The Sifting Pan

Helping you find those Indie Gems!

Tag Archives: Alternative


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Song of the Day! Cage The Elephant – Always Something

Cage The Elephant know it's Always Something from Bowling Green, Kentucky

Cage The Elephant have always been something truly great. I mean why else would their music receive so much repeated play in the media? After being constantly barraged with Cage The Elephant’s first album singles since the band gained airplay in 2009, it’s easy to see why so many would be sick of material from these guys. I can’t help but to feel that it should not be like this. Their newest album Thank You, Happy Birthday should have been something for people to embrace and enjoy, not just acknowledge the hit song Shake Me Down and move on. There is much more to their sophomore album then one might first perceive and I decided that maybe I had sold myself short by not acquiring the album in full sooner.

I stopped by my [not so] local record store to see what discount CDs I could pick. (It’s a damn shame that no one still buys CDs.) After spending a 30 minutes walking through the CDs in alphabetical order I finally made the decision to go with Cage The Elephant’s Thank You, Happy Birthday and ANR‘s Hearts. I left the store and immediately popped my new Cage The Elephant CD into my car’s stereo. I was sent off into the twisted and estranged musical realm created by the sounds of the first track off of Thank You, Happy Birthday, Always Something. With it’s sharp lyrics and mysterious melody I was sold on the spot for this new Cage The Elephant. What a hell of a way to start an album! Trust me when I say the creativity and lyrical superiority did not stop there. Track by track I was gifted with alternative rock awesomeness as I drove home thoroughly satisfied with my purchase. I can’t recommend enough that you pick up Thank You, Happy Birthday again and give it a proper go this time. It’s busting with real energy and talent at the seams.

Note: There was no way to get Always Something on Soundcloud so I did a work around through Grooveshark. Please let me know if the player does not function properly.


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Song of the Day! Funeral Party – Finale

Funeral Party bring us The Age of Knowhere from Whittier, California

It’s called dance punk and it’s the very fiber of Funeral Party’s being. It’s also called turning the volume up as loud as possible and letting the beat take you in as you jump up and down to the raw and untamed rock n’ roll these guys dish out so damn well. How can you not feel an overwhelming sense of excitement when you listen to this east coast band cut loose and make music that can simply be described as “a good fucking time.” I challenge you to listen to Finale all the way through and not tap your foot along. You won’t be able to. Nope. Not at all. In fact you actually might start thrashing around the room so make sure to stand in an area free of furniture. Finale isn’t the only tune by Funeral Party that will cause spontaneous rage dancing. Their debut album The Golden Age of Knowhere is full of tracks that will rock you to your core and has to be up there somewhere in the top five list of debut albums this year. One of my favorite tracks of the past couple months has been Funeral Party’s epic anthem New York City Moves to the Sound of L.A.. You just gotta love that cowbell opening. All in all Funeral Party is a band I’d be happy to play at any party, even my funeral. I think Finale would be perfect.

Here is the music video for Funeral Party’s Finale. Good times enclosed.

Go like Funeral Party’s Facebook page now! I know you like them so let them know it.


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Song of the Day! Young The Giant – Cough Syrup

Young the Giant bring us their special brand of American indie rock from Irvine, California

Young the Giant have absolutely mesmerized me with their 2010/2011 self titled debut album Young the Giant. I can’t help but listen through the album over and over again thinking to myself, “This is what true and creative indie rock sounds like.” It’s hard to find a track on the album that isn’t both majestic and enthralling. At the same time it’s difficult to pick just one track off this spectacular debut to highlight and praise. I’m sure the world is already very familiar with Young the Giants first single My Body, as it has seen endless radio play over the past few months. I could’ve shared my favorite track off the album with you, I Got, but i’m selfish and am keeping it all to myself. So I guess that leaves the steady and soothing track Cough Syrup. With it’s mellow string of chords and wonderfully catchy vocalization, it’s just one of the many songs responsible for my returning again and again to the album. I keep telling myself just one more spoonful of Cough Syrup now, but it can never be just one. It’s probably not healthy to chug a whole bottle of the stuff, but I can’t help myself when it says Young the Giant on the label. Now i’m going to drift off now into a trance like state with a belly full of beautiful indie music courtesy of the best new band of 2011. You can listen to Young the Giant in all it’s entirety on Soundcloud here.

Here’s the music video for Cough Syrup which was released last week.

Head over to Young the Giant’s Facebook page and give them a like. You know they deserve it.


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Song of the Day! Portugal. The Man – Got It All (This Can’t Be Living)

Portugal. The Man have really Got It All in Portland, Oregon

Portugal. The Man are one of the most creative and talented indie rock bands in the western hemisphere. Their experimental art rock is only seconded by the band’s elaborate and mind-bending album artwork that would be impossible to describe in words. Having put out five albums since 2006, that’s at least one a year, and countless EPs these guys are one of the hardest working bands you’ll come across in the indie music scene. Portugal. The Man never cease to deliver and with 2011 we find ourselves on the brink of their sixth album In the Mountain, In the Cloud which is slated for a July 19th release. The first single from the sixth LP Got It All (This Can’t Be Living) captures Portugal. The Man’s sound brilliantly and really helps to build excitement for the new album. I have no doubt in my mind that In the Mountain, In the Cloud will live up to its high expectations because the past has always shown that Portugal. The Moon can pull it off. Take for example the band’s release of their fifth album The American Ghetto last year. The album was hyped to no end and when it finally went public the band pulled off one the best albums of 2010.

Oh, and their was absolutely no way I could do blog posting on Portugal. The Man without including one of my favorite tracks of 2010, the groovy as hell and laid back track The Dead Dog.

Portugal. The Man – The Dead Dog


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Song of the Day! Company of Thieves – Queen of Hearts

Company of Thieves pull out a queen of hearts from Chicago

You better believe the high level of excitement I felt when I discovered that Company of Thieves released a new album last month. I really did love their 2009 release of Ordinary Riches, but primarily for the tunes Oscar Wilde, Pressure, and my personal favorite The Tornado Song. Well, here we are two years after the band’s initial success and they release their sophomore LP Running from a Gamble to world that one can only hope is ready for band with this much passion. Yes, passion. The stuff that is oozing out of Company of Thieves and their lead singer Genevieve Schatz’s mouth. She can command a room so easily with the wide and powerful range of her voice. It layers so damn well on the band’s steady stream of true rock influenced guitars, as is evident by one of their newest songs Queen of Hearts. You can also hear the constant piano on track that is present very much throughout their debut and also latest album. Occasionally the band ditches the guitars completely for the piano, but only for their most somber of tracks. Guitar, piano, and all passion aside- Company of Thieves have a lot more going for them then most alternative rock bands in todays over saturated music market and they deserve some major support for a sound as big as they possess.