Goin’ Home
Artist: Dan Auerbach
Album: Keep it Hid
Released: February 10, 2009
Primarily known as the bluesy yet angelic voice behind the Black Keys, Auerbach uses his classic Animals-inspired strumming and chord progressions on “Goin’ Home.” Opening with a dream-like intro, this classic on-tour-homesickness song strikes a deeper chord than most with its simple lyrics and guitar/vocal melodies that seamlessly intertwine together. Taking a step back from the hardcore blues of the Keys, Auerbach plays to his strengths: His plain yet perfect lyricism and melodies and his heartwarming croon. This is the slowest song on the album, so those looking for more Keys-esque songs will enjoy it as well.
Guaranteed
Artist: Eddie Vedder
Album: Into the Wild
Released: September 14, 2007
Pearl Jam’s frontman has one of the most recognizable crooning voices of the ’90s grunge era. Vedder unplugs for this album, a soundtrack to indie film Into the Wild. Vedder’s haunting lyrics and the simple repetitiveness of the guitar evokes the kind of emotion and free spirit feeling that the movie portrayed. Catchphrases from the likes of Vonnegut (“So it goes” from Slaughterhouse Five) coupled with Vedder’s weighty tone will make you want to run through a field barefoot while listening.
Blunderbuss
Artist: Jack White
Album: Blunderbuss
Released: April 23, 2012
This is the title track from Jack White’s debut solo album, which is one of those albums that you can listen to in its entirety without getting bored. Using a slide guitar, pounding piano melodies, and signature White Stripes arpeggio guitar riffs, this song saunters through a cryptic and lyrically-full half-ballad. With thought-provoking lines like “Such a trick pretending not to be doing what you want to,” this song will resonate with all who listen to it.
Say It To Me Now
Artist: Glen Hansard
Album: Once
Released: May 22, 2007
Glen Hansard, part of the duo Swell Season who starred in the movie Once, goes solo on one powerful song: “Say It To Me Now.” It opens with a slow, beating guitar rhythm, and Hansard’s perfectly imperfect voice breaks through to start the simple and ultimate breakup song. Hansard uses chords that aren’t immediately pleasing to the ear to catch listeners’ attention and lead them to the crescendo, a “Hey Jude”-esque scream. “Say It To Me Now” is a perfect mix of melancholy strumming and desperate furiousness that will leave the listener wanting more.
Moving into a dorm room is a transition most university students will go through—shifting from the comforts of home to the box-shaped rooms that are the norm here at McGill.(more…)
With the fall TV season underway, the Tribune A&E team has compiled five returning and five new shows we’re excited for.
AMERICAN HORROR STORY
Returning for its fourth season, mini-series American Horror Story is taking a walk on the wild side with its newest theme, “Freak Show.” Taking place in 1950s Florida, the season will be centred on the lives of carnival performers and “evil forces.” While American Horror Story started strong in its first season by jumping on the Amityville Horror-esque train and riding it all the way to themes of school shoot-ups and disfigured neighbors warning of spectral forces, the show lost its steam in the next two seasons. It hooked onto complicated themes and introduced deus-ex-machina plot devices so often they became expected and irritating. Hopefully, the star-studded cast, featuring Jessica Lange and Evan Peters, will resurrect this floundering series.
American Horror Story: Freak Show returns Wednesday, Oct. 8 on FX.
MULANEY
Up-and-coming comedian John Mulaney—you may know him as the behind-the-camera half of the popular ‘Stefon’ sketches from SNL, or from his TV special New In Town—follows in the footsteps of Jerry Seinfeld and Louis C.K. by interspersing his stand-up routine with sitcom material. The decision to make this a multi-camera comedy in the era of single-camera dominance seems strange, but the pedigree on this show makes up for it—the supporting cast includes greats like Elliott Gould, Nasim Pedrad, and Martin Short. While early reports have been mixed-to-negative, this seems like a show that will eventually find its voice.
Mulaney premieres Sunday, Oct. 5, on Fox.
