Mountain Views News          Saturday, February 2, 2013

11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

 Mountain Views News Saturday, January 12, 2013 

SEAN’S SHAMELESS 

REVIEWS: 

JASMINE’S CORNER

Book Reviews by Jasmine Kelsey Williams 

77 SHADOW STREET

A Novel by Dean Koontz

 

 The next selection that continues here for fictional work takes a turn 
into darkness, the strange, and the supernatural. ’77 Shadow Street’ 
qualifies for all three areas mentioned, but do keep in mind that a 
story that deals with supernatural (and possibly demonic) forces will 
immediately be handed over to readers of a mature audience and kept 
clear of younger readers. Dean Koontz is wonderfully raw yet detailed 
is this novel: the Pendleton before was a grand 1800s mansion, 
standing atop the summit of Shadow Hill and known for being built 
from the ground up from its owner. 

 Even when it’s rechristened as a luxury apartment in 1970, and 
still continues to stand through the modern day, the Pendleton’s 
reputation is darkened and stained by mystery, madness and suicide, 
dark shadows and whispers from an unseen force. To add even more 
depth to this grim yet gripping tale, the newer residents who call the 
Pendleton their home are slow to come to the realization that all is 
not right. All 34 chapters highlight each of the different characters in 
turn, with each character’s experience building up from the last, and 
the steps taken to try counter the evil spirits within the Pendleton, 
or to be consumed by it. It is not just based on the perspectives of the characters however; there are points 
in between certain chapters where the narrative of a certain character simply called “The One” gives its two 
cents on the events that happen, the reasons why they are happening, and what is to become of each of the 
individual characters. Koontz has excellently crafted this piece, as it is one that the reader will not want to put 
down, and in order to comprehend its mystery, must be completed from start to finish. 

 Copyrighted in 2011, and receiving praise from sources such as the Chicago Sun-Times, USA Today, Los 
Angeles Times, and The Times (London), ’77 Shadow Street’ is the perfect pick to satisfy your supernatural 
tastes. And to add to Koontz’s allure, ’77 Shadow Street’ also has an online interactive experience, which will 
give readers the opportunity to not just read the story, but to have a chilling experience of their own as well.


Review By Sean Kayden

THE JOY FORMIDABLE

 
Nearly two years ago to the 
day, The Joy Formidable 
released their rock anthem 
driven record, “The Big 
Roar.” The UK band 
garnered much critical 
acclaim for their power-
rock tunes, piercing sound, and dynamic range both 
vocally and musically. On paper, the sophomore 
slump was in the equation, but these past 24 months 
have proven the band is through with playing second 
fiddle to bigger, more well known acts and geared up 
for center stage. On this new album titled “Wolf’s Law,” 
the scope of it all is quite larger than their debut. They 
keep the songs rolling fast and push the tempo to the 
highest of degrees. Fortunately, the band knows how 
to slow things down at just right the moment making 
their second album not a one-trick pony. However, 
the amalgamation of both fast and slow tunes may 
cause for some to question what kind of band The 
Joy Formidable wants to be. I prefer the slower, more 
consistent in tone songs the band cranks out than the 
overblown, overproduced material. One thing is for 
certain, while Wolf’s Law isn’t a masterpiece by any 
comprehension, it is a mostly enthralling and often 
captivating record that unquestionably will please 
previous fans and attract new followers. 

 Wolf’s Law is a series of peaks and valleys. On 
one hand, The Joy Formidable is making some of 
the best mainstream music out there. Music with as 
much power and buoyancy as it demonstrates both 
compassion and emotion. For starters, opening track, 
“This Ladder is Ours” begins with an orchestral 
intro before it’s cut wide open with an aggressive 
guitar riff and Ritzy Bryan’s powerful vocals that take 
over. This is a terrific opener that sets the record off 
to an amazing start, as Bryan’s unmistakable vocals 
guide the melody from supercharged arrangements 
to a relatively softer pace. The five minute plus rock 
anthem hits the 
nail right on the 
coffin and instantly 
becomes one of the 
best songs by the 
band. One of my 
personal favorite 
tracks is “Tendons.” 
It’s very melodic 
in tone. It’s not 
incredibly loud like most of the other tunes, but 
loud in the sense that it packs an emotional bite like 
no other track off “Wolf’s Law.” “Silent Treatment,” 
the entirely slow tempo track is a real winner too. 
It shows yet another side to the multifaceted rock 
group as well as showcasing Bryan’s heart wrenching 
vocals. You can sense the sadness, feel the pain, and 
see the troubles that she ever so demonstrates in both 
vocals and words. Lastly, another tremendous song 
comes in the shape of “The Leopard & The Lung.” 
While Bryan’s vocals are a bit under the arrangements 
making it sometimes discernable to the ear, the 
beauty and tonal shifts alone are simply incredible. 
It’s a six-minute song that is never dull or wickedly 
ordinary, but rather rapturous and astonishing. 
Clearly the most ambitious song the band has ever 
produced and it easily hits it out of the park, into 
another hemisphere. 

