Light FM finds a West Coast frequency

Ah, California. Sometimes it’s best viewed as a mirage. “Darlin’ darlin’, we’re movin’ out to California / where the weather’s warmin’ and there is no attitude,” Josiah Mazzaschi writes in his song, “Save the Drama.” It was a couple of years ago, and the Light FM front man was making a mark in Chicago, where his quartet’s Moog-heavy power pop was earning comparisons to the Cars, Weezer and the Rentals.

“I was definitely wrong about the attitude,” Mazzaschi says now, a bit sheepishly, “especially now that I’ve worked in Hollywood.”

Not that he regrets the good vibrations that induced him to head west. He remembers meeting Earlimart’s Aaron Espinoza in Chicago, “and he was all for me moving out here,” Mazzaschi says. “I ended up working in the studio right next to his studio.”

Mazzaschi spends his days working for producer Dave Trumfio as an engineer at Kingsize Soundlabs (neighbor to Espinoza’s studio the Ship). And he spends some off-hours at Kingsize too, working on the follow-up to Light FM’s unfailingly catchy 2004 album “This Is the Beginning of My Golden Age.”

“Just being around some of the [musicians] I’ve been around is inspiring,” Mazzaschi says. “I’m the kind of guy who tweaks stuff forever; I need to figure out when something is finished.”

For now, the reconstituted (from its Chicago days) Light FM, with Brian Barbier, Kim Haden and Harry Trumfio, is playing the Monday residency this month at the Silverlake Lounge.

||| See Light FM tonight (with the Amateurs, among others, opening) and next Monday at the Silverlake Lounge (no cover charge on Mondays).

||| Download a new song from the band, "Save the Drama."

Photo of Light FM (from left, Josiah Mazzaschi, Kim Haden, Brian Barbier, and Harry Trumfio) by Drew Reynolds.

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Touts for Monday, July 23

Snow Patrol brings its sweet Britpop to the sylvan Greek Theatre for the second of a two-night stand --  on Sunday night, front man Gary Lightbody was good for some laughs as well some sugary melodies, eulogizing the insect who alighted on the band's setlist and, alas, gave its life for rock 'n' roll. Well, you had to be there. Get there early if you want to see openers Hot Hot Heat play a set that includes material off its forthcoming album "Happiness Ltd." The Canadians were onstage already at the doors time listed on the tickets, 7:30. ... Slint plays "Spiderland" at the Fonda Theatre. ... Division Day heads a strong lineup for the Indie 103.1 night at the Viper Room ...  Glacier Hiking plays a no-cover-charge show at the Troubadour. ... Mezzanine Owls join Eskimohunter at the latter's residency at Spaceland. ... Princeton joins 5 O'Clock Somewhere for the latter's residency at the Echo. ... And the exuberant Castledoor opens for Aushua at its residency at the Detroit Bar.