Limitless Love

My first time with my new love is not easily forgotten, for I was in fact waiting to see my first love when they revealed themselves to me, and thus was blind to their charms, unaware of all that they had to offer.

I am, of course, talking about my first encounter with Tinpan Orange. They were playing through their set, supporting The Cat Empire. I was too excited at the prospect of seeing the latter, too amazed by the fact that two of the band members were standing right behind me, to notice how pleasant the band performing upon the stage in front of me were.

It actually wasn't until two months later, as I sat bored in my dad's house, that I remembered them and registered the fact that I had enjoyed them somewhat, leading to me looking them up on YouTube. Well, my God, it was like being reunited with a particularly intimate old friend. Everything singer Emily Lubitz spoke of directly mirrored something that I was feeling at that time, but it was formed in a beautifully poetic, melodic way, the likes of which I could never achieve. The music itself felt like a gentle caress, warm and comforting, though at the same time haunting.

To this day, Tinpan Orange still have that same effect on me, warming whilst chilling, curling through my ears and cocooning  my brain with its allure. It is music that is fitting to both sunshine and snow, love and sorrow. This is my soul band, if such a thing can exist, and I definitely recommend if you're a fan of all things pretty (and possibly tea shops, antiques, nude colours and floral prints). It's the kind of music I imagine little fairy people would listen to.

Tinpan Orange - Lovely

I succeeded in embedding, I feel a renewed vigour for life.

The Cat Empire

Hi it's a pleasure to meet ya
Ya look like one incredible creature. ♪ 

I'm going to be referencing this band a lot, so I figured I'd make a little post about who they are and why I love them, just so you know for the future. The first problem I'm going to have to get away from is how not to become that kind of fan, you know, the type that's all "OMG U HAVE 2 LISTEN 2 THESE GUYS THEY'RE SO AWESOME AND SEXY AND OMGOMG" even though that's exactly what I'm thinking.

I'm the type of person who goes through major phases with music. One minute I'm listening to hip hop, then I'm on to punk, next EBM and industrial, then it's silly pop. It all just depends on the mood I'm in. But for the past four years The Cat Empire have stood unwavering at the top spot, unperturbed by any other competition coming their way from the rest of the music on my iPod. The main reason for this is their fluctuations from song to song, adding bits and pieces from a multitude of genres. They really do have a song for every mood, whether you're wanting something upbeat or chilled out, reggae rhythms, these guys will have at least one song you'll like (unless you walk around wearing burberry and listening to Cascada). This information has been verified by my many studies, which basically involve me going "OMG U HAVE 2 LISTEN 2 THESE GUYS THEY'RE SO AWESOME AND SEXY AND OMGOMG" and so far, everybody has liked something they've done. 

MOAR

Wikipedia says "their sound is often described as a fusion of jazz, ska, funk and rock with heavy Latin influences." True, true. But as with many experimental bands, they're incredibly hard to categorise.

They've got two singers with two incredibly distinctive voices, one of whom also does some percussion and the other who plays the trumpet, a guy who plays double bass, a drummer, a keyboardist and a dj. And that's just the full-time mermbers. There is also a small group called Empire Horns who are pretty much permanent fixtures in the band, not to mention the vast amounts of guest musicians, vocalists and dancers they include in their recordings and tours. There's a whole lot to take in.

I mean, come on, look at them, they're so cool! Who wouldn't want to listen to them?

To start you off on your voyage of Cat Empire discovery, I'll point you in the direction of what is commonly thought of as their best-loved song, and probably one that most people warm to when they initially begin listening to them.

The Cat Empire - The Chariot

Yeah, I would have embedded but the internet is hating on me right now.

Basically, what I'm trying to say here is OMG U HAVE 2 LISTEN 2 THESE GUYS THEY'RE SO AWESOME AND SEXY AND OMGOMG. 

Oh, and did I mention that singer Felix Riebl is incredibly sexy? Trufax, just watch the man dance and you'll know what I'm talking about.