Swedish Invasion - a list of 10 most recent Reviews en-us http://swedishinvasion.com Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:44:31 GMT Jamroom 3.2.4 http://swedishinvasion.com/skins/MediaPro/images/rss_feeds_logo.png http://swedishinvasion.com http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=la_fleur_fatalesilent_revolution_review  New Single "Dare To Lick (Hunter's Red Sleeve)" It’s fitting that this review goes up during the big Beatles week with the release of their re-mastered catalog and Beatles Rock Band. Of course, what band hasn’t been influenced by the Fab Four in some way really? Even if they deny it not one of us hasn’t been effected by their sound in some way. But Swedish rockers La Fleur Fatale are not just the Swedish Oasis (though they do sound like the brothers Gallagher at times).On their second release, Silent Revolution, you’ll hear many familiar sounds and styles. Be it the Beatles, the Beach Boys, the Stone Roses, Super Furry Animals, or, fellow countrymen, Soundtrack of Our Lives, just to name a few. Still, you hear influence, and not imitation on this psychedelic, brit-pop album. Its smooth sounding, with a spacey feel, yet is still relatable and well understood. It’s doesn’t go into those weird and confusing areas that often coincide with trippy recordings.All of the songs on Silent Revolution are good, and they vary enough that I find it hard to believe that there isn’t something here for everyone. Be you a Beatles fan or a Stones fan, you’ll still find something to your liking (which has always seemed improbable). Personally my favorites are “Hung Up On a Dream” and “Unreal City”, but it really depends on your mood with each listen. La Fleur Fatale keep the songs fresh with the varied rhythms, production, and instruments from song to song.I had to admit, I am not a fan of the album title though. It seems if I was a band, my revolution would be LOUD, not silent. I can’t help but penalize the review a little for it. I mean if you were making music, the last thing you would want your revolution to be is silent, right. Still, do check out Silent Revolution. It is remarkable how La Fleur Fatale can be rock and mellow, familiar and not, and new and old all at once.**** StarsKevin Kozel-MuzikReviews.com StaffSeptember 9, 2009© MuzikReviews.comFor Questions Or Comments About This Review Send An Email To Kevin koz@muzikreviews.com Tracks:01. Mellow My Mind02. Dare to Lick (Hunter’s Red Sleeve)03. Release the Colors in Me04. The Winding Stairs to Dawn05. Hung Up On a Dream06. Astral Girl07. Hotel of Your Mind08. The Love of Illusion09. Unreal City10. Pretty Vacancy11. Sting Me12. La Fleur Fatale http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=la_fleur_fatalesilent_revolution_review http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=recent_night_generation_review Swedish 4 piece band, La Fleur Fatale released their debut CD entitled Night Generation in late 2007 under Killer Cobra Records. Just in case you’re curious La Fleur Fatale means The Fatal Flower and is a by product of former Swedish punk band Planet Superfly. La Fleur Fatale has a strong internet presence, with a URL that is equally as impressive. The CD itself unfolds in a cross pattern with a different band member on each panel – nice touch. Night Generation is just fun to listen to! It almost has a President of the United States of America musical feel to it. Surprisingly it never once lets it’s guard down. Night Generation presents an amazing psychedelic soundscape reminiscent of a late 60’s psychedelic party groove with a more modern flair.   The CD kicks off with an amazing Sitar intro leading into “Straightway Ride” an amazing intro piece that let’s the La Fleur Fatale signature sound make a strong first impression. This is followed by “Night Generation” – an infectious groove with catchy harmonies, organ hooks and a classic chorus build – no doubt a potential hit for La Fleur Fatale.   Throughout the entire 53 minute experience you may notice music reminiscent of Oasis, Yes, XTC, Kinks, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Beck, Who, and even some Steppenwolf woven within the musical texture. I swear I heard a few Mamas and the Papa harmonies in there, but what makes Night Generation so amazing is I’ve never heard a band sound like so many other bands yet sound so original at the same time.   Track 4: “I Wanna Be Adored” has a driving drum rhythm and a catchy vocal chorus which keeps reminding me of Liam Gallagher (Oasis). Track 5: “Children of Neon Lights” has a real catchy piano, and upbeat Beatles type groove to it. Lead singer, bass player Alexander Calzon provides a warm vocal presence with a reckless swagger reminiscent of young Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones).   