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 Rhythm
The Cat Empire Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And for all of the sweet loving that
I have received
In the sun in the rain
By the moon by the sea
There is one time that I'm thinking of
One time where one woman
Did knock me off my feet
And my knees were shaking

And my jaw was dropping
And my eyes were squinting
And my smile was growing
And my pants were bulging
And my hands were sweating
And my chest was beating
So I cry 'excuse me,
What is the secret to your song?'

Cause when you're walking along
When you're walking along:

Your legs are a melody my hands
Would like to play
And your hips are a note
That does take me away
And your face and your eyes and your hair
And your waist and your smile
Drive me to distraction
She turned and she gave the evil eye
'why thankyou' she said
Then she sigh 'ah there's one thing
I think you failed to mention:'
'What?' I said then she said
'It's the rhythm you forgot'
And right then I knew what was what
And she snuck to my lips
And she kissed them
Said 'young man
I'll show you some rhythm'

And she'll show you some rhythm

And since then ha
The rhythm's been running through my veins
In my thoughts in my eyes
In my head it's insane
It's the thing that does drive me
To scream
On the street when I think of some
Places it's taken me
I feel horny when I thinking of some of that rhythm in my mind
What she gave what she gives to me
All of the time
Say a little bit of sweet loving in your day
All my friends know it keeps the
Bad thoughts away
So sing with your hips my baby
When you're dancing to this tune
And when this tune is through
We'll sneak to some place
And continue to:
Say sing with your hips my baby
When you're dancing to this tune
And when this tune is through
We'll sneak to some place and
Continue to -
She said I'll show you some rhythm

And she'll show you some rhythm

Overall Meaning

The Cat Empire's song The Rhythm captures the emotions and physical sensations of falling head over heels in love. The lyrics outline the singer's experience of feeling his knees shaking, jaw dropping, and chest pounding as he encounters a woman who knocks him off his feet. The singer tries to uncover the secret of the woman's allure: 'excuse me, what is the secret to your song?' he asks. This evocative phrase suggests that being with this woman is like being immersed in a song. The woman's response that 'it's the rhythm you forgot' seems to confirm this idea. The song then transitions to a discussion of how the woman's body moves with a rhythm that is infectious and irresistible - 'your legs are a melody my hands would like to play / and your hips are a note that does take me away'.

The song reaches its climax with the woman promising to 'show you some rhythm' and the singer feeling like the rhythm is running through his veins. The idea that rhythm can be thrilling and joyful is a powerful one that taps into the deep emotional resonance of music. The song is upbeat throughout and features a driving percussion beat that underscores the importance of rhythm. The lyrics are playful and sensual, combining an infectious beat with a sense of joyous discovery. Overall, the song manages to capture the feeling of being madly in love and the intoxicating power of rhythm in a way that is both catchy and profound.

Line by Line Meaning

And for all of the sweet loving that I have received In the sun in the rain By the moon by the sea
Despite all the love and affection that I received in different conditions like sunny or rainy, by the sea or under the moon.

There is one time that I'm thinking of One time where one woman Did knock me off my feet And my knees were shaking And my jaw was dropping And my eyes were squinting And my smile was growing And my pants were bulging And my hands were sweating And my chest was beating So I cry 'excuse me, What is the secret to your song?'
I am thinking about that one moment when a woman completely struck me with her charm and beauty. I was nervous, amazed, and happy at the same time, and I could not resist asking her the secret behind her irresistible charm.

Cause when you're walking along When you're walking along:
I am referring to when the same woman walks by, and my eyes can't help but follow her.

Your legs are a melody my hands Would like to play And your hips are a note That does take me away And your face and your eyes and your hair And your waist and your smile Drive me to distraction
I am talking about how the woman's legs and hips fascinate me, and I can't stop thinking about her looks, which distract me from everything else.

She turned and she gave the evil eye 'why thankyou' she said Then she sigh 'ah there's one thing I think you failed to mention:' 'What?' I said then she said 'It's the rhythm you forgot' And right then I knew what was what And she snuck to my lips And she kissed them Said 'young man I'll show you some rhythm'
The woman, upon hearing my compliments, gave me some advice that I was missing something. She was talking about the rhythm of life or love and how it is crucial to the whole experience. She then showed me some rhythm through a kiss.

And since then ha The rhythm's been running through my veins In my thoughts in my eyes In my head it's insane It's the thing that does drive me To scream On the street when I think of some Places it's taken me I feel horny when I thinking of some of that rhythm in my mind What she gave what she gives to me All of the time
After that moment, the rhythm has become a part of me, always present in my thoughts, eyes, and head. It excites me, and I can't help but feel it running through my veins. It takes me to places and makes me feel lustful just thinking about it.

Say a little bit of sweet loving in your day All my friends know it keeps the Bad thoughts away
I am promoting the idea that a little bit of love and affection every day can keep negativity and bad thoughts at bay, and my friends can attest to this fact.

So sing with your hips my baby When you're dancing to this tune And when this tune is through We'll sneak to some place And continue to: Say sing with your hips my baby When you're dancing to this tune And when this tune is through We'll sneak to some place and Continue to -
I am inviting the woman to dance and move with the rhythm, and we can continue this experiment away from the public eye.

She said I'll show you some rhythm And she'll show you some rhythm
The woman promises to teach me the rhythm, both literally and figuratively.

Contributed by Grace I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS