Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 19, 2014

Mountain Views News Saturday, April 19, 2014 
B3THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Mountain Views News Saturday, April 19, 2014 
B3THE ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 
Artist: Pure X 
Album: Angel 
Label: Fat Possum Records 
Release 
Date: April 1st, 2014 
SEAN’S SHAMELESS 
REVIEWS: 


By Sean Kayden 

PURE X 

“Angel” marks the third chapter of a series of albums from the Austin, Texas 
quartet Pure X. With this latest installment, the band’s direction appears 
less aimless and more on target. Pure X specializes in lackadaisical, dreamy, 

ambient, experimental rock. The group consists of guitarist and vocalist Nate Grace, bassist Jesse 
Jenkins, guitarist Matty Tommy Davidson, and 
drummer Austin Youngblood. There is airiness 
to Grace’s vocals. While that doesn’t translate to 
being boring, “Angel” is geared toward the pensive 
listener. The music is sedate and tranquil. 


Generally bands of this nature feature vocals that 
are incomprehensible, but Grace’s voice is clear 
and refined. It might feature a very straightforward 
approach to singing, however, that’s kind of the 
appeal of Pure X. Their sound caters to those longing for the likes of psychedelic and even classic 
rock from a bygone era. Subtle and ethereal vocals, acoustic guitars and a touch of synthesizers create 
a euphoric experience on “Angel.” It might not be the go-to album when you need a little emotional 
boost, but if you dive in, don’t be alarmed by the strong magnetic pull it seems to carry with it. 


The band recorded “Angel” in a 100 year-old dancehall in Texas. While some bands might have been 
inclined to take advantage of such surroundings, Pure X keeps things relatively simple in the spectrum 
of textures and atmospheric arrangements for their third record. The title “Valley of Tears” would have 
one thinking a depressing and solemn affair, but it’s actually one of the more intricately crafted songs 
off the record. It’s true highlight amongst some solid tracks to be found here. Opener, “Starlight” is 
exceedingly laid back and dreamlike as well as being devastatingly romantic. The song “Rain” puts 
heavy emphasis on reverb and reminds me a cross between something Broken Social Scene and Sigur 
Ros have crafted before. Title track, “Angel” encompasses a very wistful feeling. It’s quite beautiful in 
the way it gently moves from start to finish. While it’s very light on vocals, the effortless flow of it will 
carry you away to wherever you find peace. 


“Livin’ The Dream” is the weakest one of the eleven tracks. While it includes a nice transitional shift 
in the last minute and a half, it drags along too often early on. Fortunately, there’s plenty else to lean 
toward. “Every Tomorrow” is utterly stunning in both the lyrics and composition department. Most 
of the record will have one contemplating many different aspects of life. This will probably differ 
for each unique listener. The artwork for “Angel” shows a sunset with dark clouds in the middle 
of a melting heart. Pure X makes music for those who stare into the sky wondering of what all the 
possibilities are in life. In the single, “Heaven,” Grace proclaims, “Don’t matter who you are and 
how you’re living; The kingdom is in your heart, heaven is a feeling.” If this is the sort of optimism 
severely lacking in your own identity, maybe “Angel” can be your guide to whatever you’re going 
through at this very moment. If not, it’s still a solid experience to check out. 


Grade: 7.5 out of 10 
Key Tracks: “Starlight,” “Valley Of Tears,” “Every Tomorrow,” “Fly Away With Me Woman” 



Jeff’s Book Picks By Jeff Brown 


CLOUDS OF GLORY: THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF ROBERT E. LEE 

by Michael Korda 

Bestselling author Michael Korda has written a fresh, contemporary 
biography of General Robert E. Lee, perhaps the most famous and 
least understood legend in American history. Korda paints a vivid and 
admiring portrait of Lee as a brilliant general, a devoted family man, and 
principled gentleman who disliked slavery and disagreed with secession, 
yet who refused command of the Union Army in 1861 because he could 
not "draw his sword" against his beloved Virginia. Well rounded and 
realistic, Clouds of Glory analyzes Lee's command during the Civil 
War and explores his responsibility for the fatal stalemate at Antietam, 
his defeat at Gettysburg (as well the many troubling controversies still 
surrounding it) and ultimately, his failed strategy for winning the war. 
Lee's dignity, courage, leadership, and modesty made him a hero on 
both sides of the Mason-Dixon Line and a revered American icon who is recognized today as one of 
the nation's preeminent military leaders. Clouds of Glory features dozens of stunning illustrations, 
some never before seen, and nearly 50 battle maps. 

