With the official release date for the single and the album rapidly approaching, titbits of information are coming out all over the place. Like eagles, riding the thermals (of hot air - ie. the forums) until the mouse of information peeks its head out of its hole, we will regurgitate the best of the hunt here for you, our nest-bound fledglings.
Musichead has the details of the single, including a low-res version of the (very Cuban) cover art. Full details are in the discography entry that just got made.
There's conflicting information about the release date: it could be as early as March 13, or as late as March 27. Either way, you won't have to wait until then: you can listen to it at Musichead, and read along with the lyrics!
In other news, the "parking inspector song" is called 1001, and will be on the single too.
And so, once more upon the wing...
First single from the second album, Two Shoes. Available March 13, 2005.
Lyrics people! lyrics! So you can all sing along tomorrow morning when it hits JJJ and scare a lot of people.
It's a rushed transcription but I'm pretty sure 95% of it is correct. Of course, if you can figure otherwise, please tell us in the forums.
If frizzy hair
Was a metaphor
For festival time
Then this woman
Is a goddess of that festival shrine
Met her at a jam
In a garden of sorts
I must confess – God bless
Some impure thought
SHOW US THE MONEY!
Was the call of the night
But no money could’ve bought
Even a piece of her pride
There might have been a sea of people
I don’t know
Because all I could see
Was that this woman she glowed
So
Why, it’s a pleasure to meet ya
You look like one incredible creature
Wanna treat you fine
Let’s dance and grind
Get so funk inflicted
It’s a crime
You’re devine
You’ve sublime
And well ya blow my mind
You’re so Sly
She caterpillar good
That all the Greeks go ‘Killer!’
Break and enter, take you
like a glass of milk then ‘Spill ya!’
Saw her coming, what a scene
what I mean, she got the sex coffee beam
But she tastes like vanilla
Well her eyes she ignites
When we hit the floor
Like the vrooom on a super commodore
Now if it makes a good story
Well it’s just worthwhile
Reversed like dealing stories in a sprinkler style
It’s So sly
Why, it’s a pleasure to meet ya
You look like one incredible creature
Wanna treat you fine
Let’s dance and grind
Get some funk inflicted
It’s a crime
You’re devine
You’ve sublime
And well ya blow my mind
You’re so Sly
Do the Louiiee
Do the jjjjjinii
Do the boom-shak
Hit the sack
Back seat’s feeling alright
Do the Monkey shuffle
Rocket with a funk stride
Do the late checkout
With a do not disturb sign
Outsi-yi-yi-yi-ide
Now do the sly
Why, it’s a pleasure to meet ya
You look like one incredible creature
Wanna treat you fine
Let’s dance and grind
Get some funk inflicted
It’s a crime
You’re devine
You’ve sublime
And well ya blow my mind
You’re so Sly
His Mother was a snake
His Father was a scarecrow
Born in the desert
With his hat on his head
Never missed a shot
Sharp as an arrow
Together with the sunset
The desert was his bed
Now he could cast a barn dance
Like nobody before him
But no woman would take him
Cause his eyes were rather strange
In them you could see
The emptiness of the desert
Yellow like a scarecrow
Black like a snake
He was a voodoo cowboy
And he had never found
A place to call his own
On and on and on
That lonely cowboy
But a cowboy's never really
A Cowboy's never really alone.
He had a horse
Who's name was plenty
And they saw things
No man or beast
Has ever seen
Out in the redness
Out in the empty
Where ghosts and spirits
Walk around like you and me
He met a girl
Called Annabelle
And she was just
The prettiest thing he'd ever seen
Under a lake
At the edge of the world
He met a girl
Walking through the edges of his dreams
Because ya see
He was a voodoo cowboy
And he was following
A psychedelic stream
On and on and on
That lonely cowboy
But a cowboy's never really
A cowboy's never really to see
So he rode down
Under the water
And the sunset made a fire above his head
In search of warmth
In search of love
In search of heaven above
But all he felt was cold
And all he touched was wet
But he could see her
Down a little bit deeper
And all he wanted
Was to hold her to his chest
So he reached out
And she reached out
But she touched him
And she drew him in
And kissed him
As he breathed his final breath
Yes yes yes yes
He was a voodoo cowboy
And he had finally found
A girl to call his own
On and on and on
Lucky lucky cowboy
Because cowboy's almost always
Cowboy's almost always die alone
Last night's gig at Bennett's Lane sounds like a raging success: reviews and setlists are in the Bennett's Lane gigography entry and the forum thread, check it out.
In attendance were probably the largest contingent of dot-info members ever: to quote Shakalak, there were "The Hornitas, (betheness, moshimoshi & nana Shak) Rosie, Tash, KJ, Flicky, Michael, Thea, Tacey and Flecktone." And all pleased to catch the guys back on the live and local circuit, by the sounds of things.
provided by Michael and others.
For lots of reviews and discussion, see this thread in the forums.
Spotted by Eupho_gal and Andy C in the forums, The Cat Empire will be joining Mel for her Mel in the Morning session this Friday the 25th of February. From the program guide (link will expire):
MEL IN THE MORNING with Mel Bampton
+ Mel Bampton brings you the best music show in the nation.+ This morning, The Cat Empire are coming in to play a few tracks they bought while recording in Cuba. You'll also get a preview of their new single.
