A few weeks back, I was talking with a promoter friend about how I had recently received a handful of press kits from bands that I wasn't familiar with that had absolutely no "hooks". Unfortunately, I don't think a 'selling point' for a band is moving to Brooklyn with the goal of sounding like Tom Petty, Vampire Weekend or [fill in the blank].

Kudos to Brooklyn band Cesspool as a press quote comparing the band to "the Violent Femmes with learning difficulties" was intriguing enough to make me want to give their six-song EP a listen and it was definitely worth the time. I'm not sure I hear the Violent Femmes in the band's EP but I do hear elements of John Cale (check out Cale's deconstruction of "Heartbreak Hotel" on the album June 1, 1974 as a point of comparison), Brian Eno, early Devo, Captain Beefheart and Frank Zappa. Based on the 'The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo' style theatrical photos on the band's Facebook page (link below), this looks like a band that should be a lot of fun to see live.

Cesspool has upcoming shows at Bruar Falls on Jan. 11th and Goodbye Blue Monday on Jan. 20th.

Links:
Cesspool