Search - Cat Empire :: Two Shoes

Cat Empire
Two Shoes
Genres: Alternative Rock, International Music, Pop, Rock

Track Listings (11) - Disc #1
1. Sly - The Cat Empire, Felix
2. In My Pocket - The Cat Empire, Angus, H.
3. Lullaby - The Cat Empire, Felix
4. The Car Song - The Cat Empire, Angus, H.
5. Two Shoes - The Cat Empire, Felix
6. The Chariot - The Cat Empire, Felix
7. Sol y Sombra - The Cat Empire, Angus, H.
8. Party Started - The Cat Empire, Angus, H.
9. Protons, Neutrons, Electrons - The Cat Empire, Angus, H.
10. Saltwater - The Cat Empire, Angus, H.
11. The Night That Never End - The Cat Empire, Felix

CD Details

All Artists: Cat Empire
Title: Two Shoes
Members Wishing: 0
Total Copies: 0
Label: Velour Recordings
Original Release Date: 1/1/2007
Re-Release Date: 2/6/2007
Genres: Alternative Rock, International Music, Pop, Rock
Styles: Hardcore & Punk, Indie & Lo-Fi, Ska, Reggae, Adult Alternative
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 687480070121, 0094631122125, 0602517390416, 094631122125, 094634061827, 060251739041, 0724359574028

Synopsis

Album Description

The Cat Empire's Two Shoes -- their second consecutive double platinum LP in their native Australia -- brings Australia's most dynamic musical export to the the US. Live music fans (and anyone at Bonnaroo this year) may already have had the opportunity to catch one of the band's legendary shows -- but until now recorded material was as hard to find as Vegemite. Looking for inspiration beyond the beaches of Melbourne, TCE journeyed to Havana, Cuba to record Two Shoes with producer/engineer Jerry Boys (R.E.M., Rolling Stones) in the studio where the Ry Cooder's Buena Vista Social Club LP was recorded. The result was a record that captures all the energy of a live band at its peak, but also sacrifices nothing in the way of songcraft. Compared to everything from Cake to Madness to Sublime, The Cat Empire's genre-bending is a trademark of the music scene in Melbourne. The band was founded in 1999 by vocalist/percussionist Felix Riebl and bassist Ryan Monro and quickly built up a massive following down under with its incendiary live shows, leading within two years to two double platinum releases on Virgin/EMI. Fueled by the internet word-of-mouth, the band has already sold out venues from Irving Plaza to the Troubadour. The band will headline an 11 date US tour in support of this LP at 500 -1000 cap venues.

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CD Reviews

Romans, Ottomans, Cats

B. Hunt | LA | 06/22/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My experience with the Cat Empire is mostly taken up with their magnificent live shows. When these guys throw down it's magnetic; they're one of those bands who, as much as you may like their recorded stuff, are a totally different proposition onstage. There are a lot of bands like that; many of them never equal their live greatness on record.

"Two Shoes" ensures that The Cat Empire can be exlcuded from the latter group. It is funky, it is sweet, it is top-to-bottom great and it is flat-out them, just the cats bein' the Cats.

It's tempting to write 10,000 words of ponderouos, strangling praise, but why be pretentious when the album ain't? Let me just hip you to some key facts. Of particular note is that this album was recorded in the same studio as the Buena Vista Social Club album. You can hear it in the brass and the general sense of festivity. It was a great choice.

Of further interest is that these songs are fanf***ingtastic. The title track in particular is a great example of what they do so well in their live shows; they groove you, then they rock you, then let you go, then you're napping, then they wake you up, then they bring you back, now you're rocking harder than you were in the first place. All in one song.

Every once in a while you have to take The Risk On The Band Of Whom You've Never Heard. Might as well be them."

Their David Letterman appearance

Steven Pugliese | 02/16/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Try try try to find their appearance on David Letterman in mid Feb doing "Sly." What a performance. Irresistible. Better than the CD version."

Original is the word

R. Duqum | Amman, Jordan | 11/26/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"An Australian friend of mine told me about this band, she said they're interesting .. recently a friend of mine flew to australia and I asked him to get me the CD, not sure of what it is or what it sounds like. As soon as I played the first track I was like "thank God I asked him to get me this". I was blown away by the originality and the feel-great vibe, and the amazing talent of the band in terms of creativity and playing all through-out the CD. I got an edition with a DVD .... all the better their videos are great, they're loads of fun and like their music witty, smart, and original. Do yourself a favor and get this album .. it's time for something new"

Wowie wow WOW!!!

David Coyne | 12/11/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I LOVE THIS BAND! Like nearly all the other reviewers, I first heard TCE when "Sly" hit the US rotation (2 years after actually being released! Can you believe it took that long?) The tune absolutely floored me. Talk about making the dead dance! What a blast of refreshment in the somewhat stagnant world of US commercial radio! Even the 19 year old aggro-rock-loving kid who works for me couldn't resist it. I bought the album and was thrilled to discover the depth and diversity of this band. So rarely do you hear a great single, get the album and find that the gem you first heard was only tip of the pile. There are so many terrific songs and moments here. One of the bands (many) strengths is having two principal songwriters and vocalists, like Lennon and McCartney were for the Beatles. They alternate between tracks and even within tracks to keep things lively. This band cut its teeth as a live act and didn't even begin to record until they'd been out there quite a while. It shows. Their joy for the live jam permeates the recording.

While they profess full worship of Bob Marley, reggae is one of a number of different musical influences here. You'll find ska, rock, soul, jazz scat, blues, and those excellent "Buena Vista Social Club" Cuban rhythms on this disk. One of my favorite bits is where they shift from a kind of blended ska to a complete Blood, Sweat and Tears organ jam to close one of the songs. Perhaps the most striking thing about the album is that the electric guitar is relegated to a tiny supporting role. I swear it's absent from most of the songs entirely, yet they still rock.

The stereotype of the fun-loving Aussie shines through here. Lots of humor in the lyrics. Almost all of the songs are danceable and even my 2 small kids beg to here the album over and over.

IF YOU LIKE THIS, do yourself a favor and go to the band's website and order a copy of their "Cities" album. More of the same, but even better. They say it represents a further exploration of styles and sounds. I don't think they strayed too far from the path at all, frankly, but it expands on all that which makes "Two Shoes" so dang good."