NationStates Jolt Archive

Inspired by the help me pick a band name thread, I am just wondering what are some of the most thought provoking band names you guys have heard?

One of my favorites is Red Wanting Blue.

Honestly, what does that mean!!!! Is it an angry person desiring to be sad? Or does the color red just really want to be purple? Maybe this is just some sexual reference concerning two people making an entirely new person.

Though I'm interested in hearing band names you guys have heard of and what you think they might mean.


A totally meaningless one I like is No Use For A Name.

Grateful Dead

'Nuff said.

(Hey! That rhymes!!!)

Will post more when I think of some.

Death Cab for Cutie is a name with a nice ring to it.

Radiohead. What? How can that make any sense? Hey, I'm a dude with a radio for a head. Pleased to meet you, foreign friend Yalpdloc. I dunno.

Thievery Corporation. Great name. Meaning? None. Probably.

Gotan Project. Another great name for a group with fantastic 'hybrid' music, but hell if I know if it has a meaning.

To me, these names are simply those that are memorable, one way or the other. I don't feel there is much to look into in too many band-names, so it can generally boil down to an image to associate the music with, and for the most part, these guys have done a good job.

A fairly obvious meaning here, but I like it nonetheless - Fight Fire With Water.
Also, what the hell does Circle Takes The Square mean? Could make a board game round that...

His Hero Is Gone, Small Brown Bike, This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb, Reversal Of Man, Behead The Prophet, No Lord Shall Live and of course '...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead'.

Shame on you all! No one has yet mentioned the greatest band name in the history of recorded music! The Dead Kennedys.

I always thought "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes" was a cool name. I have no idea what their music is like, though.

Shame on you all! No one has yet mentioned the greatest band name in the history of recorded music! The Dead Kennedys.

Aye! :)

His Hero Is Gone, Small Brown Bike, This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb, Reversal Of Man, Behead The Prophet, No Lord Shall Live and of course '...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead'.

Definately a great band name!!!

I always thought Mudhoney was a cool name, as well. It's a contradiction...but it describes their sound perfectly.

I've always liked the name Godspeed You Black Emperor!

I can't say that I've ever heard anything by them though. :p

I always thought "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes" was a cool name. I have no idea what their music is like, though.
Punk versions of classic songs. For example, Nothing Compares 2 U, Stairway to Heaven, Blowin' in the Wind, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, etc, etc, etc. Well worth checking out. Especially the intro to Strawberry Fields Forever - 'Right, the next song was written by one of the most overrated bands of all time'.

The Butthole Surfers!

Death Cab for Cutie is a name with a nice ring to it.

Possibly, but it wasn't original with the band - thanks to the Bonzo Dog Band for the name, heck, it even made it into The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour movie.

Death Cab for Cutie is a name with a nice ring to it.



I agree, great name, but... (Music bore alert! :D) the name is taken from the title of a song by a band with a better name: The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. (Gotta love the 60's! Golden age of band names). Look them up, they are fantastic!

More names:
Wumpscut, Boards of Canada (I first heard it as 'Bored of Canada'...), Death By Stereo, Flogging Molly (poor Molly), The (International) Noise Conspiracy, Edna's Goldfish, Jack Off Jill, Pop Will Eat Itself (if only!).

I always thought "Me First and the Gimme Gimmes" was a cool name. I have no idea what their music is like, though.


AWESOME band-- all covers with a punk rock twist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on of my favorites

other weird names:

Dropkick Murphys
Flogging Molly
Social Distortion (always struck me as weird)

Possibly, but it wasn't original with the band - thanks to the Bonzo Dog Band for the name, heck, it even made it into The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour movie.

Damnit! There's two of us! :)

I agree, great name, but... (Music bore alert! :D) the name is taken from the title of a song by a band with a better name: The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. (Gotta love the 60's! Golden age of band names). Look them up, they are fantastic!

Ha! Beat you to the punch.

Flogging Molly
Haha! I beat you! :p I'm guessing you're a punk fan, then?

I've always liked the name Godspeed You Black Emperor!

I can't say that I've ever heard anything by them though. :p

Yeah, definitely. I have to check them out too. Their album titles catch my interest as well..."Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven", "F# A# oo"...


Punk versions of classic songs. For example, Nothing Compares 2 U, Stairway to Heaven, Blowin' in the Wind, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, etc, etc, etc. Well worth checking out. Especially the intro to Strawberry Fields Forever - 'Right, the next song was written by one of the most overrated bands of all time'.