SOUS CHEF: 24 HOURS ON THE LINE by Michael Gibney 

Chef Gibney uses 24 hours to animate the intricate camaraderie and culinary choreography in an 
upscale New York restaurant kitchen. Here readers will find all the details of what it takes to deliver an 
exceptional plate of food, the journey to excellence by way of exhaustion. Sous Chef is an immersive, 
adrenaline fueled run that offers a fly on the wall perspective on the food service industry, allowing 
readers to briefly inhabit the hidden world behind the kitchen doors, in real time. This exhilarating 
account provides regular diners and food enthusiasts alike a detailed insider’s perspective, ultimately 
giving voice to the hard work and dedication around which chefs have built their careers. In a kitchen 
where the highest standards are upheld and one misstep can result in disaster. “A terrific nuts-andbolts 
account of the real business of cooking as told from the trenches. No nonsense. This is what it 
takes.”—Anthony Bourdain 

LIVING WITH A WILD GOD: A NONBELIEVER'S SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH 
ABOUT EVERYTHING by Barbara Ehrenreich 

From this bestselling author comes a brave, frank, and exquisitely written memoir that will change 
the way you see the world. Ehrenreich is one of the most important thinkers of our time. Educated 
as a scientist, she is an author, journalist, activist, and advocate for social justice. In this book she 
recounts her quest, beginning in childhood to find "the Truth" about the universe and everything 
else: What's really going on? Why are we here? In middle age, she rediscovered the journal she 
had kept during her tumultuous adolescence, which records an event so cataclysmic, that she had 
never, in all these years, written or spoken about it to anyone. It was the kind of event that people 
call a "mystical experience" and it was shattering. Ehrenreich reconstructs her childhood mission, 
bringing an older woman's wry and erudite perspective to a young girl's impassioned obsession with 
life’s questions. The result is both deeply personal and cosmically sweeping memoir and a profound 
reflection on science, religion, and the human condition. 

We’d like to hear from you! 
What’s on YOUR Mind? 
Contact us at: editor@mtnviewsnews.com or www.facebook.com/ 
mountainviewsnews AND Twitter: #mtnviewsnews 
JUST FOR BEST FRIENDS 
MAN’S BEST FRIEND 


Happy Tails 
human population 
began to grow, 
moving away from an 
extremely primitive 
way of life, to occupy 

by Chris Leclerc 

previously undeveloped 
territories where they 

 As a dog walker in Sierra Madre, 
I spend a lot of my time hiking the 
hills and strolling the sidewalks 
of our small town with my furry 
four-legged friends. During the 
course of any given day, it is not 
unusual for me to see at least a 
dozen or so other dogs walking 
along with their humans. Among 
the many dogs do I come across, it 
is rare that two are alike. The wide 
variety of colors, shapes, sizes and 
behavioral patterns found within 
the numerous canine breeds truly 
amazes me.

 I recently conducted an internet 
search to see how many dog 
breeds are currently in existence; it 
rendered a result of 178 purebreds 
registered with the American 
Kennel Club. If you add the list 
of un-registered breeds that 
have been officially named and 
propagated, the count comes to a 
total of somewhere around 210, 
which blows my mind. Especially 
when you consider the fact that 
the variation of characteristics 
from one breed to another are the 
direct result of nothing more than a 
minute .2% genetic difference.

 For about two centuries, man has 
been asphyxiated with the concept 
of coming up with the “perfect” 
dog, through the applied science of 
eugenics; the intentional practice 
of “improving” or somehow 
altering the genetic composition 
of a given population. In this case 
the population happens to be what 
we dog-loving Americans like to 
call “Man‘s Best Friend“. What led 
to the human’s insatiable desire to 
create the ideal specimen of a dog? 
And, how is it that we have become 
so dependant on their existence?

