You Say France and I Whistle – “Angry Men” (2012)

Label : SPV

Review by Tony Cannella

The Swedish band You Say France and I Whistle are as unique as their name. To call them metal definitely a stretch – I really don’t see it at all. You Say France… are an eclectic band that is for sure. Their songs have a quirky sense of humor and musically they are a mix of alternative, ska and get this… Polka (they have an accordion player for heaven’s sake).

You Say France’s… debut is called “Angry Men” and from the opener of the first track you realize that there is something unusual about this band. The band utilizes both male and female vocals and it is easy to see that they don’t take themselves too seriously, obviously they take their music seriously but some of their lyrics have an eccentric sense of humor. Continue reading »

Ida Hedene – You Say France and I Whistle

Interview by Roberta Ilaria Rossi

Indie pop music always has been a bit undervalued but it hides lots of great new acts most of the time. This is the case of the Swedish band You Say France and I Whistle, that already got the chance to perform at the Fashion Week in Milan and that got a bunch of surprises. Here you can find what the lead singer Ida Hedene said to us!

Thanks, nice to be here.

The band was born out of the frustration to be cool. All the bands around us were really cool. We more wanted to release joy. So all become to be spreading joy. Continue reading »

Kim Seviour – Touchstone

Interview by Si Smith

After releasing two album, Touchstone is back with their third multifaceted progressive-rock album called “The City Sleeps”. Femme Metal got the chance to interview Kim, the singer of the band, and it turned out to be extremely interesting as she guides us through secrets and intricacies of the band’s brand-new album.

I am very well, thank you!

“The City Sleeps” felt like a good sequel title to “Wintercoast”, especially as the last words on the “Wintercoast” album were “The City Sleeps – I am Awake!” It was a good way of carrying across the stories and themes from previous albums and songs.

There isn’t a concept behind the album as a whole but some stories have been continued from different albums and we wanted to carry those on. When “Shadows Fall” carries on from “Shadow” from our first full-length album “Discordant Dreams” and “The City Sleeps” follows on from “Wintercoast”. Otherwise, we just wanted to use more of our individual influences and see what came out of it. Continue reading »

Touchstone – “Discordant Dreams” RE-ISSUE (2012)

Label: SPV/Steamhammer

Review by Tony Cannella

The U.K. based band Touchstone does a wonderful job in walking the fine line between over-the-top progressive rock and more mainstream rock music. Some of their songs have a flair for the intricate and grandiose, whilst others fall in the category of more accessible rock. The band formed in 2003 and in 2007 released their debut EP “Mad Hatters” and followed that in the same year with their full-length debut “Discordant Dreams”. After inking a deal with SPV/Steamhammer records, Touchstone released “The City Sleeps” last year, which proved to be a favorite amongst prog rock fans worldwide. Now, thanks to the good people at SPV, their back catalog is getting the re-issue treatment with bonus material. Not a bad deal at all. There is not much – if anything – to dislike about Touchstone (for me anyway), their songs are well thought out, meticulously crafted and grandiose melodic prog rock music with sweeping arrangements at its best. In a way, their music is a throwback to some of the great prog rock bands of the 70s, but with a modern edge. “Discordant Dreams” also features the debut appearance of female vocalist Kim Seviour – who continues to sing for the band to this day. The opening “Intro” leads us right into classic melodic rock style of “Discordant Dreams”.

The two vocalists pretty much sings the lyrics in unison throughout most of the song, which makes it kind of unique. The two vocalists Kim and Rob work well together, many times one will sing the lead part, while the other adds harmony and backing vocals like on the song “Curious Angel”. The 7-minute song “See the Light” is next and is just an excellent song. The track is mostly up-tempo, and a melodic prog feast, but the slower more moody parts had sort of a Pink Floyd-ish vibe to it. The band does a good job in mixing shorter songs “Being Hannah”, “Black Tide” and “Dignity” with longer more epic songs like the wonderfully grandiose 11-minute epic “The Beggars Song – Part I”. In addition to the regular album, this version “Discordant Dreams” also includes two live songs (“Winter Coast” and “Strange Days”). The total duration for the CD is over 70-minutes. Continue reading »

Touchstone – “Wintercoast” REISSUE (2012)

Label : SPV/Steamhammer

Review by Tony Cannella

The U.K. progressive rock outfit Touchstone’s second full-length album “Wintercoast” was originally released in 2009. Now, thanks to SPV it has received the re-issue treatment. Two live bonus tracks complete this 80-minute journey of classy, melodic, progressive rock. This was the second album to feature Kim Seviour and she is fitting in quite nicely at this point and has become firmly entrenched as the female voice of Touchstone. Her style meshes nicely with the David Gilmour/Roger Waters-esque vocals of keyboardist Rob Cottingham.

“Wintercoast” starts with a “Prelude” featuring narration from world renowned actor Jeremy Irons. This is a great starting point and segues into the epic “Wintercoast”. It’s somewhat of a rarity when the longest song opens an album but this 11-minute track is a great choice. Throughout the album there are plenty of shifts in tempos and atmosphere. From the Van Halen-ish opening guitar riff of “Strange Days” to the moody “Original Sin”, there is a little bit of everything. Other highlights include: “Voices”, “Solace” (a great, haunting ballad), the symphonic prog of “Line in the Sand” and the two part opus “The Witness Part I and II”. “Wintercoast” is concluded with two live songs “Shadow” and “Joker in the Pack” raps things up nicely. Out of all of their albums, I think “Wintercoast” may be their most ambitious and therefore challenging albums to listen to, but once it is allowed to grow, “Wintercoast” fits right in there with the rest of the Touchstone catalog. Continue reading »