What is it with band names?

[Bobby G]

I'm quite fond of band names "x and the y's" really, although I also like shorter snappy one- or two-word band names. There's a fashion now among the young kids these days for really unwieldy names such as Get Cape, Wear Cape, Fly or Scream Shout Say Nothing (and they are a couple of the shorter ones) that doesn't work for me. I think this is because it's very difficult to abbreviate them comfortably (the Capes?). Even a long name like, well, Cliff Topp and the Lemmings can be shortened ('hey, Cliff Topp, cool gig last night) and very often people refer to a band by the name of their leader e.g. Elvis Costello (& the Attractions) or Bruce Springsteen (and the E Sreet Band, or just 'da boss'), which kind of gets you closer to them.

I once saw a band called Hugh Reed and the Velvet Underpants, who were every bit as good as their name.

My current least favourite band name comes from Swedish(?) insidious 'bet this is their first and only hit record ever' popsters who have a very 70's-LA-sounding record out at the moment - they are called BWO, a set of 3 initials that doesn't really trip off the tongue, but what's worse is that it stands for Bodies Without Organs; suitable in a way as the song is totally gutless, but still an awful name. What were they thinking of?

 

[philthd]

nachoman wrote:
"gimp roulette"

i call dibs on this one


my old band ItWasntTheFirstTimeInHistoryThatAMonsterWasMistakenForAGod thought we had a great name - not many people agreed mind

 

[Pete Thomas]

[ItWasntTheFirstTimeInHistoryThatAMonsterWasMistakenForAGod thought we had a great name - not many people agreed mind

No. The bigger the name, the smaller the typeface on the poster.

 

[Jules]

more band names from my anti-spam folder- "I am a sex addict", "The Replica Pens", "Online Pharmacy" (Hm.. a bit Hawkwind, I reckon), "Sleeping Disorder" (hm- this one works best if you put the emphasis on disorder- like some sort of anarchist Sleeping Beauty!) & the abstract, but endearing- "Dooblflful"

 

[philthd]

nachoman wrote:
the abstract, but endearing- "Dooblflful"

oh yes, the name your fans can feel superior that they know how to pronounce it but noone else does is a classic genre


"... i know its spelt kymblrrrxt but its pronounced 'gimp roulette' "

 

[Jules]

I'd seen it as double fluffel...

 

[philthd]

mysteriously i read "Do bluff If full"

but ill take a stiff double fluffel on the rocks if youre buying

 

[Jules]

philthD wrote:
mysteriously i read "Do bluff If full"

Anyone remember a movie called The Princess Bride? There's some wierd dialogue in that about "Do do the double bluff" which this is beginning to remind me of. Great film by the way...

 

[philthd]

i dont think thats in that film (i cant seem to find it in the script - in fact theres only a single refernce to the word double)

it is a great fun film though - andre the giant's finest moment

 

[Jules]

I though Miracle Max and his wife had some dialogue about "To Buff, double Blave" etc...
Where on earth did you dig up the script link?

 

[jonf]

nachoman wrote:
I'd seen it as double fluffel...

Cobblers, Jules. It's nothing more than a reference to a hungry vegetarian. It's Double Falafel

 

[jools]

Just thought I'd ressurect this thread with some news. I got an email today and it's right up our street...
_________________________

We've all seen some terrible band names, and it made us wonder, if we put our minds to it, what could be the very worst of all? If we find your entry the worst (and therefore the best), we'll process and deliver your album to iTunes, AmazonMP3, eMusic, Rhapsody, every store we offer for FREE, as well as first year's maintenance and storage, FREE.

Make Up the Worst Band Name contest:

* Think up the absolute worst band name you can imagine.
* NO REAL BAND NAMES, we don't want to insult anyone.
* KEEP IT CLEAN, we can't put you up in our winner's circle if it's dirty.
* NO RACIAL, ETHNIC, RELIGIOUS or OTHER SLURS, please.
* Put as many as you can think of in an email to [email protected].
* All entries must be received by 11:59 (Eastern) on April 30, 2008.
* Enter as many times as you want!
* On May 15, 2008, TuneCore editors will select and publish winners.
* GRAND PRIZE: Free processing, delivery and distribution into any stores TuneCore services you choose, plus first year's maintenance and storage.

Must be 18 or over. No purchase necessary. You do not need to be a TuneCore customer or have a TuneCore account. TuneCore will not keep or distribute your email address. Employees of TuneCore and its partner companies ineligible.

Let's see just how awful we can get.

--The TuneCore Team

 

[Pete Thomas]

We were walking along a river bank the other day with some friends and my wife saw this fish just coasting on the current as they sometimes do. After watching it for a while someone suggested we move on or the fish might become self conscious.

Aha, I though "Self Conscious Fish" - name for a band.

 

[Tenor Sax]

"One Hit Wonder"

 

[Jules]

it's actually pretty difficult trying to think of a genuinely bad band name- in these days of post-modern irony everything seems to be fair game- lets face it "Simple Minds" is about as daft as it gets and it never stopped them!

 

[dooce]

I think The Urinals is about as naff as you can get. If the name doesn't appall you, then how about this pretentious description of the band;

"The Urinals........claimed L.A. as their home and played regularly with many of the aforementioned acts, though were too consciously intellectual to fit into that scene; yet they possessed the radical/Marxist chic of the San Fran school, the jagged deconstructionism of the NY No Wave set, and the minimalist garage churn of merry ol' England's Wire and The Fall."

Jagged Deconstructionism - now that kinda rolls off the tongue doesn't it?