Like erotica for rock geeks, Cathy's official bio name-checks the likes of Guided by Voices, Nick Lowe, Jonathan Richman and the Wipers. Now, when it comes to describing their own music, bands tend to embellish, but this New York City foursome tells it like it is. On 'We Don't Wanna Be,' today's free MP3, classic punk, '90s indie rock and power-pop congeal into 2:25 of choice listening.

Diffuser.fm first learned of Cathy at a Lower East Side cocktail party, where triple-threat singer-guitarist-painter Jeremy Willis chatted us up about everything from mod rock to My Bloody Valentine. Dude's a student of rock 'n' roll, and were you to ask him where he got the idea for the frenzied tambourine shaking heard on the 'We Don't Wanna Be' chorus, you'd probably finish half a beer before getting the whole story.

"This one is about the urge to push past the mundane," Willis says of the tune, which appeared on the band's debut, 'Corner Frenzy.' "As much as we recognize the constraints of our existence, sometimes it's hard not to wish for something more."

Cathy is once again working with studio ace Jim Waters (Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Calexico, Sonic Youth) on their as-yet-untitled sophomore effort, due out later this year, and given that they've shared stages with the likes of Liz Phair, the Figgs and Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio, it seems neither Willis nor his bandmates need to worry. They're in no danger of sinking into normalcy -- at least not anytime soon.

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