The Cat Empire
The Cat Empire is a six-piece alternative band from Melbourne, Australia. T… Read Full Bio ↴The Cat Empire is a six-piece alternative band from Melbourne, Australia. Their sound has been described as a fusion of jazz, funk, and rock with heavy Latin / Salsa influences (not to mention reggae, ska and dub). Currently, the Cat Empire consists of Ollie McGill (keyboard and backing vocals), Ryan Monro (bass and backing vocals), Felix Riebl (percussion and vocals), Harry James Angus (trumpet and vocals), Will Hull-Brown (drums), and Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala (decks, percussion). A strong, recurrent theme of their music is the rejection of materialism, war, and intolerance and an enthusiastic embrace of cultural diversity and the simple, carefree life.
The Cat Empire began as a trio with McGill, Riebl, and Monro in late 1999, and started playing a wide variety of gigs in Melbourne. The band soon expanded in 2001, adding Angus, Hull-Brown, and Khadiwala.
THE Cat Empire's message, on stage and in the studio, has always been about breaking down borders: musical, geographic, lingual. But they have never done it so powerfully as they do on their new album, Cinema. The album serves up a set which captures the inexorable force - and sheer joy - of their live performances, delivered in a format perfect for lounge-rooms, backyards, BBQ’s, cafes, road trips and parties all over the world.
Cinema, the band's fourth studio album, is a dazzling statement of a band at a peak of its powers, music designed to move the body and the mind. Right from the opening track, Waiting, this is music that leaps from the speakers.
All the elements that people love about The Cat Empire are there but the result is brighter, bolder. And yes, more cinematic. What grabs the ear immediately is that this is not a band playing with genres. In the past, The Cat Empire dived in to any musical style which took their fancy, from reggae to salsa, Latin to hip-hop. Cinema reveals a band that has developed an emphatic voice that is all their own.
``That's a sound that has emerged out of nearly 10 years of playing on stage together,'' says singer and percussionist Felix Riebl. ”The result is an album that's much more integrated than anything we've done before, with a Cat Empire sound that runs consistently through it. The lyrics are perhaps darker, but they are accompanied by music that is uplifting which gives it a strange but powerful feeling.''
Riebl adds: “At times the album is thoughtful, at times it makes you just forget and dance. But it is an album that has more sonic depth than we've ever had before, experimental in parts but with really direct choruses. It's going to be a great album to play live, especially on big stages and at festivals.''
Of course, the stage is never far from the thoughts of this band. In an age when so much of selling music seems to be about celebrity and fashion, The Cat Empire have risen to be one of Australia and indeed the worlds favourite live acts through sheer musicality and the power of their interaction on stage. The band - Riebl, Vocalist and trumpeter Harry Angus, keys player Ollie McGill, bassist Ryan Monro, drummer Will Hull-Brown and Jamshid Khadiwala (aka ‘Jumps’) on decks - played their 700th show in Amsterdam last year, and will hit the 800 mark in 2010. While it is not well known in Australia, The Cat Empire are one of the country's most successful musical exports, doubling their audience numbers at every return stop.
They have headlined some of the world's biggest music festivals, including Summersonic (Japan), Rock am Ring (Germany) and V Fest (UK), playing Bonnaroo (US) as well as to an audience of 300,000 at the Montreal Jazz Festival. They have also played on some of world's highest rating entertainment shows, including Dave Letterman and Jay Leno. This year their worldwide tour in support of the international release of Cinema will see them return to Canada, US, Europe, Japan and the UK, where they will play to a full house at London's Brixton Academy.
The knowledge that they would be playing songs from the new album on so many big stages focused the song writing sessions for Cinema. The album was recorded close to home at Sing Sing studios in Melbourne with producer Steve Schram, and he encouraged them to make an album that was their most collaborative song writing effort yet.
``That was a deliberate decision from all of us,'' says the lion of the live show - Vocalist and Trumpeter Harry Angus. ``With six people in the band sometimes there will be a song on an album that not everyone wants to play live. This album certainly gets around that problem. And I think that after so many years playing together the guys are much more confident about contributing to the writing. Steve encouraged us to do that. That's been great for us.''