Hmm....that sounds like something I might like. I'll pick up an album next time I see one for sale.

The Butthole Surfers!

Hehe :p

Hehe :p

The Sex Pistols :D.

*What, no MSN?

The (International) Noise Conspiracy

A cool name, but the music is a bit eh..it's okay, but Dennis Lyxzen was better in Refused.

AWESOME band-- all covers with a punk rock twist!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! on of my favorites

other weird names:

Dropkick Murphys
Flogging Molly
Social Distortion (always struck me as weird)

Those are all cool bands.

Helen Highwater and the Deluge

Haha! I beat you! :p I'm guessing you're a punk fan, then?


yes, you guess correctly :D

The Ominous Seapods. I don't think THEY even knew what the point of their name was.

A fairly obvious meaning here, but I like it nonetheless - Fight Fire With Water.
Also, what the hell does Circle Takes The Square mean? Could make a board game round that...

Circle Takes the Square is in reference to the phrase from Hollywood squares.

Some names I like that are somewhat mysterious:

Etiquette & Protocol
Sunny Day Real Estate
Minus the Bear
Soul Coughing
7 Seconds
Brad (a band that features no one named Brad)
Godspeed You Black Emperor


I'm sure I can think of others...

Hmm....that sounds like something I might like. I'll pick up an album next time I see one for sale.
Best albums are, IMO, Take A Break and Blow In The Wind, but if you want a good laugh, along with good music, get Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah.

The Sex Pistols :D.

*What, no MSN?

Meh, it's a name that is funny the first time, then loses its novelty value.

cbf signing on...

Meh, it's a name that is funny the first time, then loses its novelty value.

cbf signing on...

It does, yes, but then when you think about it...

Circle Takes the Square is in reference to the phrase from Hollywood squares.
Thanks...always wondered about that.

Minus the Bear
I don't know why, but I burst out laughing at that name. It's brilliant! :D

These Arms Are Snakes, Fear Before The March of Flames, stabyouintheheadandeatyourfaceoff, This Computer Kills.

I always quite liked the band name 'à;GRUMH' - pronounced as the sound of clearing your throat, even if it was a bit close to 'Mr. Luxury-Yacht/Mr. Throat-Wobbler-Mangrove'.


One of the best band name and artist combinations I can think of right now is The Happy Flowers which is comprised of Mr. Anus and Mr. Horribly Charred Infant.

Sickie Wifebeater from the band The Mentors is also a fantastic stagename.

Best albums are, IMO, Take A Break and Blow In The Wind, but if you want a good laugh, along with good music, get Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah.

Cool. I'll definitely put them on the list.


It does, yes, but then when you think about it...

Maybe, but why not call the band "Penis"? That remains ridiculous for a far longer period of time. It's more shocking to say "I'm listening to Penis." than "I'm listening to the Sex Pistols." :p

Maybe, but why not call the band "Penis"? That remains ridiculous for a far longer period of time. It's more shocking to say "I'm listening to Penis." than "I'm listening to the Sex Pistols." :p

Hahaha, true!

One of the best band name and artist combinations I can think of right now is The Happy Flowers which is comprised of Mr. Anus and Mr. Horribly Charred Infant.

Haha, I like that... :D

Maybe, but why not call the band "Penis"?

cf. Bleeding Rectum and the aforementioned Anal ****.

led zepplin. cool.

and Kingdom Come... but only cos one of their albums was called "In Your Face"
(...Come In Your Face... gettit? ah nevermind :P )

Maybe, but why not call the band "Penis"? That remains ridiculous for a far longer period of time. It's more shocking to say "I'm listening to Penis." than "I'm listening to the Sex Pistols.
Because there's beauty in subtlety. "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" is a little bit more creative than "Never Mind the Balls Here's the Dick."

You're right, it might be more 'shocking' but it's also remarkably more stupid and sophomoric.

Haha, I like that... :D

The late great John Peal always took great joy in being able to reel off these names whenever he got to play them on the radio.

Oh, and fuck Led Zeppelin!

The Who >>>>> Zep

cf. Bleeding Rectum and the aforementioned Anal ****.

LOL!

At least the name "Sex Pistols" means something (they started in the shop called 'Sex', and 'Pistols' was taken from one of McLaren's shirts). Those names are just ridiculous (and funny)!

cf. Bleeding Rectum and the aforementioned Anal ****.