You will also notice a wide depth of instrumentation woven everywhere throughout the CD, from flutes, strings, pianos, percussion, guitar, bass, and of course that classic Hammond Organ overtone. But the bread and butter of La Fleur Fatale lies within the diverse guitar and vocal tandems that work so well together. The well crafted harmonies and deep musical textures give Night Generation it’s strong diversity that really mix things up. All of the above deliver a strong signature sound that is 100% La Fleur Fatale. There are some amazing gems on this CD: from fun and upbeat melodies like: “Sunshine Underground”, “Free the View”, and “Gigantic Boredom” to softer ballads like “Golden Hair” and “Swift Flash of Mind”. “Out of our Dream” has an amazing strawberry fields-like flute presence to it, but I have to say my personal favorite is the bluesy “Queen of Tears.” The CD ends with “Seven Years”, an amazing finale, similar to that of “Hey Jude”, and yep there is even a hidden track at the end which I will let remain a mystery. Let’s just say it is the darkest song on the CD.    Night Generation pushes the envelope with adventurous music that is fun and exhilarating to listen to. The music will remind you of a time when music possessed a free spirit and a youthful recklessness. Lead singer Alexander Calzon lets it all hang out with a strong sex appeal and a reckless vocal demeanor. All the songs are strong and well crafted; I would go so far as to say about 50% of this CD has hit potential written all over it. Overall I got to say La Fleur Fatale has all the trademarks of that 4 piece band from Liverpool except with a more modern day bling.    5 / 5 Stars   Cyrus Rhodes – Muzikreviews.com Staff   April 9, 2009    © MuzikReviews.com   For Questions or Comments Regarding This Review Email rhodesm@wavecable.com http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=recent_night_generation_review http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=la_fleur_fatale_reviewed_in_rock_n_reel_magazine http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=la_fleur_fatale_reviewed_in_rock_n_reel_magazine http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=la_fleur_fatale_reviewed_in_classic_rock_magazine http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=la_fleur_fatale_reviewed_in_classic_rock_magazine http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=airplay_feedback__review Graham J BarclaySoundwave FMDate: 2008-06-18 01:24:41Feedback: Hi David Many Sincere Thanks for the CD" Night Generation " that you sent us recently. We have enjoyed it immensly, and have added tracks from it to our playlists. Your presentation of music, inside the style and personality reflected in the tracks is very refreshing. Keep it up. Many thanks again, and please stay in touch. Kind regards Graham J Barclay graham@soundwavefm.co.nz ( Broadcasting Since Oct 3rd 1977 ) P O Box 3103 Onekawa Napier 4142 New Zealand Ph: 0064-6-845-3888 Cell: 027-206-7191 http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=airplay_feedback__review http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=la_fleur_fatale__night_generation_reviews_killer_cobra_2007 MuzikReviews.comIt has been a long time since I heard this sound. LA Fleur Fatale from Sweden has restored my faith in music. This CD contains rock 'n' roll with a sound that is instantly reminiscent of the 60s, yet modern and fresh.Their influences include Timothy Leary, Hunter S Thompson, Kinky Friedman, Papa Bear, Entoxication, Beer, On The Road Madness, The Opposite Sex, Lester Bangs, More Beer, Late Night Sessions & Multicolored Raincoats. Now does that give a clearer picture of where they are coming from? Well, for some folks that may work but all you have to do is close your eyes and listen to Night Generation one time and you will get it, all at once, this crazy verbiage will make sense.Alexander La Fleur (lead vocals, bass), Joakim La Fleur (guitar), David La Fleur (organ etc.), and Kristian La Fleur (drums, backing vocals) are the band. It really is amazing how you can take something old and make it something new, like a recycled fashion, if it was successful once why not one more time? The difference maker here is that many bands have tried to do this unsuccessfully; this band is creating the template for any other upstarts that endeavor to create music and images like this. If you check out their video for the title track "Night Generation," it is like looking into the past but with more colorful clearer images. That puts everything into proper perspective from a musical and artistic standpoint.  