Head of Femur (band) 2070797 224067133 2008-07-07T04:11:13Z Rjwilmsi 203434 no 'of' between a month and a year per [[Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style_%28dates_and_numbers%29#Longer_periods|MOS]] using [[Project:AutoWikiBrowser|AWB]] {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | Name = Head of Femur | Img = | Img_capt = | Img_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels --> | Landscape = | Background = group_or_band | Alias = | Origin = [[Chicago, Illinois]], [[United States]] | Genre = [[Indie rock]] | Years_active = 2001-present | Label = | Associated_acts = | Current_members = | Past_members = }} '''Head of Femur''' is a [[Chicago]] band formed in November 2001 by [[Nebraska]] natives Mike Elsener, Ben Armstrong and Matt Focht. The band was initially conceived as a forum for the three to compose [[pop song]]s while awaiting the reformation of their previous band, [[Pablo's Triangle]]. As the weeks passed the reformation looked unlikely. 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 [[string instrument|strings]], [[trumpet]], and [[percussion instrument|orchestral percussion]] were added along with [[drums]] and [[bass guitar]]. Head of Femur played their first show at a small club in Chicago in March 2002. They made plans to record a demo with local producer Jim Bentley and perform at Chicago's [[Empty Bottle]]. 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, Nebraska]]'s [[Presto! Recording Studios]] with [[A.J. Mogis]]. Following more than a year of touring as an 8-piece (2 guitars, trumpet, trombone, violin, drums, keys, 4 vocals & percussion) with such acts as [[Bright Eyes (band)|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. In August, 2004, Head of Femur set about recording their next full-length record. ''Hysterical Stars'' was recorded at [[Wall To Wall]] in Chicago with engineers Chris Brickley and Dan Dietrich and released in late May, 2005. Head Of Femur spent 2005 touring with [[Architecture in Helsinki]], [[Wilco]], [[Dr. Dog]], [[The Spinto Band]], [[The Bruces]], [[Andrew Bird]], [[Matt Pond PA]] & headlining tours themselves. They were the first ever band on the first ever [[Intonation Music Festival|Intonation]] Festival and performed at the Wicker Park Festival, CMJ & [[SXSW]]. During a short break from touring in the Fall of 2005, the group laid down four tracks mostly live at Truckstop Studios in Chicago. The recordings showcased a more band-oriented sound as opposed to the multi-tracked orchestra captured on their first two albums. The songs, including covers from [[The Band]] & [[Neil Young And Crazy Horse]] were released in late 2005 as an [[iTunes]] exclusive EP. Head Of Femur finished up the year by stripping the lineup down to a more traditional five-piece lineup of the core trio plus Nick "The Chancellor" Westra on bass/vocals and Tyson Thurston on keys. This lineup played two shows on New Year's Eve in Chicago. As of May 2007, Head of Femur had completed work on their third full-length, "Great Plains", due to be released March 25, 2008. ==Band members== *[[Matt Focht]] - vocals, guitar, drums *[[Mike Elsener]] - guitar, vocals *[[Nick Westra|Nick "The Chancellor" Westra]] - bass, vocals *[[Colby Starck]] - drums, vocals *Eathan Janney - Keyboards ==Discography== *''Great Plains'' ([[2008]] · [[Greyday Productions]]) *''Leader and the Falcon'' EP ([[2007]]) *''[[Hysterical Stars]]'' ([[2005]] · [[Spin Art Records]]) *''Do The Tavern And Other Tall Tales'' iTunes EP ([[2005]]) *''[[Ringodom or Proctor]]'' ([[2003]] · [[Greyday Productions]]) ==External links== *[http://www.myspace.com/headoffemur Head of Femur on MySpace.com] *[http://www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=20340 Chicago Public Radio program on Head Of Femur's third album, "Great Plains"] *[http://www.crushtheclown.com Crush The Clown] - related band [[Category:2000s music groups]] [[Category:American indie rock groups]] [[Category:Alternative musical groups]] [[Category:Chicago musical groups]] [[Category:Musical groups established in 2001]]