The Sifting Pan

Helping you find those Indie Gems!


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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! 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! Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. – Morning Thought

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. share a morning thought from Detroit, MI

This is a large amount of big noise coming from a band of this caliber. To me Morning Thought covers the same soundscape as the colossal avant-garde indie band Animal Collective. The only thing I’d say is that Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. makes electro-pop music that is a little more listener friendly then their animal kingdom friends. Morning Thought is the first single off the band’s approaching debut LP It’s A Corporate World, which is due out on the 6th of June. You can also download the song for free at the bands website in exchange for your e-mail, which is a small price to pay for this wonderful tune.


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Song of the Day! The Naked and Famous – Punching In A Dream

The Naked and Famous are punching into our dreams from New Zealand

Music Video: Punching In A Dream

There is undoubtably something magical about The Naked and Famous. Their music has the capability of taking you to a wonderful place that is free of the world’s woes and seems to transcend so many genre barriers. If you haven’t done so already I suggest you go listen to their amazingly beautiful song Young Blood right now. But today is about the awesome electro-clash track Punching In A Dream. Whimsical synth-beats are abound in The Naked and Famous’s third single from their debut album Passive Me, Aggressive You. After so much success with the release of their debut in their home country of New Zealand these kiwis decided that its only right to take on the world and officially released Passive Me, Aggressive You worldwide on March 14th through Polydor Records. If your as big of a fan of simple and good electro-pop as I am then you need to get your hands on this record ASAP- you will not regret it.


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Song of the Day! Lettercamp – Denial Twist (White Stripes Cover)

Alright, so you find a pretty awesome cover of a song you really like by a band you love and your telling me it’s not getting posted to your music blog right away? Yeah right. Lettercamp bring us their electro pop take on The White Stripes 2005 single Denial Twist. I’d like to think that the results are pretty damn good and I have to give major props to Lettercamp for pulling off such a successful White Stripes cover. They succeed in turning a great alternative rock track into a pop music dance hit, which is no easy feat. Even if Lettercamp’s twist on Denial Twist isn’t your cup of tea you can at least respect the attempt put forward by this indie four-piece and recognize them for having the guts to take on such a monster track in the first place.