The Sifting Pan

Helping you find those Indie Gems!

Tag Archives: Indie


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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! Cults – Never Heal Myself

Cults sunny and lo-fi pop comes from California

Ok, so I’m sure everyone is already very familiar with Cults song Go Outside by now, but how about the rest of the album? Cults released their self-titled album Cults earlier this month to a world ready to embrace xylophones and whimsical lo-fi vocals alike. The album carries on all the charm of Go Outside and more with a pretty much flawless track-listing. To highlight just one that stands out I’d have to give praise to the song Never Heal Myself. Again we find ourselves lured in and entranced by a simple percussion line of notes played on the xylophones. This time we get a taste of Cults back up guitars which lay over perfectly on top lead singer Madeline Follin’s delicate vocals. Cults simple throwback indie pop is what makes the band so special in my opinion. No band out there right now posses a sound quite like this (Ignore Best Coast) and for that I salute them. Cults have the summer time feel good indie lo-fi on lockdown and we have no choice but to bite and like.

Head over to Cults Facebook page and give them a like. What reason could you have not to?


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Song of the Day! Barton Fink – If You Know

If you know Barton Fink then you know they formed in Montreal, Canada

Electro-indie-funk-punk. Yes Barton Fink manages to encompass all these genres and more in their guitar and synth laced tunes. If You Know is an other worldly song with an off kilter beat and a warped array of instruments that do so much more then just grab your attention. Then add in that chorus line that sounds like someone forget to take their foot of the distortion pedal and you have a one of a kind memorable mix. While If You Know is featured on Barton Fink’s recent EP titled simply EP, one can only assume that the band is ready to drop another album since their debut Gear was released back in 2009. It would be really exciting if the band did announce plans for a new album since they are one of the most creative sounds I have heard in quite sometime. For now I’m going to back track and dwelve into the funk rock sounds of Gear and get my Barton Fink on!

Like what you hear? Let the band know it! Go to Barton Fink’s Facebook page and give them a like.


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Song of the Day! Capital Cities – Safe and Sound

Capital Cities help us feel safe and sound from LA, California

Houston, we have lift off. This electro pop foot tapper is ready to take you on a trip high into the atmosphere with its swift banger beats and steady stream of flowing synth. Hands down the best part about Safe and Sound would have to be that sexy sexy trumpet. That horn always comes in at the right moment and does wonders to keep this song fresh and a break from the run-of-the-mill indie electro tracks we encounter in today’s music. Capital Cities aren’t your average musical duo either, so don’t past these guys off as just another unknown because they’re building up quite the following, and rather quickly too. They just dropped their debut EP last week self-titled Capital Cities EP and let’s just say Safe and Sound isn’t the only song that will put some swagger in your step. The guys are nice enough to have the whole EP streaming on Soundcloud so go check it out.

Show Capital Cities some love and head over to their Facebook and give em’ a like!