The Sifting Pan

Helping you find those Indie Gems!

Category Archives: Song of the Day!


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Song of the Day! Passion Pit – Cuddle Fuddle

Who ever said indie gems had to be new? This is a little treat from the now immensely popular Massachusetts band Passion Pit and it glistens out from the band’s early and unknown days. Cuddle Fuddle is a whimsical fairy tale-esque song with a beat that never ceases from their 2008 EP Chunk of Change, which if you didn’t already know started out as a simple Valentines Day gift for lead singer Michael Angelakos’s love interest at the time. Well what started out as a gift found its way to the internet where the EP circulated and blew up big time, primarily due to the band’s song Sleepyhead. Since that point Passion Pit decided to get serious and got to writing and recording their spectacular debut album Manners, which in my opinion became one of the best albums of 2009. If you had asked me who my favorite band was at anytime between 2008 into early 2010 I would of most likely said Passion Pit, but sadly I’ve been exposed to bigger and better things and they have failed in keeping me interested with their lack of new material. I eagerly await news of the bands follow up album, which was slated for a spring 2011 release, but nothing of the sort exist at this time. It seems with all the hype and popularity the band garnished they have found no need to make new music and instead choose to re-issue Manners as a deluxe edition in 2010 and now sit on a gold mine in record sales. I really hoped early on the band would take the path of music, not profit, but what’s a band supposed to do when everything they’ve made is amazing electropop music that everyone can love and bang it out to. I guess for now I can just listen back to the good old days with some Chunk of Change as I patiently wait for a sophomore album from what used to be my favorite band.


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Song of the Day! Satellite Stories – Helsinki Art Scene

Satellite Stories are not apart of the Helsinki Art Scene in Oulu, Finiland

Jump on in! The water feels just fine with these Finnish indie party rockers. That nice familiar feeling that you are getting from Helsinki Art Scene is mostly likely coming from the heavy influence Two Door Cinema Club has on the band. (And if you’re unfamiliar with the fast paced indie dance jams of Two Door Cinema Club you need to go educate yourself now.) Satellite Stories are a four-piece that make songs for your enjoyment and partying, not hidden metaphors and emotional stories for you to waste your time delving into. It is all about getting the most out life with a smile whilst you dance to their upbeat indie rockery. The band released Satellite Stories – Promo EP last november which includes Helsinki Art Scene and two other fun filled tracks, but no word on a full album release yet. However, the band is set to digitally release a new single June 14th so I might just have to come back and vist these guys again then.


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Song of the Day! Tim & Jean – Like What

Tim & Jean keep up their synth appeal from Mandurah, Australia

Within seconds Like What comes alive with an immediate synth hook that just holds your attention. I rather enjoy the pleasant feeling evoked by this Australian electro-pop and It just reminds me so much of the synth infused pop style that has swept Australia’s indie music scene. It’s hard to forget that Empire of the Sun paved this movement in Australian electronic music and Tim & Jean have that immediate simliar sound. The reality of it is that Tim & Jean are more alike the American electro-pop band Passion Pit then anything else. The song I Can Show You would immediately start to remind you of PP and that seems to be the trend as well with their other single Come Around. So what? I’m perfectly fine with a PP sound alike since they are pretty high up on my list of favorite bands. I need to get my hands on their debut album that also goes by Like What, which saw a release early last month, so I can throughly enjoy Tim & Jean.


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Song of the Day! Balthazar – Fifteen Floors & Throwing A Ball

Balthazar are throwing a ball from the Kortrijk area of Belgium

Balthazar – Fifteen Floors

Balthazar – Throwing A Ball

Kind of a busy weekend for me so I don’t have much time to keep up with my Song of the Day. I’m so sorry to disappoint my immense amount devoted viewers (Could you pick up the sarcasm?) so to make up for missing yesterday, and possibly tomorrow, I’m throwing two amazing indie gems at you today.

For most people I feel the name Balthazar gives the wrong impression as to what this Belgian Rock/Pop outfit is all about. Try to wipe clean your demonic pre-misconceptions and understand that Balthazar make music that is more on the heavenly end of the spectrum. Their 2010 debut album Applause was like a gift from the Gods themselves and never ceases to sweep me off my feet with each listen, and is undoubtedly the best album of 2010 that you have never heard. So what makes this album so special? Just listen to Fifteen Floors and tell me with a straight face it is not in fact something special. (And if you did I’d simply call you a liar) The trumpet, the bass, the mother-fucking Disney endings… it’s all there! And that’s only track numero uno out of a wonderfully crafted set of eleven songs. Now I could’ve added any other track from the album to this post but I had to choose my personal favorite from Applause, Throwing A Ball. It’s like a fairy tale dance hall hit minus the glamour and princess bull sh*t. The bass guitar in the song just takes over and the gritty viloin accompaniment just drives it all the way home. Throw in the catchy lyrics and it’s very hard for me to find reasons not to love this song. If Fifteen Floors or Throwing A Ball even remotely sparked your intrest I highly recommend sending a few euros Balthazar’s way and pick up a copy of Applause. 


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Song of the Day! Mister Heavenly – Mister Heavenly

Mister Heavenly are self titled doom-woopers

That’s no typo, Mister Heavenly is both the name of the band and their first single. It’s safe to say that Mister Heavenly qualifies for indie super-group status when you look at the members- Honus Honus of Man Man, Nicholas Thorburn of Islands and The Unicorns, and Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse and The Shins. To top off that delicious indie pie the band is joined by indie movie darling Michael Cera as their touring bassist. The song Mister Heavenly is a great example of the unquie genre the band classifies themselves under, Doom-wop. Apparently it’s a combination of doo-wop and doomed loved songs, and golly-gee sarah-lee I am hop-diggity digging it! (Too much perhaps?) The band has only released two songs so far but are already putting the finishing touches on their first album, which is not set to be released until “maybe august” so we’ll just have to be patience. Until then enjoy the doom-wop of Mister Heavenly or their other single Pineapple Girl.