TRAILER PARK BOYS
After a six-year hiatus, Canada’s favourite booze and dope-fuelled ‘mockumentary’ series has finally returned. While the Trailer Park Boys team has filled the void with a series of highly successful films, the show’s peerless style is most charming when presented in vignette form. Its original creator and director Mike Clattenburg mastered a fast-paced, parodic formula geared more towards half-hour entertainment than a feature-length script. While Clattenburg still oversees the series’ production, its lead actors John Paul Tremblay, Robb Wells, and Mike Smith own the rights to the show and are working with new directors. Another significant change is that instead of broadcasting on Showcase, the show will now be featured on television streaming kingpin Netflix. This will inevitably win the show new viewers and recapture the interest of old fans. It’s the way of the road boys, the way of the road.
Trailer Park Boys returned Friday, Sept. 5 on Netflix.
TRANSPARENT
Transparent, by far the most promising of the new batch of shows this fall, stars Arrested Development’s Jeffrey Tambor as Mort, the patriarch of a wealthy Los Angeles family who, after coming out to his family as transgender, begins the process of transitioning to a woman. The first season follows Mort’s transformation to Moira and her three adult children’s reactions. The pilot is already online and it is fantastic, shedding light on an important subject that has received very little attention from mainstream pop culture. Tambor in particular is great, giving what may be the performance of his career in this series, taking his trademark weary dissatisfaction from comedic roles and subtly tweaking it, playing for pathos rather than laughs.
Transparent premieres in its entirety Friday, Sept. 26 on Amazon Prime.
REIGN
Loosely based on the tragic history of Mary, Queen of Scotland (Adelaide Kane), Reign is a romantic and thrilling political medieval drama geared towards teens and young adults. Full disclosure: If you’re looking for a witty and poignant political satire or a beautiful historic rendition, the show will disappoint. However, for those seeking to be consumed and lost in the drama of power struggles and love triangles, this show will do the trick. Look for the Black Plague to spice up this season with the promise of death, betrayal, and romance.
Reign returns Thursday, Oct. 2 on CW.
SELFIE
In keeping with the social media hype Eliza Dooley creates for herself on Selfie, it has gathered quite a buzz. The modern day My Fair Lady rendition is directed by the creator of Suburgatory, showcasing a cringe-worthy social media dialect and a surprisingly charming cast. Karen Gillan plays the vain, image-obsessed technology zombie, getting a personality makeover by her c-oworker, Henry (John Cho). Gillan’s quirky and well-timed comedic lines go well with Cho’s uptight and serious personality. By allowing momets of serious social criticism and personal struggles with self-image shine through the surface level comedy, Selfie manages to vault itself to a deeper level.
Selfie premieres Tuesday, Sept. 30 on ABC.
THE GOOD WIFE
This show follows Alicia Florrick, a top defence attorney and estranged wife to the governor of Illinois, and deftly blends ripped-from-the-headlines legal cases with weightier emotional material. It’s something of an anomaly from most prestige dramas: It airs on network television, runs for 22 episodes each season, and is more episodic than serialized. Despite this, it manages to be better than most TV fare, expertly shifting from joyful exuberance to moodiness to excitement—sometimes in a matter of seconds. The Good Wife is also one of the best-directed shows on television. Coming off of its fifth and best season yet, this is not a show to be missed.
The Good Wife returns Sunday, Sept. 21 on CBS.
FOO FIGHTERS SONIC HIGHWAYS
Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl possesses a passionate reverence for rock ‘n’ roll history, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that his band’s eighth album release doubles as an ambitious homage to America’s musical heritage and is being accompanied by an HBO documentary series that he is directing. The project’s premise is that each track on the album has been recorded in a different iconic city and features the sounds of local musical legends. HBO has released a promising trailer that features the likes of Dolly Parton, Macklemore, Buddy Guy, and even Barack Obama. If Grohl’s directorial debut Sound City (2013) is any indication, rock ‘n’ roll enthusiasts will be in for a treat with Sonic Highways.
Foo Fighters Sonic Highways premieres Friday, Oct. 17 on HBO.