 Although there are varying 
schools of thought on how it all came 
about, a combination of extensive 
research & scientific studies have 
left little room for argument that 
the domestic dog originated from 
the grey wolf, scientifically known 
as Canis lupus. The mainstream 
theory among most canine history 
research scientists is that man’s first 
one-on-one contact with the grey 
wolf occurred unintentionally, and 
is said to have happened sometime 
around 7000 BC. That’s when the 

built living structures 
and established unprecedented 
property perimeters between 
themselves and the existing 
species. The grey wolf was already 
in residence in the forests and other 
natural pristine spaces where man 
made claim to the land as “home“, 
therefore the interface between the 
two became inevitable.

 Remains of the earliest known 
domesticated dog, scientifically 
known as Canis lupus familiaris, 
were discovered at the Jaihu 
archaeological site in China, dating 
back to the early Neolithic period 
(7000-5800 BC). Needless to say, 
a lot of changes occurred between 
that time and two hundred years 
ago, when intentional breeding 
began, resulting in the wide variety 
of domestic dog breeds that we are 
familiar with today. By the early 
17th century, the dog had become a 
very important part of the human’s 
everyday life. In fact, without the 
assistance of the dog, I can’t help 
wondering where mankind would 
be today, in terms of survival and 
“progress”.

 During the early stages of canine 
breeding, the main focus was to 
develop a dog that would make life 
easier for the human. The hunting 
dog helped by keeping food on the 
table. Herding dogs helped control 
livestock, and the more loyal yet 
somewhat aggressive breeds served 
to protect the home and the family. 
Around the mid-19th century, 
man’s effort to refine the specific 
qualities and characteristics of the 
domestic dog had become far more 
focused on aesthetic values than 
practical needs, and by the turn of 
the twentieth century the dog had 
become well known as a symbol of 
social status; a sort of accessory, if 
you will.

 While the dog has proven itself 
by living up to its expectations as 
man’s best friend over the years, 
ironically enough man has proven 
to be somewhat less of a best 
friend to the dog. Although the 
undesirable side effects of breeding 
that have become so obvious to 
us today were not necessarily 
intentional, they have definitely 
taken their toll on our fine furry 
four-legged “best friends“. 

One obvious example of 
eugenics gone bad is the case of the 
Dalmatian, often referred to as the 
“Firehouse Dog”, which was mainly 
used as a carriage dog in its early 
days. The Dalmatian’s white and 
spotted coat are what set this breed 
apart from the others, however 
it is the white beneath the spots 
that is directly associated with its 
tendency for blindness due to a 
gene that will not allow vitamin A 
to nourish the retina. 

Other examples of experimental 
breeding side effects include 
chronic hip dysplasia in the 
German shepherd and a handful of 
other breeds including the yellow 
lab, as well as obsessive compulsive 
disorder in the bull terrier. Eye & 
ear allergies in the Bloodhound 
is a direct result of intentional inbreeding 
(the use of a single sire 
along with its own familiar offspring 
in an effort to achieve certain 
desirable traits in the next litter). 
Keep in mind, all of the breeding 
efforts were intended for a specific 
purpose to meet the human‘s 
need. Yes, mankind has benefited 
immensely from breeding up the 
perfect pup, but a very high price 
has been paid on the part of the 
dog itself.

 Fortunately, there is a proverbial 
pot of gold at the end of the eugenic 
rainbow. Scientific research on 
how to reduce the side effects of 
breeding have had a double benefit 
to human society. By studying the 
problems that prevail as a result of 
canine eugenics, we are learning 
how to treat some of the diseases 
that we humans fall victim to. 
Just another way that the dog has 
indeed been man’s best friend 
through thick and thin, from the 
beginning to the end! In earlier 
days, the dog helped us move from 
the “cave to the castle”, now it helps 
lend knowledge and understanding 
to the field of science, for our own 
health as human beings.

 Who can argue the fact that the 
dog really is “Man’s Best Friend”? 
My hope is that we humans will 
eventually learn to become a better 
friend to them. It is time to stop 
trying to make dogs be what we 
need them to be. Just being our 
friends without having to provide 
a practical service to us is indeed 
more than enough! As radical as 
it may sound to some, I even think 
it is time to give all dog breeding a 
break until we can catch up with 
giving the living dogs forever 
loving homes. Too many are being 

euthanized every day 

our country, due 

human negligence. 
Please, respect your pets 

love them. They 
depend on us to protect 
and care for them. We 

are supposed 

be the intelligent 
species on earth. If that’s 
true then it is high time 
we start acting like it! 
Stop shopping and start 
adopting! Love and let 

LOOKING FOR A BEST FRIEND? 

