Bill James first pioneered it for baseball in the 1980s, Moneyball made it popular, and now it is playing an increasing role within the dealings of NBA teams. Sports analytics, as it is known, is fuelled by self-described sports-loving stat geeks, and is the go-to metric for professional sports teams[Read More…]
Author: Shen Chen
Beyond Medicine: Battling the Disease of Linguistic Discrimination in Quebec
It began as your typical run-of-the-mill wintery sore throat. The slightly inflamed tonsils, scratchy throat, and minor shivers did not prove worthy of a lengthy emergency room wait, much less a painfully early morning, cued up in the cold to snag an appointment slot at the McGill clinic. But a couple[Read More…]
A portrait of the artist as a cranky old man
Before Don Draper, there was Bert Stern—a man who forever shaped the way we looked at consumer products. Bert Stern: Original Mad Man takes an intimate look at one of the most influential fashion and celebrity photographers of the 20th century. Stern was a pioneer in the field of commercial[Read More…]
McGill student brings Seattle sensibility to the Montreal music scene
It seems that Seattle has delivered yet another gem to the Montreal music scene. Up-and-coming singer-songwriter and McGill music student Antoine Martel, who hails from the rainy city, recognizes the long line of talent that has arisen from his hometown. Leading a self-named band, Martel laughs as he lists the[Read More…]
Mozart opera production toots its own flute
Mozart meets the Industrial Revolution in Opera McGill’s final production of the 2012-2013 season, The Magic Flute—a joint performance with McGill’s Chamber Orchestra in Pollack Hall, presented on Mar. 21 and 23. In the celebrated opera, Prince Tamino wanders into a distant land, and is asked by the grief-stricken Queen[Read More…]
Breakout Montreal comedian aims for baskets of laughter
Comedy is not typically thought of as a strenuous field. Performers go on stage, talk for a few minutes about their lives, and get paid. However, Andrew Searles, the energetic and affable comedian performing a special show called C’est Moi! C’est Chocolat! at Théâtre Sainte Catherine this weekend, does much[Read More…]
The Besnard Lakes: Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO
Coming off the heels of their second appearance on the Polaris Prize shortlist, The Besnard Lakes are back with Until In Excess, Imperceptible UFO, another collection of orchestral slow burners. Husband and wife bandleaders Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas and their bevy of collaborators have created eight dreamy, textured songs[Read More…]
Bonobo: The North Borders
Bonobo is back, and he has evolved. The North Borders, the British producer’s first album of original material since 2010’s Black Sands, boasts a heavily modern UK garage sound with inflections of fellow garage artist Burial. Simon Green, also known as Bonobo, is the most popular guy on the Ninja[Read More…]
Phosphorescent: Muchacho
Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck has hit a career high with the release of his sixth full-length album, Muchacho, which creates the perfect blend of electronica and Americana. The album opens with bubbling electro synth and harmonized vocals in “Sun, Arise!,” which, along with its sister song “Sun’s Arising,” bookend the album.[Read More…]
Admission: denied
Admission is a film that should probably end up in the “deny” pile. Directed by Peter Weitz (About a Boy) and starring Tina Fey, the film begins in the ivy-embellished halls of Princeton University. Fey plays Portia Nathan, a member of Princeton’s prestigious admissions department, where her job is to[Read More…]
