Greg MacPherson
Mr. Invitation
By Jason Schneider

From the opening lines of "First Class," this latest effort from MacPherson feels almost like a Tom Clancy thriller. The Winnipeg singer-songwriter has always been noted for injecting political intrigue into his music, but Mr. Invitation may be the first of his four albums to musically match the power of his pen. Although sonically sparse, MacPherson and his trio zero in on the core of each track, and extract meaning from each note. These are not songs that can be easily ignored, even when MacPherson dials down the drama, as on "Travelling Style." The end result is an artist in full command of his creative faculties, and knowing it. It would be easy to compare Mr. Invitation to the best work of the Weakerthans or the Tragically Hip, but that would be doing MacPherson a disservice, since many moments on this album are better. Now is the time when MacPherson needs to be considered amongst the best Canadian singer-songwriters on the scene today. (Smallman)
Scissor Sisters
Angry Samoans / Class of 1984
Ra Ra Riot
City and Colour / Tegan and Sara / Wintersleep / Ra Ra Riot
Jenny and Johnny - I’m Having Fun Now
DJ Muggs vs. Ill Bill - Kill Devil Hills
Prosanctus Inferi - Pandemonic Ululations of Vesperic Palpitation
Profanatica - Disgusting Blasphemies against God
Luke Doucet & the White Falcon - Steel City Trawler
Sonny and the Sunsets - Tomorrow Is Alright
Reid Jamieson - Staring Contest
Various - Kompakt Total 11
Lou Barlow and the Missingmen
The Specials
Vampire Weekend / Beach House / Dum Dum Girls
Ra Ra Riot - The Orchard
S. Carey - All We Grow
Sarah Jezebel Deva - A Sign of Sublime
Cotton Jones - Tall Hours in the Glowstream
Neil Hamburger - Hot February Night
Oneida / Cowards
Ion Dissonance - Cursed
Various - Bloody War: Songs 1924-1939
Mogwai - Special Moves/Burning
Reason - Fools
Bars of Gold - Of Gold
Jon Langford & Skull Orchard - Old Devils
Brad Laner - Natural Selections
Surgeon / Various - Fabric 53
!!! - Strange Weather, Isn’t It?
Wildbirds & Peacedrums - Rivers
Fennesz / Daniell / Buck - Knoxville
SMMR BMMR featuring Meercaz, Fist City, Sex Church, Timecopz, Woven Bones
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