So is Peter! 

 In May 2013, Peter was left at the shelter in a crate 
with three other dogs, who all seemed to be related 
to each other, all black and similar in appearance. 
The largest dog was named Spiderman because 
he had very long legs. The other three dogs were 
named Mary Jane, Peter and Parker. All have been 
adopted except Peter. 

Peter was initially very traumatized by shelter 
life, and spent most of his time hiding under the 
cot in his kennel, often with his brother, Parker. 
They were afraid of loud noises and any unfamiliar 
people walking by. 

 As volunteers and staff spent more time with Peter 
and Parker, they gradually got braver and more 
comfortable with a variety of people. They enjoyed 
going on walks with volunteers and meeting 
other dogs. They had a very playful side to their 
personalities, and could be entertained with a stick 
or even a leaf that they’d find while on their walks. 
Peter remained the more timid dog of the two, and 
when Parker was recently adopted, many volunteers were concerned that Peter would withdraw more. 
Happily, it seems the opposite has happened. Peter has become more confident and is eager to see who 
is walking by his kennel, hoping it will be someone who is going to take him out for a walk, or give him 
a treat. He seems very happy with his new kennel mate, Bernie, and we see his personality blossom 
more each time we see him. He enjoys cuddling and receiving attention from people he is familiar 
with, sitting happily in a lap. He has a playful nature and is easily entertained with toys.

 
Peter would probably do best in a home where he has another dog as a companion and playmate. 
He is still a little uncomfortable with a lot of activity and noise, and might do better in a quieter 
environment. But Peter has surprised us before, and he may do well in any situation. Peter deserves a 
nurturing, happy home to call his own. 

 Peter is estimated to be about 2 years old and weighs about 10 pounds. He has a short black coat 
that does not require much grooming. He is a mixed breed, but we are guessing he may have a little 
dachshund in his ancestry. 

He currently resides at the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society located at 851 E. Grand Avenue in San 
Gabriel with his roommate. We are located off San Gabriel Blvd., north of Mission and south of Las 
Tunas. 

 To arrange a ‘Meet and Greet’ with Peter (aka….5110), please stop by any time from 10:00am to 
4:30pm Tuesday thru Sunday. 

 His adoption fee is $120 which includes a microchip, first vaccinations and a free wellness check-up at 
a participating veterinarian. Feel free to call us at (626) 286-1159 for more information on Peter. See 
our website at www.sgvhumane.org for information and photos of all our available pets. 


PET OF THE WEEK 

RUBY: ANIMAL ID #A4695144 

Meet the most loyal friend anyone could ever have, the 
very radiant and ravishing, Ruby! Ruby (A4695144) 
is a congenial three-year-old red and white female 
Chihuahua who was found in Azusa without a collar 
and identification on April 9th and brought to the 
Baldwin Park Shelter. Weighing eight pounds, this affable 
canine walks beautifully on leash, is well socialized and 
undoubtedly housebroken. Fantastic with other dogs,
this social butterfly was definitely made with children 
in mind. Her tail wags constantly to the degree that if 
you don’t have air conditioning, she might be more 
economical than paying for the electricity to run a fan! 
Ruby is a non-stop kissing machine and the ultimate indoor pet for absolutely anyone. To watch a 
video of Ruby please visit this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9A8pIjvmMU 

To meet Ruby in person, please see her at the Baldwin Park Shelter, located at 4275 N. Elton, Baldwin 
Park, CA 91706 (Phone: 626-430-2378 or 626-962-3577). She is currently available now. For any 
inquiries about Ruby, please reference her animal ID number: A4695144. The shelter is open seven 
days a week, 12 pm-7 pm Monday-Thursday and 10am-5pm Friday-Sunday. This is a high-intake 
shelter with a great need for adoptions. For more information about Ruby or the adoption process, 
please contact United Hope for Animals Volunteer Adoption Coordinator Samantha at Samantha@ 
hope4animals.org. To learn more about United Hope for Animals’ partnership with the Baldwin 
Park Shelter through its Shelter Support Program, as well as the many dogs of all breeds, ages, and 
sizes available for adoption in local shelters, visit http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/about-us/ 
shelter-support-program/. 


in 
to 
and 
humans 
to 
live. 
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