It's unclear whether they'll be playing live as well as playing from the album, but either way, it's on this Friday somewhere between 9am and 12noon. As we've reported before, the first single is The Sly, so keep your ears pricked for that one around the airwaves soon.
The Cat Empire gigography has had a bit of an update: all the dates for the upcoming album launch tour are in there, including one that doesn't show up on the official site: TCE are playing in Quad Park, Queensland, as part of a Channel [V] show.
Also updated are a couple of recent reviews, from New Year's at Fed Square and last weekend's St Kilda Festival.
If you're going to one of the upcoming gigs, we'd love to hear your review in the forums, and then they'll become part of the gigography too.
As part of the upcoming tour, there's a gig at Bennett's Lane, one of the band's old haunts. These have sold out fast, since it's a small gig and, frankly, who wouldn't want to go?
A word of warning to anyone considering buying tickets from scalpers or through online auctions (there are some floating around): Bennett's requires ID and the original credit card, so any tickets bought like this will be useless. So watch out, and don't get burnt.
carlo wasn't there for some reason. my money is on that he is pretty sick after the ridiculous melbourne weather of late. they had the dude in the orange shirt fill in.. andrew perhaps? something that could hear his introduction a bit better should fill in the gaps there.
thats all i can really say about it. instead of watching the band, shakas, moshimoshi and i were behind it on the beach. all you could see from where we were, was the back of will's head, and the horns doing their repetative dancing which andrew (?) just couldnt seem to get. poor guy.
it was almost sad that we've seen them enough times to know exactly what was going on up on stage anyway so shakas and moshi turned into felix and jumps respectively last night. dance moves and all. oh yeah, it was funny that no one on the beach was really moving at all in the beginning, except for our smallish posse.. which were being stared at for screaming out SHOW ME THE MONEY!!! in the sly.
however it was awesome, because by the time pocket came on, there were 9825798247 people with room to dance on the st kilda sands, waving their arms around like complete and utter nutcases.
twas fantastic, the end.
Yes, it's official. The second studio album by The Cat Empire will be called Two Shoes. Information first snuck out on a concert ticketing page, and was quickly confirmed by the latest Street Team email.
It's an interesting choice of name: Two Shoes has a "Two" in there for the second album, but it's a song that's been part of their setlists for a long time. It's also a song that has never had an official outing on a studio album, so really is still "unreleased" - we can probably be looking forward to a new version very soon!
In other news, the first single will be the dance-friendly The Sly, and will be popping up on the radio soon.
Things are really hotting up for the album and the tour! If you find out anything new, come and share in the forums.
Information is starting to come out about the second album, and what the boys have been up to over the summer. First of all, it's now common knowledge that the album was recorded in cuba. On the band news, Ryan says:
Our new album, which we recorded in Cuba last December, is edging closer and closer to completion, and will be out in April. That's right. Cuba. You heard it here first. You should hear a new track on radio very soon.
so watch out for that. There's some more info at musichead in this album teaser:
The Cat Empire were heading for the inspirational surrounds of Egrem Studios to work in the hallowed rooms where the Buena Vista Social Club, Ruben Gonzalez, Cubanismo, Chucho Valdes and many other legends have recorded some of their finest work.
Now, some people might be surprised about the whole Cuba thing, but not us! The earliest reference I can find to recording in Cuba was on November 20th, by catboy:
i heard on the radio that they are going to cuba to record, and the new
cd will be out in april.
On the official TCE site, there's some news about their album naming competition. The six shortlisted album titles are:
The competition is over now and the winner will be announced soon - which one do you think will win?
With the second album from the cats due in March, the boys are headed back around the country for a big fat tour.
As yet, the album hasn't been named, but dot info are pushing for The Shakedown Philosophy in the forums
Get to one gig, two gigs, or maybe, like dot info's own nutbag Flecktone, get to them all!
ST KILDA FESTIVAL 2005
• Sunday 13th February
Main Stage
• 7.45-8.45PM
• All ages, free admission
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WEEK 1
• Thurs 17 March - Kalgoorlie Hotel - Tickets from venue only
Fri 18 March - Freemantle Arts Centre
Tickets from Mills, 78's, Planet, Beat
Margaret River Masters - With Gomez & The Living End -
tickets www.heatseeker.com
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WEEK 2
• Easter Weekend - Byron Bay - Blues & Roots Festival
(Dates to be announced)
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WEEK 3
• Fri April 1 - Alice Springs - Memorial Bar
Darwin & Katherine shows to be announced
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WEEK 4
• Wed April 6 - Port Douglas - Fluid Night Club
Thurs April 7 - Cairns - Brothers Leagues Club
Fri April 8 - Mission Beach Resort - Rainforest Room
Sat April 9 - Townsville - JCU UNI Bar
Sun April 10 - Mackay - Main St Night Clu
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WEEK 5
• 14, 15 & 16 April - Brisbane - Tivoli
Sun 17 April - Tweed Heads - Twin Towns Services Club
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WEEK 6
• Fri 22 & Sat 23 April - Sydney - The Enmore
Sun 24 April - Canberra - ANU Uni Bar
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WEEK 7
• Fri 29 & Sat 30 April - Melbourne - Forum
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WEEK 8
• Fri 6 May - Adelaide - Thebarton Theatre
Sat 7 May - Hobart - City Hall
Sun 8 May - Launceston - The Saloon