 With the good comes the bad or, in this case, the 
painfully mediocre. The lacking any rhythm, “Little 
Blimp,” the god-awful experimental track “Bats,” 
and the rather tepid, overlong “Maw Maw Song” 
formulate for some considerable misfires. Despite 
the calamity of what those tunes offer, you’re still 
left with eight significantly good songs. At any rate, 
this record, which is a few minutes shy of one hour 
in length, delivers most of the goods, albeit, a few 
rotten eggs in the bag. The high energy is present, the 
soaring melodies and huge choruses aren’t missing, 
and the band’s scope is still as wide as ever. “Wolf’s 
Law” is a grand materialization that strikes upon the 
emotional and spiritual effectiveness of relationships 
in the period of both restoration and those slipping 
into reinvigoration mode. Nonetheless, The Joy 
Formidable create some pretty good music, which 
should have them becoming even more superior in 
2013, but still a ways away from total stardom. 

Grade: 7.3 out of 10

Key Tracks: “The Ladder Is Ours”, “Tendons”, “Silent 
Treatment”, “The Leopard and The Lung”

Artist: The Joy Formidable 

Album: Wolf’s Law 

Label: Atlantic Records

Release Date: January 22, 2013

SIERRA MADRE RESIDENT AND ARTIST, 
DJIBRIL N'DOYE TO BE THE FEATURED 
ARTIST AT THE 21ST ANNUAL PAN 

AFRICAN FILM & ARTS FESTIVAL

WHAT’S HAPPENING 
AT ADAM’S PACK 
STATION

Super Bowl Sunday 2013

Before you start munching and 
drinking, come out to the canyon 
for a great hike. I took the pack 
train out today and it was gorgeous. 
Crisp, Clear, AND Warm. 
The water is flowing so great that 
the sound is amazing. Then add a 
little breeze... perfect.

After your hike come and hang 
out on “The Deck”. We will have 
TV’s on so you can watch the pre-
game show while enjoying some 
great BBQ. Stay for the first half 
and half-time show. We will open until 5:00.

Then there are the other happenings in the canyon 
that we are posting. For example:

The Road:

We are posting the weekly construction schedule for the Monrovia 
slide area. Yep. They are finally working on it. After that the 
County will take over which means better maintenance.

President’s Day

We will be open and cooking on President’s day. 

Anniversary Party

Our 77th Anniversary Party will be held April 21 from 12-5. 
Don’t miss it!!!

Music and Pulled Pork

For 2013 we are going back to just the third Sunday of the month. 
We are hoping that with just a monthly showing it will be more 
special and draw a greater crowd. Tell your Friends. The music 
series starts on our Anniversary.


HEALTHY LIFESTYLES


“What’s The Story 
With YOGA?”

ene
A friend of mine wanted to know what the story is with yoga. Why do we have a statue of an elephant 
god in the studio. Why is there a picture of the Buddah? Do we worship these things? If so, she would 
not be able to come, she is Christian. 

 

Yoga is many things to many people. It is spiritual. It is NOT religious. You can be any faith to come to 
yoga. You can be any age and any color and any weight. Yoga is about who you are and who you want 
to be. If you want to come to yoga for a better booty, cool. If you want to be calmer, cool. If you want to 
loose weight, cool. Yoga is all about where you are. We have the statues to honor the tradition that has 
been around for thousands of years. They are much the same as in Greek and Roman mythology –God 
has many faces. But yoga is very respectful of all faiths. Yoga is very spiritual, your own spirit. It is 
that we want to nurture. It does not matter if you are Jewish or Catholic or atheist. The spirit inside of 
you can benefit from the mind/body connection. The spirit inside of you needs nourishing. The mind 
needs to focus internally. In yoga we withdraw the senses (pratyahara) in order to not be distracted by 
them. This allows us to get to know our deepest selves better.

Om is the universal vibration, very simple and non-denominational. Sometimes we chant that at the 
end of class. So, if religion is keeping you from coming to class, don’t worry, it will only help make your 
faith stronger.

See you in class. Namasté, René

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Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com