Finally, after nearly a dozen years and seven albums, this Minneapolis entity is nearing an exposure level the Arcade Fire–a not entirely dissimilar band–seemed to reach in about ten minutes. But leader Craig Minowa has chosen his own circuitous, borderline obsessive path–one that’s required him, for instance, to plant trees and buy wind-power credits to offset the energy used in recording and touring. Early on Minowa’s activist lyrics were a bit too stridently concrete for his fragile psych-pop to support, but gradually he’s found balance: his vision has grown more mystical, while his production style has gotten more rigorously detailed. (I won’t speculate too long on how the sudden death of his two-year-old son in 2002 affected his move toward spirituality, but it hardly seems negligible.) Cloud Cult’s new The Meaning of 8 (on the group’s own Earthology label) takes to the air bumblebee-style, a long record supporting its improbable weight on wobbly wings. And yet: it flies. Light Pollution and Roommate open. a 9:30 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, 773-276-3600 or 866-468-3401, $8.