Everything is on their Myspace site so make sure you go, look, and listen for yourself.There are 13 tracks permeated with jangling guitars, pumping organs, soaring vocals and harmonies, everything that makes for a great listening experience that never quenches your appetite, it is like ear candy that dangles there waiting for you to pluck it from the tree. I heard a few bands over the last year that have a similar approach to this but nothing this prolific and ear catching. This band will land on its feet and command a huge audience very soon. They are already connected with the progenitors of the genre my beloved Electric Prunes and admired by their leader James Lowe. What a combination, the originators and the new kids on the block, can you imagine these two bands touring together? Stranger things have happened. Think of The Beatles meets Pink Floyd and you have a sound similar to these sensations from Sweden.The album packing is like opening a mini LP. The CD case is quality cardboard and it folds out into four parts with black white headshots of each band member then behind the two middle foldouts, on the back of two pictures, are all the lyrics in a readable white font with subtle blue background. For further emphasis on the past, the CD is a glossy dark black, emulating a vinyl LP. All of it is simple, brilliant, and perfectly balanced to appeal to the true music connoisseur. This is an artwork and packaging concept that is fading fast with the rapid growth of digital delivery. I must admit it was a visual experience embraced by these eyes.To single out any one particular song would almost be unfair for such a strong effort but if push came to shove, the one that gave me the proverbial chill up the spine and the ecstatic feeling of floating on a psychedelic pink cloud it was “Free The View.” The vocals are outstanding and melody and music just pull you away from the real world for a little while. I could have diarrhea of the mouth on this review but I will stop, I think I have said enough and I will let the listeners decide for themselves. I have complete confidence that there will be throngs of music lovers out there that will feel the same way as I do about this band and their music.© MuzikReviews.comKeith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-February 12, 2008 La Fleur Fatale, according to the press info, a band that started again after years of total apathy. The musicians have put all their divergences aside, so they say, and recorded this debut CD. The result? A CD that is impossible to take out of my CD player, a CD that drives me nuts, and a CD in the best psychedelic tradition. The four musicians of la fleur fatale delivered a great debut CD. Pure psychedelic rock with a good touch of the late sixties and early seventies but also surprisingly up to date. Fantastic work on the organ, screaming guitars and folky flutes, mandolin and sitar. The CD kicks off with /Straightway ride/ which starts like a typical hippie psych song including the sitar and this great organ somewhere at the background. A strong start and a good song to get a bit used to the bands sound. The next song /Night generation/ is even better. Energetic music, beating drums and again this lovely organ running through the song. In this song the band shows that they know perfectly how to build up a song by making small changes in rhythms, vocals and arrangements. I know it's hard to believe but the third song /I wanna be adored/ is at least as good, maybe even better than the first two. A bit more sober, vocals and acoustic guitar play a central role, but with again these subtle changes in the arrangements, the way they sing and the mandolin sound (by now I don't even know if it's a mandolin or they let their guitar sound like one) makes it perfect. /Children of neon lights/ check the introduction on flute (or is it the organ?) and drums, another great song. Well, I can continue like this for a long time. Great guitar work at /Sister fatale/, a dark and rough /Sunshine underground/ one of the psychedelic highlights on this CD with again such a great, raw organ totally going it's own way. The almost sweet start of /Out of our dreams/, or the Sitar and piano start of /Golden hair/. It doesn't matter which song I describe, I enjoy every minute of this CD. So, if you are into neo-psychedelic, progressive or what ever you want to call this music. Don't hesitate, buy it!Eelco Schilder VISIONS Magazine (DE) La Fleur Fatale Night GenerationKiller Cobra/Cargo Wer sich bei TSOOL-Konzerten artig auf den Boden setzt, wenn der Sänger dazu auffordert, liegt auch hier genau richtig. Die Herren La Fleur singen in „Sunshine Underground“ von Türen der Wahrnehmung, zählen neben bunten Regenmänteln auch Dr. Tim Leary zu ihren Inspirationen und mussten ihre letzte Band aufgrund von „Opiat-induzierten Konfrontationen“ in die ewigen Jagdgründe schicken. Kein Zweifel, hinter La Fleur Fatale verbergen