SOUTH PARK
Somehow, after 17 seasons and multiple side projects such as Team America (2004) and Baseketball (1998), and smash-hit Broadway musical The Book of Mormon, Trey Parker and Matt Stone are still cranking out the TV show that started it all. And with gems from last season like the ‘Kimye’ spoof, “The Hobbit”, and the Game of Thrones-centric Black Friday trilogy, there’s no question that they’ve still got it. Last year, seasons started running for 10 episodes in the fall exclusively, so fans will have South Park to look forward to from the end of September to the beginning of exams.
South Park returns Wednesday, Sept. 24 on Comedy Central.
MARRY ME
Pulling cast and crew from notable comedies including Suburgatory and Happy Endings, Marry Me is a cute and awkward ‘not-just-a-wedding’ comedy, promising equal amounts of laughter and sighs. After multiple failed proposal attempts, Annie (Casey Wilson) and Jake (Ken Marino) hit the brakes on the marriage franchise. Small previews for the show reveal a mutually and hilariously socially inept couple, refreshingly assured of their destiny together.
Organizers of the People’s Climate March (PCM), a demonstration aiming to create momentum within the climate change awareness movement, held a speaker event at McGill last Wednesday.(more…)
The Shag Shop, McGill’s sexual health boutique, closed its physical location in the Student Health Clinic last April, with plans to open an online store this semester.(more…)
There must be a child somewhere that cracked open a genie’s bottle. Collège de Saint-Ambroise, an elementary school in the Saguenay region of Quebec, has virtually banned homework.(more…)
Fill your bench up with as many high-risk, high-reward players as you can. Every team in your league will have three or four stars; it’s your sleepers and free agent pickups that will win you your league. The more risks you take, the more likely you are to hit the jackpot. Try and find this year’s Alshon Jeffery or Julius Thomas, because that will separate your team from the rest of your league. It’s impossible to predict with absolute certainity, but players such as Vikings wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and electric rookie running back Tre Mason could pay huge dividends later in the season.
2. Play the matchup with your defence
Unless you have a top-three defence, you should be rotating that slot from week to week. Find out who’s playing the offensively impotent Jags, Texans, or Jets, and take advantage of their ineptitude. The decidedly average Bears defence will put up more fantasy points against the Texans than the premium 49ers defence will tally against the Packers. Ride the waiver wire and take advantage of the league’s bottom-feeders.
3. Handcuff your star running backs
If you haven’t already drafted your star running back’s backup, do so immediately. Running back is a high-attrition position with one of the highest injury rates in the league. Even though LeSean McCoy’s name looks invincible on your computer screen, don’t assume you’ll be able to lock him in every week. Take the recent injuries to fantasy draft darlings Eddie Lacy and Andre Ellington as proof of a stark reality. If you used up a high draft pick on either, and then neglected to cover your bases by picking up James Starks or Jonathan Dwyer respectively, you can probably kiss the playoffs goodbye. Injuries can happen at any time; make sure you have a safety net—even just for the peace of mind—if your star running back goes down.
4. Don’t get too fancy
The biggest mistake fantasy owners can make is trying to create too big of a splash with their lineups. Under absolutely no circumstance should you be sitting your stars. Don’t sit Adrian Peterson because some so-called expert brought up that he doesn’t play well in temperatures below -15 degrees Celsius, during 4 p.m. games, or when the wind is blowing from the northeast. The easiest way to look foolish is to unnecessarily tinker with your lineup. Just because Jeremy Maclin has a better matchup than Julio Jones, doesn’t mean you should sit your star wideout. The guys you pick in the first five or six rounds should be in your lineup every single week, without question.
5. Know your playoff schedule
Just like in the NFL, the unfortunate truth is that the best fantasy team usually doesn’t win the league. Time and time again, a solid team will dominate the regular season, only to be eliminated in the first or second round of the fantasy football playoffs. The previous four tips will get you through the regular season, but if you want to take home the hardware and claim a year’s worth of bragging rights, then this last tip is the most important. Your playoffs probably run from week 14 to week 16, which might mean that Philip Rivers won’t be the best quarterback for your team, considering he plays the Patriots, Broncos, and 49ers in a brutal three-week stretch. Instead of Colin Kaepernick, who has a similarly tough schedule, perhaps look at Jay Cutler, who plays the Cowboys, Saints, and Lions in the last three weeks of the season.
