Head of Femur
Indie Rock / Rock
Head of Femur is a Chicago octet formed in November of 2001 by Nebraska natives Mike Elsener, Ben Armstrong, and Matt Focht. The band was initially conceived as a forum for the three to compose more straightforward pop songs while awaiting the reformation of their previous band, the beautifully frenzied Pablo's Triangle. However, that reformation looked increasingly less likely as the weeks went on, and the quality of the music being created by Head of Femur was surprisingly high. With a large catalog of songs already taking shape by early 2002, Head of Femur began to recruit musicians to flesh out the lineup for live performance. The nature of the music demanded more than the traditional rock band instrumentation, so strings, trumpet, and orchestral percussion were added along with drums and bass. Head of Femur played their first show at a small club in Chicago in March of 2002. The positive response was so strong that plans to record a demo with local producer Jim Bentley and perform at Chicago's famed Empty Bottle were finalized by the end of the evening.
On the strength of that demo, Portland's Greyday Productions signed Head of Femur in November, 2002. Recording sessions for the band's debut album, Ringodom or Proctor, took place in March 2003. Ten of Ringodom's eleven songs were among the first of the dozens composed by Elsener, Armstrong, and Focht, and had been intended to comprise the first record since their inception. The album was recorded at Lincoln, NE's Presto! Recording Studios with AJ Mogis, who along with brother and business partner Mike Mogis has helmed numerous projects including Bright Eyes, The Faint, Azure Ray, Rilo Kiley, Cursive, Mos Eisley and SONGS:OHIA. Ringodom or Proctor showcases a multitude of influences including The Left Banke, Sparks, Brian Eno, Roxy Music, The Beach Boys, The Zombies, Talking Heads, Dexy's Midnight Runners, The Flaming Lips, The Beatles, The Kinks, Elton John, Elvis Costello, The Band, Love, Pere Ubu, Roy Orbison, and The Cars. Greyday Productions released Ringodom or Proctor on August 12th, 2003.
Following more than a year of touring with such acts as Bright Eyes and Rilo Kiley, as well as outings on their own, Head of Femur signed with Brooklyn's spinART Records in the Summer of 2004. Head of Femur are in great company at spinART, whose roster also includes Frank Black, Clem Snide, The Apples In Stereo, The Dears, Richard Thompson, Apollo Sunshine, and Gordon Lightfoot! In August, 2004, Head of Femur set about recording their next full-length record. Hysterical Stars, as the album is to be called, was recorded at Wall To Wall in Chicago with engineers extraordinaire Chris Brickley (Wilco, R. Kelly) and Dan Dietrich. Hysterical Stars is slated for release in Spring, 2005, but a few of the songs are now available as part of a downloadable iTunes EP! Head of Femur recently completed a stint opening shows for fellow Chicagoans Wilco across the Southern US, and the band aims to tour extensively throughout 2005.
|