Of working with The Cat Empire, Schram says “it was the perfect studio scenario; amazing players open to trying anything and willing to take a back seat when required. Egos were left at the door.” He adds “In terms of musicianship, it's no secret that they don't come much better than The Cat Empire. Yet Cinema shows that simplicity and one well placed note packs more of a punch and serves the song far more than musical chops alone. We set out to explore in depth the mood and character of each song while maintaining a focus on performance rather than studio trickery. “
After taking their longest break from studio recording after the release of 2007's So Many Nights, the band reconvened feeling refreshed. ``In 2008 we took a break from touring for 8 months. Then in 2009 we released our (live album) Live on Earth” Riebl says. ``When we came back to the band, and then into the studio we all rediscovered what we loved about The Cat Empire in the first place; that it is a band that can do the unexpected, that we have great energy and make music that is always a lot of fun to play on stage. The feeling right now is just like when we were starting out. We're all very excited about that.''
Cinema will be released ...
JUNE 25, AUSTRALIA
JUNE 29, CANADA
JULY 6, USA
AUGUST 2010, EUROPE & JAPAN
See www.thecatempire.com for tours and information
The Cat Empire began as a trio with McGill, Riebl, and Monro in late 1999, and started playing a wide variety of gigs in Melbourne. The band soon expanded in 2001, adding Angus, Hull-Brown, and Khadiwala.
THE Cat Empire's message, on stage and in the studio, has always been about breaking down borders: musical, geographic, lingual. But they have never done it so powerfully as they do on their new album, Cinema. The album serves up a set which captures the inexorable force - and sheer joy - of their live performances, delivered in a format perfect for lounge-rooms, backyards, BBQ’s, cafes, road trips and parties all over the world.
Cinema, the band's fourth studio album, is a dazzling statement of a band at a peak of its powers, music designed to move the body and the mind. Right from the opening track, Waiting, this is music that leaps from the speakers.
All the elements that people love about The Cat Empire are there but the result is brighter, bolder. And yes, more cinematic. What grabs the ear immediately is that this is not a band playing with genres. In the past, The Cat Empire dived in to any musical style which took their fancy, from reggae to salsa, Latin to hip-hop. Cinema reveals a band that has developed an emphatic voice that is all their own.
``That's a sound that has emerged out of nearly 10 years of playing on stage together,'' says singer and percussionist Felix Riebl. ”The result is an album that's much more integrated than anything we've done before, with a Cat Empire sound that runs consistently through it. The lyrics are perhaps darker, but they are accompanied by music that is uplifting which gives it a strange but powerful feeling.''
Riebl adds: “At times the album is thoughtful, at times it makes you just forget and dance. But it is an album that has more sonic depth than we've ever had before, experimental in parts but with really direct choruses. It's going to be a great album to play live, especially on big stages and at festivals.''
Of course, the stage is never far from the thoughts of this band. In an age when so much of selling music seems to be about celebrity and fashion, The Cat Empire have risen to be one of Australia and indeed the worlds favourite live acts through sheer musicality and the power of their interaction on stage. The band - Riebl, Vocalist and trumpeter Harry Angus, keys player Ollie McGill, bassist Ryan Monro, drummer Will Hull-Brown and Jamshid Khadiwala (aka ‘Jumps’) on decks - played their 700th show in Amsterdam last year, and will hit the 800 mark in 2010. While it is not well known in Australia, The Cat Empire are one of the country's most successful musical exports, doubling their audience numbers at every return stop.
They have headlined some of the world's biggest music festivals, including Summersonic (Japan), Rock am Ring (Germany) and V Fest (UK), playing Bonnaroo (US) as well as to an audience of 300,000 at the Montreal Jazz Festival. They have also played on some of world's highest rating entertainment shows, including Dave Letterman and Jay Leno. This year their worldwide tour in support of the international release of Cinema will see them return to Canada, US, Europe, Japan and the UK, where they will play to a full house at London's Brixton Academy.
