OUT OF PRINT! The follow up to Hank’s magical and enlightening 2003 Mini-Album Ackrill/Venning ‘91 shows the collective coming up with some of the most incredible pop music ever, every single one of this cd’s 15 tracks is an out and out hit, from the tender ballads of “taffy solo” and “blonde wife and dead daughter” to dance-floor explosions like “god slick” and “stomp of sloth” Hank have pulled through with another winner with its tales of giants, rockstar marriage and ex-wrestlers injuring themselves in the Scottish Highlands wrapped up in incredible hand-made packaging from Paige Gratland.

Ackrill/Venning ‘91 is an audacious revelation of a debut LP demonstrating a profoundly passionate love of music from its creator. All the songs mine a rich vein of genres with no two sounding the same. The upfront jangle of Danes In Peril! sits proudly next to the harsh metallic racket of Harley Tat. And if He Forgot My Name is a dreamy spectral prayer from a fallen angel then Getting Fucked Over By Your Friends is the best ninety-second shoutalong about betrayal EVER that the Shangri-Las never got round to singing. The public attention this cd attracted to the Hank Collective, especially the above-mentioned dance-party hit “Danes In Peril”, has gone from mere praise to a mighty roar of approval and love. This isn’t really a Blocks release, what’s really happening here is that we’re distrbuting this cd for Weeping Truckers, the record lable that put it out way back when (last year).

The magical full-length release from the band that stands head and shoulders above all others! The greatest full-length record we could ever imagine! Featuring the song-craft of Owen Pallett, and the noise-craft of Matt Smith and Rob Gordon this release manages the task of being simultaneously sweet and abrasive, complex and innocent, violent and gentle. Brian Turner, the program director of WFMU called Les Mouches “really unusual and unlike most things I hear coming through here these days…Amazing!” Anyone with ears to hear would almost certainly agree.

This is the most recent of Mr. Wiseman’s solo records, his first since something like 1995. Mr. Wiseman has unceasingly pursued music through almost any and every shape it could possibly take, from Improv through to earnest folk music, passing through any number of musical groups from Slutarded to Blue Rodeo to The Hidden Cameras. This record features an almost schizophrenic oscillation between stripped-down folk music and budget casio and omnichord insanity, but anchoring everything is Bob’s solid ear for songwriting and compelling singing.

A persuasive document of the recent Toronto-based Positive Music Explosion. (more…)

This is the not only the rousing debut of Animalmonster, but also the record breaking longest record we’ve ever put out. A mind breaking 27 minutes of instrumental electronics that feels like YMO crossed with the Morr Music Catalogue multiplied by 200% energy. Probably the most untroubled and happy record we’ll ever put out. Guaranteed to put a giant smile on your face. Also, the first 100 copies feature incredible, totally excessive packaging. It’s not even sane, there’s hand-embroidery and glow-in-the-dark ink and stickers and sleeves and all this stuff. It is mind blowing!

This will be a five-song debut ep from Les Mouches, the Toronto super-group formed from members of the Jim Guthrie Band, Picastro, Royal City, Matt Schmidt, Double Happiness, From Fiction and The Hidden Cameras. Les Mouches are often called one of Toronto’s very best live bands, their completely hysterical, panic-stricken take on ‘folk music’ has both deafened, hurt and charmed audiences not only in their native Toronto but also as far afield as Guelph. Recorded by Jeff McMurich and available in early December we would like to announce that THIS IS A KEEPER!!! A WINNER!!! and also GREAT!!!

This is the debut release by the Blankket. 2 Songs, both covers, both about love on one business card sized cd. Contains Toronto Disco Smash-Hit “Hey Ya!” backed with “Love Goes To Building on Fire”. Packaged in a sewn air-mail envelope and strictly limited to an edition of 100 this little bastard would make a dashing addition to anyone’s holiday gift list.

The second release by the Toronto foursome that gets called “Nice” and “Quite good” by John Peel on a regular basis. This 8cm CD has 4 big hits from the Barcelona Pavilion’s furious live sets, all recorded in lightning speed at the notorious COLD FLOORS studio. Sung half in English and half in German these new recordings are violent and nuts, but still smell and acts like a pop music animal. The 7″ version of the same songs is out on Meccico records of London, England. The first print run, with its famed ’stupid’ package built from drafting vellum, is out of print!

After something like two years of gestating the Barcelona Pavilion have returned with four more poorly recorded songs about things you’ve probably never heard about because all you do is sit around smoking weed and listening to Sleep. But yes, it reaches new heights of compression by dialectically exploding Lame, Expressionist-derived, biographically based art with a take on ‘personal art’ cribbed from Alvin Lucier and Hans Haacke. Henry Rollins, Sine Waves, Dance-Hall Reggae and songs in favour of new anti-dog laws being passed in Ontario also swarm the listener in four-songs in under 6 minutes.

The Phonemes are a small band focused on issues of vast historical guilt, language acquisition and various animals. Based around the songwriting of Magali, perhaps best known until now for being the ex-rhythm guitarist/drummer in the incredibly famous The Hidden Cameras, the band also contains Consumption Records head- honcho Matias and Liz of Jonasson. The Phonemes’ music is gentle and clever, their singing is great too.