Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 6, 2013

B4

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

 Mountain Views News Saturday, July 6, 2013 

SEAN’S SHAMELESS REVIEWS: 


JASMINE’S CORNER

Book Reviews by Jasmine Kelsey Williams 

BANDS TO WATCH

By: Sean Kayden

Hibou – “Dunes EP” - Seattle dream pop band, Hibou, have just released 
their new EP album (currently name your own price via Bandcamp.com), 
“Dunes.” Peter Michel, former drummer of similar act Craft Spells, is now 
in the driver seat as main composer. This solo endeavor roams the realm 
of lo-fi, jangly pop guitars and dreamy snyths. If you’re a fan of Beach Fossils, DIIV, Craft Spells, 
and Minks (all on Captured Tracks record label), Hibou is for you. I’m a total sucker for anything 
dream-pop and while Hibou sounds awfully similar to other bands I love, I’m still hooked on the 
band’s chill and elated vibe. 

Pure Bathing Culture – “Moon Tides” - Pure Bathing Culture is gearing up for their debut LP 
record, “Moon Tides” dropping this August. Indie-pop duo, Daniel Hindman and Sarah Versprille 
make very pleasant, lucid, surreal music. Their first single off the album, “Pendulum,” true to 
its name, swings gently back and forth as the music figuratively lifts you off the ground. Deeply 
reflective and supplying impeccably smooth vocals from Versprille, “Pendulum” may just be one 
of many stunning songs coming later this summer from the Portland natives. 

Midnight Faces – “Fornication” - Festival headlining worthy band Midnight Faces, have created 
soaring, commanding, and tightly structured songs for their debut LP, “Fornication.” The record 
benefits from its 80s inspired electronic dance-pop subtleties. However, I feel this album is one of 
the most original, modern sounding indie rock albums of the year. Midnight Faces is made up of 
alternative duo, Matthew Warn and Phil Stancil. The band’s sound is a complete departure from 
Warn’s other group, post-rock instrumentalists, Saxon Shore. He’s described Midnight Faces as 
“Tom Petty fronting The Cure.” With Warn’s experience in Saxon Shore and bandmate Phil Stancil 
impressive vocals, the pair’s eclectic style allows them to bring a refreshing, innovative sound to 
“Fornication.” The duo wields both high-energy tracks as well as soft, multi-layered compositions. 
“Fornication” is out now via Broken Factory. 

Superhumanoids – “Exhibitionists” - Snyth-pop trio Superhumanoids hail from Los Angeles, 
California. On August 13th the 80s new wave inspired enthusiasts will be releasing their debut LP, 
“Exhibitionists.” One of the first songs previewed off the album is “Bad Weather.” Similar in vein to Pure 
Bathing Culture, the vocals are utterly intoxicating as they are performed over a crisp, shimmering, 
electronic soundscape. While most bands in the genre can be the soundtrack any hot summer day, 
Superhumanoids occupies more a nighttime feel. They’re a little darker, evocative than other groups 
in this realm. Plus, they specialize in love and longing type of lyrics as opposed to simply disposable 
summer time anthems. If you’re looking for something different but not completely off the beaten 
path, Superhumanoids may be the band you need to get by these hot summer nights. 

FLY ON THE WALL: HOW ONE GIRL SAW 
EVERYTHING

By E. Lockhart

With the Fourth of July coming up, this next choice shall be 
a little summer treat, especially for those who are younger 
or teen readers, which means they'll have something to kick 
back with while they enjoy the festivities. "Fly on The Wall: 
How One Girl saw Everything" by E. Lockhart is a humorous, 
witty, and unique tale of how one high school girl's perspective 
is changed when she observes the lives and interactions 
of her fellow students by turning into a fly. 

 Do not jump to conclusions just yet, as our protagonist 
Gretchen Yee does not turn into a fly deliberately, but is 
granted an odd wish to observe the other students in this 
manner. Lockhart is witty and fun with her words, changing 
tones for the character of Gretchen, first as an observer of 
the student body, then when she undergoes her transformation, 
and finally after she changes back to her old self with 
a newfound perspective on her school. Gretchen can serve as a voice for readers who not just 
go through similar predicaments (except changing into a fly), but also to make sense of themselves 
as individuals when they feel adrift or alone when wanting to be unique and attempting 
to make sense of their fellow students. 

 The tone that "Fly on The Wall" provides here is not judgmental, but to try to keep an open 
mind and when one learns to listen to what is going on around them, may understand better 
the reasons for why and how one perceives the world around them. For Gretchen, it takes 
changing into a fly for her to come to this realization, but this acts as a metaphor for basically 
doing a 180 and to have an entirely new outlook and focus on something you may have previously 
thought different. 

 Copyrighted in 2006, and receiving praise from various critics who praise Lockhart's writing 
style, "Fly on The Wall" is a wonderful pick for younger and teen readers that will give them a 
delightful read, but one that may also teach an excellent lesson in the process.


