Taking an ambient tack to driving indie rock, an ethereal, otherworldly sound somewhere between the Arcade Fire and Grizzly Bear, Light Pollution gradually built a reputation as one of Chicago's premier (and certainly one of its most fascinating) bands. Led by singer/songwriter Jim Cicero, they formed in the Windy City suburb of DeKalb. Housed in a Victorian dwelling, they utilized its unique acoustics to craft delicate, oddly angled, jangly-jagged compositions. Light Pollution released their self-titled, self-produced debut EP in 2008, becoming a darling of discerning blogs. The group inked to Carpark Records the following year. ~ Jason Thurston