
, was named the winner of the inaugural Polaris Music Prize
in 2006. Owen Pallett, the artist behind the Final Fantasy project, announced that he would donate a significant portion of his prize money to the label to help other artists.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
co-operative of musicians, which serves as both a collaborative artist community and a record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
for its member artists.
The label's name may also be cited graphically as □□□□□□ rather than the word "Blocks". Although this is in fact the label's official name, the word "Blocks" is used where it is not typographically possible to use the graphical series of blocks.
History
The □□□□□□ Recording Club was founded by Steve Kado and Mark McLean in 2003 as a tapes and mini-cd only label. Shortly afterward, McLean left for Ottawa. Steve Kado ran □□□□□□ with Liisa K. Graham until 2005 when the club incorporated as a worker's co-operative.Since then the club has been run by an elected board of directors. The first board of directors was James Anderson, Steve Kado and Matt McDonough. The second board comprised Katarina Gligorijevic and Bob Wiseman
Bob Wiseman
Bob Wiseman is a Juno winning Canadian musician, filmmaker, singer-songwriter, and actor. Wiseman was an original member of Blue Rodeo.-Career:Wiseman was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He studied piano at York University...
, along with the three members of the board from the previous year. Blocks' current board of directors is John Caffery, Brian Joseph Davis
Brian Joseph Davis
Brian Joseph Davis is a Canadian writer and media artist. In 2007 Blocks Recording Club issued a compilation of Davis' audio work called The Definitive Host....
, Magali Meagher, Matt Smith and Jeremy Singer.
In 2009, NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
included the Blocks Recording Club in its annual Future 50 list.
Artist roster
Artists who have released material through Blocks include Final FantasyOwen Pallett
Michael James Owen Pallett is a Canadian composer, violinist, keyboardist, and vocalist from Toronto, Ontario. He won the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the album He Poos Clouds....
, Fucked Up
Fucked Up
Fucked Up is a hardcore punk band from Toronto, Canada. The band won the 2009 Polaris Music Prize for the album The Chemistry of Common Life.-History:The band formed and played their first shows in early 2001...
, Bob Wiseman
Bob Wiseman
Bob Wiseman is a Juno winning Canadian musician, filmmaker, singer-songwriter, and actor. Wiseman was an original member of Blue Rodeo.-Career:Wiseman was raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He studied piano at York University...
, Katie Stelmanis
Katie Stelmanis
Katie Stelmanis is a Toronto-based Latvian-Canadian musician, who has performed and recorded both as a solo artist and with the band Austra.Stelmanis identifies herself as queer.-Solo career:...
, Barcelona Pavilion
Barcelona Pavilion (band)
Barcelona Pavilion was an indie pop band formed in 2001 from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Their releases include It's Because of the Barcelona Pavilion and It's the Barcelona Pavilion, on Blocks Recording Club leading to a devoted cult following....
, The Phonemes, Les Mouches, Ninja High School
Ninja High School (band)
Ninja High School were a Canadian dance-punk band, based in Toronto, Ontario, who merged hip hop and hardcore punk influences. It consisted of Matt Collins, Gregory Collins, Adrian Cvitkovic, Star DT, Whitney Kemble, Catherine Ribeiro, Steve Kado and Wolfgang Nessel...
, The Blankket, Hank, PDF Format (the Band)
David Dineen-Porter
David Dineen-Porter is an actor, comedian and musician from Toronto, Canada. He is one of two grand prize winners of the Cambrian House's Robinhood Fund $20,000 Christmas Wish giveaway event for a "selfish wish".-Career:...
, Kids on TV
Kids on TV
Kids on TV are a punk-house queercore band based in Toronto.The group consists of John Caffery on bass and vocals, Minus Smile on drums, electronics and vocals, Wolf on guitar and vocals, and Roxy on keyboard and vocals. The band is known for performing outside of the usual venues, such as bars,...
, SS Cardiacs
SS Cardiacs
SS Cardiacs was a Canadian indie rock band, briefly active in the early 2000s.First formed in 2004 by Jessie Stein, Andy Lloyd and Dana Snell, the band released its sole album, Fear the Love, on Blocks in 2005. Stein's brother, José Miguel Contreras of By Divine Right, also participated in the...
and The Creeping Nobodies
The Creeping Nobodies
The Creeping Nobodies were a Canadian rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario in 2001. They played their final gig in 2009.The Creeping Nobodies began as a one-off performance for a tribute night to the UK band The Fall, and were put together by Derek Westerholm...
.
Final Fantasy's second album on Blocks, He Poos Clouds
He Poos Clouds
He Poos Clouds is the second album by Canadian indie rock artist Final Fantasy, released June 13, 2006 on Blocks Recording Club in Canada and Tomlab internationally....
, was named the winner of the inaugural Polaris Music Prize
Polaris Music Prize
The Polaris Music Prize is a music award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit, regardless of genre, sales, or record label...
in 2006. Owen Pallett, the artist behind the Final Fantasy project, announced that he would donate a significant portion of his prize money to the label to help other artists.