The knowledge that they would be playing songs from the new album on so many big stages focused the song writing sessions for Cinema. The album was recorded close to home at Sing Sing studios in Melbourne with producer Steve Schram, and he encouraged them to make an album that was their most collaborative song writing effort yet.
``That was a deliberate decision from all of us,'' says the lion of the live show - Vocalist and Trumpeter Harry Angus. ``With six people in the band sometimes there will be a song on an album that not everyone wants to play live. This album certainly gets around that problem. And I think that after so many years playing together the guys are much more confident about contributing to the writing. Steve encouraged us to do that. That's been great for us.''
Of working with The Cat Empire, Schram says “it was the perfect studio scenario; amazing players open to trying anything and willing to take a back seat when required. Egos were left at the door.” He adds “In terms of musicianship, it's no secret that they don't come much better than The Cat Empire. Yet Cinema shows that simplicity and one well placed note packs more of a punch and serves the song far more than musical chops alone. We set out to explore in depth the mood and character of each song while maintaining a focus on performance rather than studio trickery. “
After taking their longest break from studio recording after the release of 2007's So Many Nights, the band reconvened feeling refreshed. ``In 2008 we took a break from touring for 8 months. Then in 2009 we released our (live album) Live on Earth” Riebl says. ``When we came back to the band, and then into the studio we all rediscovered what we loved about The Cat Empire in the first place; that it is a band that can do the unexpected, that we have great energy and make music that is always a lot of fun to play on stage. The feeling right now is just like when we were starting out. We're all very excited about that.''
Cinema will be released ...
JUNE 25, AUSTRALIA
JUNE 29, CANADA
JULY 6, USA
AUGUST 2010, EUROPE & JAPAN
See www.thecatempire.com for tours and information
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The Cat Empire Lyrics
1001 Parking Inspector - just made my list of one thousand one …
All Hell All hell's crashing down inside The windows to the other si…
All Night Loud Ever since I was 16 I wished that spring would come…
All That Talking And when it happens it's like Honey and pain Horns in the…
Am I Wrong All they tell me is hope All they tell me is…
Anymore I would not tell you how I feel Anymore because I've…
Bataclan J′avais, j'avais, j′avais toujours De l'amour pour toi, de l…
Beanni His name was Beanni Say where you been Beanni I…
Beyond All Meet me. Underneath the neon light We'll go wandering into …
Boogaloo There's a soul man And he's shuffling in my head He lives…
Brighter Than Gold Four steps in the morning, Two steps in the day,…
Call Me Home Sometimes I feel no armour Sometimes I feel no ground Some…
Cities Oh oh oh... Blurring facing evasive evolving 747 Lands I go…
Days To the gods in the sky There's one thing you can…
Don't Throw Your Hands Up Went to the river but the river was dry Saw a…
Down At The 303 I want some culture Never mind the cheese Just want to hea…
Dumb things Welcome, strangers, to the show I'm the one who should be…
East I see the summer in a little green leaf now One…
Falling From the city to the world below From the strangers…
Feeling's Gone I used to ride up on the hill And look…
Fishies I left the house left the room with the foxy…
Go Now take a look at what you see Do a little…
Going To Live Enough of this world I want to be free I know…
Hello Walking down the street With some evil in my eye…
Hotel California On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair Warm…
How To Explain When a room becomes an altar And what beast that…
In My Pocket I've got a key And a piece of paper in my…
Kila Operator please I Can't get out of my head Tell me where…
Know Your Name Know your name Sing it loud Know your name Go on sayin' this…
La Sirène Why you never let go? Why you never let go? Why you…
Like a Drum I know my way, know my star Marina mas allá No one…
Lonely Moon Girl in the park one day Killing all the bugs on…
Luck Song So by now you have seen me By now I have…
