LIGHT POLLUTION

"National Geographic has defined light pollution as "ill-designed lighting [that] washes out the darkness of night and radically alters the light levels--and light rhythms--to which many forms of life, including ourselves, have adapted." Light pollution, the phenomenon, threatens migration, reproduction and feeding in the natural world. But Light Pollution, the band, is much more benign in its swirling, hypnotic and alternately sweetly melodic and unsettlingly disorienting washes of reverb, analog synthesizers, clattering percussion and lo-fi noise.
Originally formed by vocalist and bandleader Jim Cicero and his drummer-pal Matt Evertt [CQ] in DeKalb when Cicero was attending Northern Illinois University, the group, which expands to a quartet onstage, has become a much-buzzed fixture on the Chicago club scene, thanks to its mix of vintage '90s shoegazer psychedelia and more currently hip freak folk a la Grizzy Bear. What's more, it's beginning to garner attention throughout the Midwest as it tours to build anticipation for a forthcoming full-length album, following on the heels of last year's self-titled debut EP. Three enchanting tracks are streaming on the band's Web site--www.myspace.com/lightpollution--and after an impressive roster of far-flung gigs, it returns to its current home for a show at Schubas on Nov. 22." - Jim Derogatis (Chicago Sun Times / NPR's Sound Opinions)

"Over the last couple years, Chicago's Light Pollution has shared bills with all manner of all-star indie band, yet I just found out about them last week. They seem to be quite chameleon-like ("a kaliedascope of sound" has also been used to describe them). More recently, their lo-fi, psych-pop-infused, layered and occasionally distorted instrumentation and vocals could fit in with contemporaries such as Grizzly Bear or a scaled-back Polyphonic Spree (Witchcraft), but other times they might compare closer to a Castanets or maybe a mangled Sufjan Stevens (Reflection)" - Dodge @ My Old Kentucky Blog

The acoustic guitar that opens "Hand Crushes the Wheel" clips along at a steady pace, like tires clinking in metronome fashion over the reflectors embedded at the center of an asphalt road. Jim Cicero's voice enters, weary but resilient: "I was barely breathing/ This hand crushes the wheel." Over the next three minutes, that beleaguered resilience blossoms through a tasteful orchestral array: Strings and horns ricochet off one another, and sleigh bells and glockenspiel motion patiently ahead alongside marching drums. It climaxes like a victory parade, survival and arrival earned and duly celebrated. As Cicero relayed to us on his drive into Bloomington, Ind., for a Light Pollution show, "Hand Crushes the Wheel" was indeed his internal score for perseverance while driving congested Illinois roads to spend time with his new girlfriend.

INDEPENDENT WEEKLY: You just released "Hand Crushes the Wheel" on a 12-inch record Monday night in Chicago. But how long has the song been around?

JIM CICERO: That song is actually about two years old, but as a band we haven't been playing it too long. I wrote it and brought it to the band about a year ago. We worked on it together. It's about driving.

Driving? What can you tell me about your life circumstances when you wrote this song?

I was going back and forth a lot between Chicago and DeKalb. There are some references to train rides also in there. It's just that mindset of being tired and traveling a lot.

Why were you driving between those two cities?

Well, Heather [Rice], she plays viola and keyboards, the girl in our band. This was when she was just joining, when I started dating her. We were going back and forth a lot because she lived in Chicago at the time.

The image of a hand crushing the wheel: Did you look down as you were driving and just realize you were maybe squeezing a little too hard?

You should see me driving the tour van right now. I'm crushing the wheel with my hands.

Are you a nervous driver?

Ahh, not really. I don't know. It's just kind of when it's late at night and being really tired and really frustrated. But, yeah, I'm an OK driver. I'm not the best.

How far is the drive from DeKalb to Chicago?

It's about 65 miles. There's just constant construction going on there. Since I first moved to DeKalb about five or six years ago, there's been constant construction. It's kind of annoying. Supposedly it will be done in 2009. It's about a two-hour drive. It's not too bad. It's not as bad as touring. We've definitely got some seven-hour drives every once in a while.

What will the worst drive be for this tour?

I have a feeling New York to Pittsburgh will be pretty bad. Actually, tomorrow we're playing in Illinois again, so we're backtracking a little bit. We're playing in Champaign, and then going to a festival in Cincinnati. That should be a good seven hours, probably.

Speaking of driving and touring, I imagine gas prices aren't helping the stress of your traveling right now.

Actually, it just went down a couple of cents. [Laughs.] Yeah, it's kind of miserable thinking about being in a band 10 years ago, how easy it would have been, at least as far as gas prices. It's deterred some bands from touring, but we wanted to do it either way.

The arrangement of "Hand Crushes the Wheel" feels great, somehow, even though it was born of frustration. It crests really well. How did that come about?

