Mountain Views News          Saturday, May 28, 2011

11

ARTS & ENTERTAIMENT

 Mountain Views News Saturday, May 28, 2011 

SEAN’S SHAMELESS 

REVIEWS: 

THE ANTHEM


IT’S ALL FUN AND GAMES AT THE 

BRITISH HOME FAIRE ON SATURDAY, JUNE 4TH


This year’s June Faire at The British Home 
promises to be even bigger and better than ever. 
The annual event will be held on Saturday, June 
4th from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Admission is free 
and readers are invited to enjoy the beautiful 
grounds of The British Home which serve as the 
perfect setting for the Faire.

The whole family is provided for with many 
booths, games, and refreshments. During the 
Faire there will be live displays of Scottish and 
Irish dancing as well as a performance by the 
Rising Phoenix Morris Dancers. Children can 
enjoy a sticky wall, inflatable bouncy castle, face 
painting and game booths.

The British Consul-General, Dame Barbara 
Hay, will open the Faire at 10 a.m. following the 
parade of flags which will be accompanied by a 
Scottish piper. There will be a variety of booths 
selling books, garden plants, birdhouses, jewelry, 
collectibles, cards and lots more. Refreshment 
choices all emphasize the British influence on 
the Faire from English bangers, a Victorian style 
tea on the patio or a ploughman’s lunch to home-
baked goods including sausage rolls, Cornish 
pasties, cakes and scones. 

In September The British Home will celebrate 
80 years of providing personalized care to its 
residents. It is a non-profit organization which, 
as a licensed Residential Care Facility for the 
Elderly, welcomes seniors who come from all 
nationalities, races and religions. The Home is 
located at 647 Manzanita Avenue, Sierra Madre.

If you would like more information about this 
event please visit The British Home website at 
www.britishhome-ca.us or email Mary Beadle at 
thebeadles@earthlink.net

The Antlers 
made huge 
waves in 2009 
with their concept 
album, 
Hospice. It told 
the narrative 
of an emotionally 
disparage relationship, expressed through the 
analogy of a hospice worker and fatally ill patient. 
That record was on an array of best of the year lists 
from different publications. At the time of its release, 
I didn’t immediately dive head first into the 
compilation. I’m not objecting to the overwhelming 
praise Hospice received, but I can’t honestly 
say I agree either. Given my lack of knowledge of 
the band’s most profound material to date, I went 
into their follow-up album, Burst Apart with an 
open and uninfluenced mindset. While the ambition 
may not have been quite as high this time 
around, Burst Apart is an often subtle, perceptive, 
and emotive display of music. The record isn’t 
perfect, but The Antlers easily deliver some of the 
most personal, compelling, and heartbreaking 
songs of the year. 

Founder/vocalist behind The Antlers, Peter 
Silberman’s voice is as soothing as they come by 
these days. It’s the kind of tone that can mend a 
broken heart. He sings in a crooning manner that 
floats on top of the delicacy and intimacy of the 
often times majestic arrangements. It is very easy 
to get immersed into the incontestable beauty of 
the songs. Tracks like “No Widows” and “Corsicana” 
will leave on the brink of tears. “No Widows” 
delves into the territory of solitude and 
death, while “Corsicana” speaks about two people 
trapped inside a room on fire. However, it’s Silberman’s 
tender voice that will shake you up and the 
overall aesthetics of these tunes that will have you 
recalling repressed memories. Where the album 
takes a few missteps is with songs like “Parentheses” 
and “Rolled Together”. The songs out of sync 
presence and/or possible resemblance to tracks 
off Hospice have them interrupting the incredibly 
fluid flow of the record. It’s an unfortunate scenario 
since Burst Apart could have been deemed 
an equal masterpiece to their previous landmark 
opus. Overall, there is too much good stuff here to 
wallow in slight disappointment over some misguided 
tunes. 

