Album review: "Viva", Bananarama

"Got a hand full of dreams." Extraordinary

i tried desperately to make this review shorter than it is, but ultimately i found i could not. something about this record prevents me to love this tenth album from bananarama to the degree it probably deserves. a lot is right, but a plausible effort to keep their sound "current" erases what makes bananarama unique.

because i have been in love with the duo of sara dallin and keren woodward since their early '80s debut with siobhan fahey and i've been infatuated with their 2005 studio album, Drama, i was ecstatic with the news that bananarama was set to release their latest album in 2009, almost three years ago. what's more, the two singles released from the album, love comes and love don't live here are infectious dance pop with catchy hooks that can be played over and over. because i loved the first two songs i was rather surprised how moody the rest of the album came across. Viva is not any less sophisticated or stylistic since dallin and woodward began producing music on their own in '93. rather tracks like seventeen, tell me tomorrow, and extraordinary are especially melancholic with the heavy synth sound in each song. it begins to outweigh the girls' melodies. the synth sound seems to drown out some of the life of bananarama's voices - it's just over used throughout the album. on their own, beautiful songs, but together it becomes too much. this isn't to say that, Viva, is an unenjoyable album. were it to have slightly more variation in sound and possibly a ballad feel or two to match past songs like trick of the night, movin' on, or middle of nowhere -- i would love this album to the extreme i feel for '88's True Confessions, '91's Pop Life, '93's Please Yourself, '95's Ultra Violet, and Drama. this is a good album - very good - and besides the album's singles, tell me tomorrow, the runner, dum dum boy, and we've got the night are fun songs with that special bananarama magic.

2012 marks the 30th anniversary of bananarama and the girls continue to tour across the world. word is bananarama may even come to the states to celebrate with their american fans! if so, i hope they perform past songs from the '80s and '90s, but also from, Viva. i'm also ready for the girls to release an eleventh album and continue to spread their viable and contagious music that's celebrated worldwide by old and new fans.

read my blog about bananarama's 30th anniversary here. 

UPDATE: i discovered swell remixes of the Viva record! i love the tokyo joe BUK my enemy mix!

SWart Studio is on facebook!

i've created a facebook page for my artwork, classes, and lectures - plus announcements and events that relate to my own work and ideas.

 SWart Studio on Facebook

Hilarious

friends & i have been laughing at this viral photo from facebook for days!

Smile

Random comic book panel of the month

The Huntress vs Catwoman, Catwoman #51, Jim Balent

A healthy lifestyle

i'm going on three weeks of recovery after a serious accident and i've finally begun to feel more like myself. i wake up each morning expecting to have bounced back and be my usual bubbling bustling self ready to take the dog for a morning jog, hit the gym for an hour or more, have breakfast at home, and then teach for 6-10 hours 4 days a week. none of that is happening, and i finally concluded it could take weeks still before i get back into fighting form. i was lucky to have survived my ordeal with only a concussion, scrapes, bruises, and internal bleeding. i was lucky to only spend 3 nights in the hospital. and i'm lucky to have such a wonderful support system of family, friends, and coworkers. the headaches are gone, the muscles are finally starting to cooperate, and i'm allowed to start working part-time.

my doctor and i had a long conversation this morning as we formulated a game plan for getting back into the swing of my busy life. she did comment several times on how important my lifestyle before the accident has impacted my speedy recovery. i don't smoke, i drink occasionally (but only on weekends), i eat right, i run 2-4 miles 4-5 days a week, i do a light workout 3-4 days a week, i meditate in a variety of ways regularly, and i surround myself with positive and intelligent people. oh, and i laugh a lot, even if it still hurts doing so! balance is important when it comes to body, mind, and soul.

i urge anyone who isn't in the best of health to start changing bad habits and starting looking for healthy alternatives. believe it or not, i was the fat kid once. i got into sports like soccer, track and field, then eventually my aunt coaxed me into going to the gym and slowly i started seeing results. it takes work to get into shape, even for someone who's always been active like me, but it really does build your confidence and change your perception of life. by the time i reached college i learned to stay away from negativity and people who hold onto their dark cloud. growing up i saw my grandparents (who i adore) drink and smoke at lively parties and how over the years it destroyed them physically. now in their seventies and eighties their attitude has gone sour because age prevents them from coping with illness that hit them too soon due to their eccentric lifestyle. don't let that happen to you! find the motivation within yourself or with support from friends to make the changes you need to be happy. being healthy can save your life - I'm proof of that.

