It’s been a whirlwind for Cage The Elephant since the April 2009 release of their self-titled LP. In that time, they’ve been pounding the pavement, playing shows and festivals across the world. While fans were often whipped into a frenzy at their live gigs, that feeling was seconded only by the intense anticipation for a new album. Well, patient fans one and all, your wait is over as the band ready their sophomore LP, Thank You, Happy Birthday. No, thank YOU (via The Tennessean).

The story goes that the band spent the last two years on the road accumulating “80 songs’ worth of ideas” for the new record, somehow dwindling them down to the 13 songs that make up the final tracklist (which you can peep below.) According to a press release, that process involved locking themselves in a cabin in their home state of Kentucky, where they “discovered old albums from The Pixies, Mudhoney, and Butthole Surfers and studied interviews with songwriting greats like Bob Dylan and John Lennon.” Somehow we think whiskey was also included in their journey.

The album hits stores on that most magical of days, 1/11/11, via Jive Records. If you can’t wait that long, you can also get a copy of their Record Store Day “Black Friday” 7″ vinyl of “Shake Me Down”/“Aberdeen”, which hits your local independent record store November 26th.

Thank You, Happy Birthday Tracklist:
01. Always Something
02. Aberdeen
03. Indy Kidz
04. Shake Me Down
05. 2024
06. Sell Yourself
07. Rubber Ball
08. Right Before My Eyes
09. Tangled
10. Sabertooth Tiger
11. Japanese Buffalo
12. Flow
13. Shiver