“Putting The Dog To Sleep” is the ideal fitting 
cap to a record that will deeply affect you in more 
ways than initially imagined. The final track showcases 
Silberman’s reflective understanding of the 
parallels of life and death spoken with such clarity 
and of the likes of an old, wise soul. That’s saying 
a lot for a guy that’s still in his twenties. There is a 
very special feeling you’ll experience while listening 
to Burst Apart. It will effortlessly tug on the 
strings of your heart and gently guide you back 
to previous moments in life. My biggest problem 
though is that this elated sensation is short-lived 
due to the album clocking in at 41 minutes over 
the span of ten tracks (two tracks being ill-fitted 
for the record). Despite that minor imperfection, 
The Antlers’ forth record (second as a full band) 
is quite the unparalleled achievement in not only 
indie rock, but also all music across the board. 
Burst Apart will lift those heavy eyelids, alleviate 
that tiresome mind, and facilitate a wounded 
heart. If you’re in need of all or any of the aforementioned, 
do yourself a solid and pick up this 
amazing record. 

Sean Kayden

• Salon Show & ReceptionSpecial Salon reception onFriday evening June 10, 2011from 6 to 9 PM.
Enjoy viewing and purchasing 
original artworks by local artists.
for more information:
call 626-798-0833 email: mtkomai@altadenalibrary.orgfees and comissions will benefit the Altadena LibrarySaturday 
June 11th 201110AMuntil 6PMSaturday 
June 11th 201110AMuntil 6PMat the Altadena Library600 East Mariposa, Altadena, CA 91001Fun for the whole family. 
Make a day of it.
• Delicious foodfrom Altadena’s 
favorites• Art Festival featuring 
local Arts and Crafts• Juried Salon ExhibitThe Friends of The 
Altadena Library 
present 
The Second Annual
The Book Report

Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base 

by Annie Jacobsen 

It is the most famous military installation in the world. And it doesn’t exist. 
Located a mere 75 miles outside of Las Vegas , the base has never been 
acknowledged by the government, but Area 51 has captivated imaginations 
for decades. Myths and hypotheses about Area 51 have long abounded, 
thanks to the intense secrecy enveloping it. Some claim it is home to aliens, 
underground tunnel systems, and nuclear facilities. Others believe that the 
lunar landing itself was filmed there. These rumors stem from the fact that 
no credible insider has ever divulged the truth about his time inside the 
base. Until now. Annie Jacobsen had exclusive access to 19 men who served 
the base proudly and secretly for decades , and unprecedented access to 
55 five additional military and intelligence personnel, scientists, pilots, and 
engineers linked there, 32 of whom lived and worked there for extended periods. 
In Area 51, Jacobsen shows us what has really gone on in the Nevada 
desert, from testing nuclear weapons to building super secret, supersonic 
jets to pursuing the War on Terror. This is the first book based on interviews with eye witnesses , which 
makes it the seminal work on the subject. Filled with formerly classified information that has never 
been accurately decoded for the public, Area 51 weaves the mysterious activities of the base into a gripping 
narrative, showing that facts are often more fantastic than fiction, especially when the distinction is 
almost impossible to make. Annie Jacobsen is a contributing editor at the Los Angeles Times Magazine 
and an investigative reporter. 

The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York 

by Deborah Blum 

This book is equal parts true crime, twentieth century history, and science 
thriller. A fascinating Jazz Age tale of chemistry and detection, poison and 
murder, The Poisoner’s Handbook is a page turning account of a forgotten 
era. In early twentieth century New York, poisons offered an easy path to the 
perfect crime. Science had no place in the Tammany Hall controlled coroner’s 
office, and corruption ran rampant. However, with the appointment of 
chief medical examiner Charles Norris in 1918, the poison game changed 
forever. Together with toxicologist Alexander Gettler, the duo set the justice 
system on fire with their trailblazing scientific detective work, triumphing 
over seemingly unbeatable odds to become the pioneers of forensic chemistry. 
Deborah Blum is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, the author of 
Ghost Hunters, and co-editor of A Field Guide for Science Writers. 


Acting classes for REAL people, at the...
Join the “FOR THE LOVE OF ACTING” class.
Saturdays 2:00 to 5:00pm on our STAGE. No experience necessary! 
NEW BEGINNERS class starts APRIL 02. 
For reservations and class info, call June Chandler (626) 355-4572