Yeah, that song, I had very specific ideas for. A lot of the time, with most of our songs, it will be a collective effort on writing parts. But that song, I had most of the ideas already there. Like that breakdown where the strings come in and the horn follows up and it goes to the group shouting part. A lot of the times I'll have the idea in my head as I'm writing, but that's one of those exceptions where it was less of us working on it all together. ... That song is a specific arrangement, and we hammered them out together, with people adding their own personal touch. But usually, I'll just have the framework and we'll all build our parts around it. With that song, it was more specific. We don't have any specific method for working on a song. It's just what works out the best in the end.

Light Pollution plays Nightlight Saturday, July 26, at 10 p.m. with Beloved Binge and Saint Peter Pocket Veto. Tickets are $5.
- Independent Weekly - North Carolina

"Light Pollution has a very ambient sound and is the perfect band for those in audience who will be ingesting hallucinogenic drugs." - The Brick - SUNY - Purchase, NY

"Chicago’s Light Pollution put together orchestral sweeps of melody wrapped up in a blanket of vocal cheers. I was lucky enough to be able to pop in their EP the other day for a shocking treat for the ears. When I listen to Light Pollution I can’t help bu make the comparison to bands like Arcade Fire or perhaps even Wilco and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. It just happens, but those are just the simple passing notes Light Pollution’s music suggests and never really defines their sound. Keep your eyes and ears awake next year when they plan to release their debut full length. Until then enjoy these stand out tracks off the EP." - Pasta Primavera - Blogspot

"the chiming guitars and soaring harmonies of Chicago-based Light
Pollution should lift the spirits of anyone in a dour mood.
Incorporating many different sounds into one song, "Firewood," the
quintet make music that references both the Talking Heads' eclectic
proto new-wave, and the lush, orchestral glow of Broken Social Scene,
but with a Midwestern take on those bands' sounds that's both
adventurous and humble" - Minneapolis Fucking Rocks - Blogspot

"Just when you thought modern music had lost its soul . . .

While New York City churns out dance pop, Seattle cries tears of indie rock goodness, and Los Angeles provides us with all our Garage Punk needs, Chicago keeps relatively to itself: an introspective tinkerer, dabbling in the dazzling. From Chicago we get Steve Albini, Touch and Go Records, Cap'n Jazz, and now Light Pollution.

The press release I received states that Light Pollution is, "never stagnant, and constantly expanding their musical horizons. [The] music is a kaleidoscope of sound, encompassing everything from backward tapes to dissonant piano rolls to even crunching leaves." In short, a band that is doing something interesting. And we like that.

We receive a lot of music here at Duck & Cover, but Light Pollution stood out. As it played through we all sat back on the couch, put our hands behind our heads, and someone muttered, "Ah. Real musicians playing real music. So rare these days." Indeed.

The only criticism I have is the singer's voice stands out a little too much, especially on Firewood, on which singer Jim Cicero's voice swings and lilts through verses that, quite honestly, aren't very interesting. But things get better on the next song, and the next, and the next--and by the last track you're dancing around the kitchen playing drums with jars of salsa (not advised)."
- Duck and Cover

"Light Pollution rolled into Manhattan the other day for a show at Piano's. To be honest, I'd never heard of them until Wednesday morning when I got a press release that said "Light Pollution's music is kaleidoscope of sound, encompassing everything from backward tapes to dissonant piano rolls to even crunching leaves." Sounds good to me. Piano's was empty Wednesday night, as if no one had gotten the memo. Despite much of a crowd, Light Pollution performed an enthusiastic set of soul bearing Americana backed by life affirming instrumentation. From my count the band played accordion, guitar, violin, mandolin, trombone, bass, drums, melodica, glockenspiel, keyboards, and a smattering of percussion. Not only did the band bring the songs on their recently self-released (and self-titled) EP to life, but they did it with so much enthusiasm you couldn't help but rock out in the corner all by your lonesome. The Illinois based collective is currently touring the Northeast promoting its self-titled EP, available on vinyl (comes w/a CD), and will be back in New York Saturday for a show at Brooklyn's Union Hall. Get there early, their the first band on the bill." - Chocolate Bobka - NYC Blogspot

THE BROKEN BELL - PHILADELPHIA BLOGSPOT

CHICAGO DAILY HERALD / BEEP! MAGAZINE

MAXIMUM INK MAGAZINE - WISCONSIN

CHOCOLATE BOBKA - NYC BLOGSPOT

FENSE POST - BLOGSPOT

INDEPENDENT WEEKLY - NORTH CAROLINA

NEW CITY WEEKLY - CHICAGO

DAILY HERALD - CHICAGO

GUILT FREE PLEASURES - BLOGSPOT

WE LIKE IT INDIE - BLOGSPOT

QUARTER LIFE PARTY - DC / BALTIMORE BLOGSPOT

BATTLE OF THE MIDWESTERN HOUSE WIVES - PENN BLOGSPOT

EXTRAWACK! - BLOGSPOT

COLUMBIA COLLEGE - CHICAGO

THE DEVIL HAS THE BEST TUNA - BLOGSPOT

RIVER FRONT TIMES - ST. LOUIS

NORTHERN STAR - DEKALB, IL

DAILY IOWAN - IOWA CITY
- other press