Latest masterpiece in the making

i've begun laying down the groundwork for sky and mountain scape with my latest untitled painting. it's become regular practice for me to use newsprint, newspaper, or even pages of magazines to create a sense of texture and depth. once this dries in a few days i'll begin layering on paint and building up the background. in the middle and foreground will be busts of buddha, the focus of the piece.

oil paint on newspint and canvas, 24"x36"

 UPDATE 4.9.12

 

in the end i opted to take away, rather than build colors and layers of paint. i also decided to do one up close image of buddha.

UPDATE 4.13.12

i can't seem to capture the brightness or detail shapes within the headdress in a photo as the sun continues to hide behind clouds. The lips will are also yellow/gold.

Happy anniversary Ms. Watley!

Jody Watley in a recent CNN interview.

i was reminded of another special anniversary, that of jody watley who struck it out on a successful solo career 25 years ago. i was 7 or 8 when i remember watley's debut self titled album being released. at the time i had no clue that watley was originally part of the hugely popular group, shalamar, who my mother idolized in her youth. the album earned watley a grammy and the artist has continued leaving her unique and positive mark with nine albums to her credit. friends, family, and those who follow me on twitter or this blog know what a die hard jody watley fan i have been for all 25 years. style, wisdom, experience, enlightenment, fun, energy -- i can attribute some of these characteristics to myself because of my personal journey with watley's career.  a few months ago i posted a review of one of my favorite jody watley albums in anticipation for her upcoming tenth record, chameleon. in the meantime this funktress and dance diva is bringing her sound to venues across the US and beyond to whet fans' appetite.

for current news on jody watley, check out her website: http://jodywatley.net/

in celebration of this year long event i've created a playlist of just a few of my favorite jody watley songs.

A few summers ago my aunt surprised me with her original souvenir program from the Jody Watley Larger Than Life Tour.

"Jody Watley", 1987

Celebrating 30 years of Bananarama!

Sara & Keren are Bananarama!

who knew that a duo of childhood friends would become a harmonizing trio and unleash hit after massive hit throughout the '80s and '90s? the lineup has changed over three decades, with only founders, sara dallin and keren woodward remaining, but the hits have continued as the years progress. bananarama released their ninth studio album, drama, in 2005, followed by viva in 2009. bananarama has dabbled in various genres of music, adding it to their infectious version of pop. with their glamour, devil may care attitude, and cheekiness it's no wonder bananarama is celebrated around the world!

check out my playlist of time spanning bananarama hits!

for more info on sara and keren, and current news, check out their website.

Intolerance

weeks ago, neighborhood patrolman, george zimmeran, took the law into his hands and apparently began following a suspected threat. the threat was seventeen year old trayvon martin. the two men became engaged in a scuffle which ended with bruises to zimmerman and a kill shot from his gun to martin. almost immediately the media labeled this as a hate crime because zimmerman is hispanic and martin was african american. slowly but surely news of the characters of both men involved surfaced, neither one could ever be considered a saint. nonetheless, martin did not deserve to die and zimmerman should be expected to face justice. what i find most frustrating about this is the anger that's bubbled to the surface, blinding people of the facts -- many of which have not been made public. i do appreciate those few reporters and celebrities who want to use this unfortunate event to educate the masses, to show that intolerance does exist in the united states and that we need to come together as one to erase it. 

for more information on the story, click on the link below:

CNN: Trayvon Martin Case

for more on the aftermath, the positive aftermath, click on the link below:

Trayvon Martin's Homicide: A National Movement to Stop the Violence?