Chicago's Big Science

Every time I hear the name Big Science I play in my head Thomas Dolby's 1982 electro-smash "She Blinded Me With Science." It works, though instead of a lab coat and a pair goggles, these Ukrainian Village-based musicians are purely rock, donning jeans and t-shirts with the occasional loose button-down. Their music is a different story - it may actually require a master's degree, if not a doctorate, to figure out just how to classify them.

Lead singer and guitarist Jason Hendrix says he "looks beyond categories" and recalls his band being compared to a multitude of artists ranging from Modest Mouse to early U2, while stating the personal influence of 70's and 80's New Wave bands like the Talking Heads and Joy Division. The music speaks for itself, though. Bouncy, looped bass lines under jangly guitar riffs and Hendrix's vocals mastered to perfection are like candy for your ears. Smooth, clean, and undeniably enjoyable.

Big Science seem to be keeping it low key, perhaps as the result of the two co-founders (Hendrix and bassist/keyboardist Jason Richards) playing in touring band The North Atlantic for over 7 years. Instead, they are embracing local shows, waiting for the word to spread on the merit of their music. Hendrix wants to take a different approach with his new band. "[With The North Atlantic,] we'd spew out songs and lay them down quickly in the studio, but now we're a little more refined," he said. "We want to be a band that you not only want to see live, but who has good recordings."

And good recordings they have. Last fall, the band issued its first release, The Coast Of Nowhere. Without the support of a label, they decided to let fans download it free, again letting their sound drive their progress. Stream and download it at their website.

Big Science is Jason Hendrix, Jason Clark, Jeremy Pena, and Jason Richards.
Big Science - DNC

Big Science - Sun Sets Electric