Jake Malooley

Having been labeled everything from prog-rock to chamber pop, with critics scrambling to come up with new genre combos to fit, the only label that Head of Femur singer Matt Focht outright rejects as false is "supergroup."

"It's absurd that anyone would call [Head of Femur] a supergroup, especially since here I am worried about paying to repair the tour van."

Despite the singer's objection to being tagged a supergroup--simply rock crit shop-talk for a band whose members have other acclaimed projects--arguably, the band may be worthy of the label. And although Head of Femur may not be the Traveling Wilburys or Damn Yankees, the band has had a number of talented ringers as part of its stable, including members of Bright Eyes, Bobby Conn and the Glass Gypsies and The Sea and Cake.

At the core of Head of Femur is the Nebraska-bred, Logan Square resident songwriting trio of Focht, keyboard player Ben Armstrong and guitarist Michael Elsener. Its second album "Hysterical Stars" (spinART)--released in May--sees the trio at a new level of composition, weaving dense and intricate instrumentation and seemingly random tempo changes into a funhouse of melodies that always have an identifiable, often infectious pop nucleus, despite their complexity. At its best, on songs like "Skirts Are Taking Over" and "Oh You're Blue," Head of Femur demonstrates a capacity for tender, meticulous song-craft, using a recording crew of nearly thirty musicians who pepper the album with string flourishes, well-placed, triumphant brass and woodwind, and glistening glockenspiel. The rare points where the band really falters are songs like "Easy Street" and "The Sausage Canoe," in which the eccentricity of the arrangement reveals its Achilles-heel--over-indulgence--and the melodies ultimately become an annoyance.

Although Head of Femur sounds nothing like Bright Eyes, the band's lineup is guilty-by-association with Conor Oberst's brainchild, an inevitability that Focht, who has been a Bright Eyes member, is thankful for but has, at times, ruffled his feathers.

"It's somewhat annoying to get to a tour stop and see posters that say, `Members of Bright Eyes,' but that has started to stop," Focht says. "I think that is because we are starting to come into ourselves, as musicians, and our own sound."

Part of the evolution of Head of Femur is the new five-person lineup, relatively sparse considering its former status as an octet. Focht says he is pleasantly surprised by how well the smaller band has adapted, taking on the elaborate arrangements with less instruments.

"Our guitarist is playing a lot of the horn parts on guitar, and they end up sounding like really ripping guitar solos," Focht says. "We are definitely becoming more of a rock `n' roll band."

Head of Femur plays two shows New Year's Eve at Beat Kitchen, 2100 W. Belmont, (773)281-4444, at 6pm and 10pm. Catfish Haven and Canasta open.

(2005-12-20)

Also by Jake Malooley

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The audience of curiosity seekers seems confused by the sincerity of the greeting as they begin to be swept up in performance artist Bill Talen's "Church of Stop Shopping" and the anti-consumerism message of his charismatic, televangelist-like character Reverend Billy
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The House of Daley
And in the spirit of the strangeness of the day a small group comprising three house-music enthusiasts from the Department of Cultural Affairs and three legendary Chicago house DJs are waiting to present the mayor with an appreciation award for his support of house music
(2005-12-06)

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