As the carefree days of the holidays conclude and the scramble of the add/drop period begins, students are reminded that the summer season is reaching an end.(more…)
The Redmen started their 2013 season with a new Head Coach, Eric Van Sickle, who has been a steady part of the team’s coaching staff since 2005. He did not disappoint, leading the Redmen on a regular season romp that culminated in their eighth consecutive conference title. Even the RSEQ Championship match was largely one-sided—as the Redmen beat the Concordia Stingers 16-6 to assert their continued dominance of the conference.
Last week, the Redmen played against the Queen’s Gaels in a pre-season match, but a solid first-half by McGill was not enough to overcome the OUA defending champions, who won the game 24-5. Despite the result of this exhibition match, McGill has every reason to enter the 2014 season with confidence.Since 2001, McGill has participated in every single RSEQ Championship game and has captured 10 trophies over that time span. They closed out their 2013 season with a 9-1-0 overall record and hoisted the Harry Griffiths Trophy, which is given to the best McGill team in a non-CIS sport, for their performance.
With the departure of many talented seniors, such as team captain and leading scorer Cameron Perrin, the team will have to rely on the passion and dedication of a large cohort of rookies and sophomores. Van Sickle’s experiences will prove crucial in guiding this young squad’s effort toward a ninth consecutive title.
The Redmen begin the season against Concordia Sept. 10 at 9 p.m. on their rivals’ home turf, in what should be an exciting rematch of last season’s conference championship.
(Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune)
Redmen Lacrosse
Despite an impressive regular season, the Redmen Lacrosse team’s 2013 campaign ended in disappointing fashion. A 14-11 loss to the Guelph Gryphons in the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) Championship game was a huge blow to the heavily-favoured Redmen squad. Still, the positives far outweighed the negatives during an otherwise dominant season. The Redmen went undefeated (10-0) in the regular season—the first lacrosse team in McGill’s history to achieve this feat—and finished with an overall 14-2 record.
The 2013 team overwhelmed opponents with top-end offensive skill and depth throughout the lineup, a reputation the Redmen hope to carry into this season. A talented veteran squad that only lost three players from last year’s team is led by co-captains Jack Stewart, Alex Rohrbach, Paul Rakoczy, and reigning team MVP and league All-Star Connor Goodwin.
Head Coach Tim Murdoch, who has been at the helm for 11 consecutive seasons, and Assistant Coach Sean Steinweld will bring the benefit of long-term coaching experience to the team. The coaching staff, which also includes former Redmen players Simon Hudson and Scott Bailey, should have no problem moulding the team into championship form–anything less would be a disappointment.
The Redmen host the Queen’s Gaels in its first home game of the season on Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. at Molson Stadium.
(Photo courtesy of Benjamin Gordon)
Redmen Baseball
For the McGill Redmen baseball team, 2013 was a year to forget. The lower-seeded Carleton Ravens swept the Redmen in the opening round of the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association (CIBA) playoffs. The early elimination came as a shock to a team that entered the season eyeing a second championship in four years.
This season is different, however, mainly because McGill is playing host to the 2014 Canadian Collegiate Baseball Association (CCBA) National Championship. The host role guarantees McGill entry into the year-end tournament, which takes the pressure off of the team to perform early and often—a key component of success in a league with such a short regular season. Head Coach Jason Starr will be free to tweak the lineup and pitching rotation in order to have the team as healthy as possible down the stretch.
His options top to bottom are as good as or better than last year. A strong push in recruiting has paid off in the form of a solid rookie class, while the team’s core remains intact. Junior middle infielders Tyler Welence and Jamie Fuoco will be relied upon for production in the middle of the lineup. On the mound, the Redmen rotation will be anchored by veterans Nolan Werre and Elliott Ariganello and is among the deepest in recent memory.
The Redmen got their season underway this past weekend with four wins in Ottawa against Carleton and the University of Ottawa, and will look to keep this rolling in their next game against Université de Montréal on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 7:30 p.m.
Professor Richard Roy, best known for teaching the second half of the morning section of BIOL 200, administers some of the most challenging exams at McGill. (more…)
