One of the best surprises to hit the record shelves this year is the multi-talented and versatile band from Melbourne, Australia, The Cat Empire, and their brilliant debut album Two Shoes. What started as a trio with Ollie McGill (keyboards), Ryan Monro (double bass & guitar) and Felix Riebl (percussion & vocals), has radically blossomed with its newest members, Will Hull-Brown (drums), Jamshid Khadiwala (DJ,percussion) and Harry Angus (trumpet & vocals). Cat Empire has a prolific sense of all funky music, playing bona fide rock, ska, reggae, jazz, soul, hip hop and salsa, with fantastic vocal poetry and rhythm. What’s key to point out and what is so reflected in the performance of Two Shoes is that the album was produced in Havana, Cuba with Jerry Boys of Buena Vista Social Club, Wilco and Ruben Gonzalez fame. This one’s a blast and should not be missed out on. –TC