Every year my sister in Australia sends me a CD or DVD of Australian music. Some of the bands later go on to become well known like John Farnham and Savage Garden but many don't.
This year's offering is a DVD plus bonus CD from a Melbourne band called The Cat Empire which I sat down to watch thinking that it would be as boring as most years offerings but I was really surprised this time.
The first track started off with a bit of gentle Australian rap and as I cannot abide rap I started to reach for the remote to switch it off wondering if my sister had gone quite mad when it changed to funky jazz.
The music is a fusion of hip hop, jazz, swing, reggae with influences from every other style of music imaginable and although fusion is common The Cat Empire change style in the middle of a song.
For anyone with broad tastes in music "On the Attack" is well worth a listen and the DVD is entertaining to watch as well as listen to.
The website at
http://www.thecatempire.com.au/ce_stage_menu.html gives you a very brief flavour.
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