OUT TO PASTOR 

A Weekly Religion Column by Rev. James Snyder


OF COURSE ITS RAINING, I JUST WASHED MY CAR

 Nobody 
can say I 
did not 
warn the 
Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage, for 
all the good my warning did. I 
am not one to say, “I told you 
so,” but “I told you so.”

 I swear, at times I think my 
wife thinks I do not want to do 
something simply because I am 
too lazy. Nine times out of 10 
it may be true, but what about 
that tenth time?

 What women need to 
understand is when their 
husband does not do something; 
there may be a good, logical 
reason behind it. The problem 
men have is articulating their 
perfectly good and logical 
reason to their better half. Trust 
me on this one, ladies.

 There are excellent reasons 
your husband does not always 
do what you request of him. I 
wish someone would explain 
this to my wife. It is just hard for 
us to explain it in terms women 
can understand.

 Last week, for example, my 
wife made a request of me. She 
said, “Honey ...”

 Whenever my wife begins a 
sentence with “Honey,” I know I 
am in for a sticky situation.

 Honey comes from bees and 
whenever she so addresses me, 
I know I be in trouble, and you 
can be sure there is a stinger in 
it for me - somewhere.

 My wife was looking out the 
window with her arms folded, 
which means she is thinking 
about some job around the 
house for Yours Truly. Then she 
said, “Honey, don’t you think 
you should wash the car?”

 If I live to be a hundred 
that thought never crossed my 
mind. Do you know how much 
trouble it is to wash my car?

 Then, it never fails to rain 
right after I wash the car and 
have to wash it all over again.

 That was on Tuesday and I 
said to my wife, “You know, 
Dear,” whenever a husband so 
addresses his wife, it always 
means he is trying to find some 
way out of doing her request, 
while making it sound like he 
wants to do it.

 I said, “You know, Dear, it’s 
a wonderful idea but it looks 
like it might rain.” The key to 
this point is to put on a grimace 
and look up in the sky, in a 
thoughtful frame of mind. 

 “Yes, I think I saw a raindrop. 
It won’t be long now.”

 Right here is where most men 
fail. Simply because the first 
round is over does not mean, by 
any stretch of the imagination, 
the issue is put to rest. I can sum 
up the next move in one word - 
vamoose.

 In other words, disappear. 
Remember the old saying, “Out 
of sight, out of chores”?

 Find something to get you 
out of the line of fire. There is 
always a chance - slim though it 
is - the Missus will get busy with 
something else and forget.

 By Thursday, I forgot the car 
washing idea and was standing 
around our living room looking 
out the window. It seemed 
harmless enough.

 Have you heard the old 
saying, “An idle husband is a 
wife’s workhorse?”

 I heard those familiar words 
beginning with “Honey ...” 
And a streak of panic flowed 
through my body, freezing up 
every muscle I still had. “Honey, 
our car really needs a good 
washing.”

 Now, that was bad enough 
and I think I could have worked 
out something else except - 
before I could clear my throat, 
she added a phrase no husband 
wants to hear. “Don’t you 
agree?”

 If I say, “No,” I am in trouble.

 If I say, “Yes,” I am in trouble.

 I am duped if I do not and 
doped if I do. How is a husband 
to win with the odds so stacked 
against him?

 With a feigned meekness that 
would make St. Francis of Assisi 
envious, I said what all good 
husbands say under similar 
conditions, “Yes, Dear.”

 The next three hours found 
me outside, vigorously washing 
Old Nelly. As I washed her, 
I could feel someone (I am 
not mentioning any names) 
watching from our living room 
window.

 The smile on my face 
camouflaged the clenched teeth 
behind it.

 Just as I was putting the 
finishing touches on the wax 
job, I felt something cold on the 
back of my neck. At first, being 
engrossed in my chore, I did 
not pay any attention to it.

 Then another - and another 
- and another. Then came the 
rain.

 I glanced at my freshly 
waxed car and saw drops of 
water cheerfully dancing on my 
mirrored hood.

 The thunder sounded like 
a heavenly giggle and before I 
could make it to the door, I was 
completely drenched.

 Ducking inside out of the 
rain, I was greeted by my wife 
who calmly asked, “Oh, my. Is 
it raining?”

 “Of course it’s raining,” I 
shivered, “I’ve just washed my 
car.”

 As I was drying off, I chuckled 
to myself as a favorite Bible 
verse came to mind.

 “And we know that all things 
work together for good to them 
that love God, to them who 
are the called according to his 
purpose.” (Romans 8:28 KJV.)

 Two things in life are for 
certain.

 One: things will always fall 
apart.

 Two: God can always take 
those things that fall apart and 
pull them together for His 
honor and glory - come rain or 
shine.

Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the 
Family of God Fellowship, PO Box 
831313, Ocala, FL 34483. He lives with 
his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. 
E-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. His web 
site is www.jamessnyderministries.com.


Founders, Directors, Cast and Crew participated in the Sierra Madre Playhouse entries in 
the 2013 July 4th Festivities. Zombies advertise early (above) for their one night only performance 
on Halloween. On the left, riding better fits the fancy of Directors and Cast members.

Photos by Dean Lee, MV News