Lullaby I cannot say ‘oh sweetness’ Like he could And I cannot play…
Manifesto WE BELIEVE In the grass in the trees WE SUPPORT…
Midnight Only when the lights are dim will you see me…
Miserere Do you ever look around Turn your ear to the ground Show…
Miss Soul Miss Soul won't you tell me all the pretty things…
Money Coming My Way My Ma said each and every day ' No one but you can make your…
Motion Set in motion my imagination's miles A million lights expos…
No Longer There And though you'd like to hear a song That sings everything's…
No Longer There (Andy Bionic A And though you'd like to hear a song That sings everything'…
No Mountain No mountain can see But sometimes a mountain can sing Or h…
Nothing Yesterday The sky looked sweet When we dropped A big bomb at…
On My Way Multimedia Join Mailing List Music Player Main menu * …
One Four Five Oh, listen doctor I have pain That grows inside myself. Sh…
Only Light All along the street They're holding signs that say That I…
Open Up Your Face While the traffic hums When the madness comes As the wire …
Oscar Wilde I remember a night back home Some distant years ago As my…
Owl The owl of Zaragoza Is sitting by my window Daring me out As…
Panama I was in a plane to Panama And a fly landed…
Party Started Ducking out my window double story from the ground from my…
Prophets in the Sky (Verse) You saw the carnival in Rio, You saw them dancing …
Protons Neutrons Electrons I've done too much of some things And not enough of…
Qué Será Ahora Can I have a piece of your mind? If you do…
Radio Song Don't want to hear you say it's not when something's…
Ready Now When I was six Then you were nine When I was darkness You…
Reasonably Fine I lost my shoes I lost my wife I lost my keys I…
Rhyme & Reason Rhyme and reason Reason and rhyme We asked the old man “What…
Rhyme and Reason Rhyme and reason, reason and rhyme, We ask the old man…
Rock 'n' Roll I guess sometimes I want to follow the air And be nowhere at…
Saltwater I've got the clouds on a string That I pull…
Shoulders I saw you walking up the wall Like the exorcist When you…
Side to Side We got soul Soul soul soul tonight We got soul Shake and we…
Siente Siente L'Amour but that is only half of the score You…
Sleep Won't Sleep Sleep won't sleep, her eyes won't fall Desire's gonna carry…
Sly Are you ready? If frizzy hair was a metaphor for festival…
So Long The bus drives over on a mellow scene We've done this…
So Many Nights It doesn't matter what I say It doesn't matter what…
Sol y Sombra Sol y Sombra aeh Mama Ollie's cha cha Singing eah eah eah S…
Song For Elias Meant to meet you but I couldn't stay Till now never…
Song for the Day These nights awake Can you imagine how much time We've spe…
Steal the Light Sing now muse I won't be scared She's wearing flowers not…
Still Young First I saw you standing there Eyes so wild beneath your…
Strong Coffee It’s like the sound of St Petersburg bells banging in…
Sunny Moon I climb the ladder of those black and white keys They…
The Car Song The weekend is the weekend And it’s sunny in the park I’ll…
The Chariot This is a song that came upon me One night When the…
The Crowd Lord unchain my hands Let me sing inside the crowded trams L…
The Darkness Something Something kissed my lips Something Something br…
The Heart Is A Cannibal She hates you, then she loves you more Underneath the shado…
The Lost Song I had nine lives but I lost all of them And…
The Mother Place Up up and down from the country to the town From…
The Night That Never End One night when I was sleeping a gypsy lady sneak into…
The Rhythm And for all of the sweet loving that I have received In…
The Sun Oh this man he wakes up in the morning Don't know…
The Wine Song Song and melodies change and change And sway But they…
Thunder Rumbles I like the rays that blaze at the break of…
Til the Ocean Takes Us All I love you like oil Coming down hard Need you so fast Nee…
Two Shoes One day one woman asked him "what do you to survive?" he…
Voodoo Cowboy His mother was a snake His father was a scarecrow Born in…
Waiting This is the last time I will follow you This is…
Waltz Was going to write a song at a time When my…
Wanted to Write a Love Song Sun slink down say, Oh such a sexy time of day. For…
Wild Animals If you beat on the rock you can hear the…
Won't Be Afraid Well I've been at the top of a cliff and…