It was the year 2005 Anno Domini when a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky and smashed down mightily into the barren desert landscape of Phoenix, Arizona, leaving in its red hot embers the colorful spectre of the eclectic pop band that would be known as Skybox. That cosmic genesis would portend great things for the young quintet. Their debut LP Arco Iris was recorded by Jamie Woolford (The Stereo, Let Go) and mastered by Jason Livermore (The Ataris, Rise Against, MxPx) . It immediately won over critics and fans alike with its mix of spacey indie-pop melodies and darker, Radiohead-esque moodiness. Their wide-ranging appeal has strangers mumbling comparisons to The Flaming Lips from dimly-lit corners of coffee shops and brothels. Thats what it sounds like, at least…its tough to be sure about such things. After a years worth of buzz-building live appearances with bands like The Honorary Title, The Format, Dios (Malos), Jacks Mannequin, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, and Communique, the spaceship demanded a larger landing pad.

Packing their gear and some vacuum packed Mexican food, the band set off post haste for the larger stage of Chicago. Perplexed by the savage cold and apparent lack of available sunlight, the band still managed in a few short months to catch the eye of the collective Chicago music scene. They have shared the stage with heavyweights like The Figurines and Forward Russia and have been invited to play industry showcases at The Midwest Music Summit and the CMJ Music Marathon in November. In late February the band will be setting out on a 55 city national tour in support of Arco Iris. Keep your eyes on the skies, folks: Skybox is on the way.