The Sifting Pan

Helping you find those Indie Gems!

Tag Archives: Indie Rock


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Song of the Day! Cut Off Your Hands – You Should Do Better

Cut Off Your Hands, New Zealand based Indie Rock band, are back making music after a three year absence.

Cut Off Your Hands are still the amazing indie rockers I remember them being back in 2007. But now it’s 2011 and we’re on the brink of the bands newest LP Hollows which, so far, sounds very promising. The song You Should Do Better is the first single off of Hollows and I can tell just from this track the LP will be something big. You can just hear the artistic passion surging out from this wonderful new song. This song is leaving me with some very big exceptions for the upcoming album, but its not like i’d expect anything less then great from a band who has delivered so well in the past.

You can hear how the band has made some changes and strides from their 2008 debut album You & I. Just listen to the wonderful track Still Fond off their debut to hear what has happened in the course of three years and also just to know how amazing these guys were for their time. The song remains one of those great indie rock tracks from when I was still being influenced heavily in alternative music.

Cut Off Your Hands – Still Fond


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Song of the Day! Kaiser Chiefs – Little Shocks

Kaiser Chiefs give us Little Shocks from their hometown of Leeds

EDIT: Seems the Kaiser Chiefs have pulled down Little Shocks from Soundcloud. You can still scroll down and check out the video though.

You know what’s more then a little shock? The fact that this band just released the new song and video overnight. Without warning to pretty much the general public + everyone else. I love this sudden drop from a band that has always delivered in the past and the Kaiser Chiefs have a long history of delivering. In fact this band is really far from a rare indie gem because everyone else will soon hear this one throughout the land. The song Little Shocks is just too damn good not to share!

You got to love the sense that somethings off but in an edgy and danceable way all the same. Those intro bells and on going pino riff add the right amount of classiness needed for these Brit Rockers to stay in line with their inde genre and fans. I’m not saying this song is too different from songs past, but its just simply showing the band has come a long way from their debut album Employment released a good 6 years ago. If you follow the way the band has changed over the years it does seem only right for them to reach this sound. You have to stand out somehow to get some attention these days, or at least be signed with a good record company. I wish I knew more about when the next Kaiser Chief LP is set to come out but no such news yet. I feel that they will be releasing some info soon, but only after the storm of people swarming to listen and catch up with the band due to their 2 and a half year absence since the release of their third and latest LP Off With Their Heads in 2008.

I just had to bite on this one. So I also decided to post the new music video for Little Shocks as well for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!


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Song of the Day! This Year’s Model – We Walk Like Ghost

This Year's Model walk like ghost in Sweden

I have no choice but to be straight forward about the wonderfully haunting indie pop that is We Walk Like Ghost. Between those throw back guitar riffs and leader singer Niklas Gustafsson’s unique vocals, I can’t decide which appeals to me more. Perhaps it is the combination of everything that makes Swedish pop act This Year’s Model stand out from the normal bubbly and sunshine indie pop crowd we see far too often coming out of Sweden’s music scene these days. I can accept edgy and somewhat gloomy guitar based pop, because we don’t always need smiles and kisses to make us want to dance and sing along.

This Year’s Model are by no means a new band, having released an EP and two LPs since their formation in 2005. Their latest release We Walk Like Ghost, which came out February of 2011, not only contains the obviously awesome title track We Walk Like Ghost but also plethora of elegant and well crafted pop tunes that echos back to the more somber side of the genre. I suggest you head over to This Year’s Model website to check out more on these criminally underrated Swedes, they have loads of info about themselves and are even offering the song No Miracles off their latest album for free.


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Song of the Day! Moving Units – Until She Says

Moving units are part of the dance-punk revival in LA, California

Why does the name David Bowie come to my mind within the first 5 seconds of listening to Until She Says? I don’t even think that question needs a response because the answer lies somewhere in Moving Units dance-punk and electronic infused indie rock. I would’ve hoped a band that spans nearly a decade of formation would have their own unique sound but taking a few pointers from the dance-rock man himself is never a bad thing. Maybe I haven’t exposed myself  to enough Moving Units for this to be a fair statement and might need to go back a few years to an earlier album to truly get a feel for what this LA outfit has to fully offer.

You can catch Until She Says on Moving Units latest EP Tension War which was self-released back in February of this year.


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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.