sich vier passionierte Psychedeliker, die schon seit einigen Jahren in der schwedischen Musikszene Freude und Verwirrung stiften. Auf „Night Generation“ überwiegt die Freude. Bei „Free The View“ oder dem hinreißenden Titeltrack klettern La Fleur Fatale aus dem Velvet Underground auf den Black Mountain und spülen dort ihr Psilocybin mit Absynth herunter. Saiten zirpen, Stimmen streicheln, Rhythmen spazieren lässig umher. „Gigantic Boredom“? Nicht die Spur, der auf diesen Namen hörende Song widerspricht seinem Titel sogar vehement. Hier wird nicht nur gepickt, hier werden feine Riffs ausgebreitet, die sich mit der immergrünen Sixties-Orgel um die Hauptrolle streiten. The Soundtrack Of Our Lives lassen grüßen, und auch die hübsche „Queen Of Tears“ wohnt in der direkten Nachbarschaft von Ebbot Lundberg und seinen Jüngern.  "Golden Hair" wiederum klingt genau so, wie es der Titel verspricht, man sieht förmlich die Hippie-Prinzessin entrückt im Mondschein tanzen. Und wie sich das für Psychedelic-Freaks gehört, findet sich auf diesem wunderbaren Debütalbum auch noch ein kleiner Hidden Track, der den Hörer wie eine Bleiweste runterzieht in düster-depressive Tiefen. Tut ein bisschen weh, tut aber insgesamt sehr gut. Dirk Siepe          9 Forward reverseIts usually a fair reflection that the more a press release promises that a record is 'new', 'fresh' or 'contains hints of the future' the more in thrall it is to the past. To be fair to Fleur Fatale they do make mention of the 1960’s psychedelic pop with which this record is awash and to be fairer still they do make a decent fist of it – harmonising away, mellotron quietly wailing in the back ground, twenty bass notes when three would have done, guitars chugging and occasionally power-chording, song titles such as 'Children of Neon Lights', 'Sunshine Underground' and 'Out of Our Dream' being bandied about like it was forty years ago. All in all a fairly engaging pastiche from the Swedes (a country from whom we have come to expect the very finest in pasticheurs) who in advisedly call them selves, Ramone-like, by the same surname. Two pieces of advice for the band: a) don’t release a summer record in the autumn and b) have a word with the guy who writes the press releases – his unintentionally hilarious' Swenglish' does your cause no favours. And when was the last time anyone, anywhere used the word ‘cats’ to describe people??An upbeat, up tempo record which will find favour with the indie crowd and will probably be at a festival near you in next summer (if there’s any justice). Date review added:  Monday, October 29, 2007Reviewer:  Paul VillersEddie Thomas Simply, a killer indie / psyche-rock albumLa Fleur Fatale hail from Sweden, though you'd never know it from their sound. It’s pitched somewhere in the middle of British '60's psychedelic rock and the ‘90’s pre-Britpop indie bands, particularly those who graced Alan McGhee’s Creation Records at that time. Now personally I have no real love for that music, and am certainly not one to be seduced by a return to those days, yet I quite like "Night Generation". Even though I’m really not sure why; yet somehow it works. The songs are simple, hypnotic and catchy, and you know that if given the chance they’d sound great after nightfall at a festival in the middle of the summer with a few beers and the right drugs inside you. And there’s something else about them – perhaps that, try as you might, you’ll not be able to listen to them without your foot tapping like it has a mind of its own.Yes, even with my own personal prejudices against this kind of thing I do find this a rather splendid album; and I know that my friends whose tastes suit this kind of thing a little better than mine do will go absolutely wild for it. Top stuff; and before I finish the review can I just say that I want to be signed by the company who manages LFF, as I can think of few more entertaining claims to make than that I am represented by Supercock Management… Quotes... "You’ll not be able to listen to them without your foot tapping like it has a mind of its own." /Eddie Thomas - Subba-Cultcha"... coming on to you as if it were a soundtrack, but leading into a song that could bring out the stars in any night sky." /Carly Marcoux - PhillyGirlAboutTown"Marvelous debut album." /Dirk Siepe - VISIONS Magazine"This is really a very nice album!" /Tony - ConcreteWebA CD that is impossible to take out of my CD player." /Eelco Schilder - Folkrock.eu"It will touch souls.” /Westzeit.de"...one of the most beautiful rock-albums of the year...“ /Dorfdisco.de"Hymnic refrains and magnificent vocal harmonies underline the high potential of a band with perspective.“ /Music Guide http://swedishinvasion.com/index.php?c=la_fleur_fatale__night_generation_reviews_killer_cobra_2007