Yeah, but less hardcore than that. I can see a band named "Penis" as possibly achieving limited radio airplay.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Einstürzende Neubauten ("Exploding New Buildings")


more(!) obscure examples might include...

The Danish ambient forest music project "Of the Wand & the Moon"

and the Russian troll/drinking metal band Тролль Гнёт Ель ("Troll Bends Fir")

led zepplin. cool.

and Kingdom Come... but only cos one of their albums was called "In Your Face"
(...Come In Your Face... gettit? ah nevermind :P )

Not as good an LP title as Flux Of Pink Indians' classic The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks.

Because there's beauty in subtlety. "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" is a little bit more creative than "Never Mind the Balls Here's the Dick."

You're right, it might be more 'shocking' but it's also remarkably more stupid and sophomoric.

Truth.

Thanks...always wondered about that.


I don't know why, but I burst out laughing at that name. It's brilliant! :D

If you think the band name is brilliant, take a look at some of their song titles:

Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse
We are not a Football Team
Let's play guitar in a 5 guitar band

The titles have nothing to do with the music (which is hands down amazing), but it does add to the character of the band.

Einstürzende Neubauten (Exploding New Buildings)

Collapsing New Buildings, shurley?

Not as good an LP title as Flux Of Pink Indians' classic The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks.
i think kingdom come's was slightly more subtle :p

Yeah, but less hardcore than that. I can see a band named "Penis" as possibly achieving limited radio airplay.

I did encounter a band called PEN15 once...

i think kingdom come's was slightly more subtle :p

Subtlety is over-rated.

Because there's beauty in subtlety. "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" is a little bit more creative than "Never Mind the Balls Here's the Dick."

You're right, it might be more 'shocking' but it's also remarkably more stupid and sophomoric.

I don't think there's anything subtle about the name "Sex Pistols". That name is about as subtle as a nuclear explosion. It has an instant image of...well, a cock. "Penis" is a stupid band name, but no more ridiculous than the Sex Pistols, I don't think. Though you are correct that "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" is the better band name.

Collapsing New Buildings, shurley?

er, well, probably, I don't actually speak German that well :rolleyes: Still a cool name. :p

A few band names I thought were particularly amusing thusfar that I haven't seen mentioned...


-Mindless Self Indulgence
-Electric Eel Shock
-Melt Banana

I don't think there's anything subtle about the name "Sex Pistols". That name is about as subtle as a nuclear explosion. It has an instant image of...well, a cock. "Penis" is a stupid band name, but no more ridiculous than the Sex Pistols, I don't think. Though you are correct that "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols" is the better band name.
lol reminds me of Motorhead's original name: Bastard :p

I forgot to add Sigur Ros

Granted the name isn't weird for an Icelandic ambient band...but the fact that they had an album without a title or song names was awesome. And they refuse to speak in a language anyone (even Icelanders) can understand.

I've resisted this long, but I can't anymore: 65daysofstatic. I'm buggered if I know what it's meant to mean. But check some of the song titles as well - install a beak in the heart that clucks time in arabic (they don't do capital letters...); this cat is a landmine; massive star at the end of its burning cycle; the major cities of the world are being destroyed one by one by the monsters.

The Presidents of the United States of America

Murphy's Law

Random Acts of Violence

i have more.....

The Brown Dot...
It's a danish band

;) Other favourites include: The Divine Comedy; Jilted John; We Might Be Giants; Lead Zeplin (Someone once compared their futire career to the path of a lead balloon); Less than Jake (Who the hell is Jake?); Supertramp and of course The Who (don't forget the The!)

Some other good names are highlighted in a sketch, related to The Who which my Dad used to tell me about (I should probably stress I am only 22 ;) ):

"The Who are coming to play a gig tomorrow."
"Who?"
"Yes."
"Yes are coming?"
"No, The Who!"
"Oh, them"
"No, not Them! The Who!"
"Who?"
"Yes!"
etc.
:)

Also check out : http://www.amiright.com/names/origins/ some prety cool origin stories.

-Melt Banana

Melt Banana are awesome! :p

The Bronx Casket Company...oh hell, just read this link. i dont want to pretend like i have actually most of these bands' music

http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/quotes/funnyband.html

Melt Banana are awesome! :p

Indeed they are. If you have a chance to see the live show and you don't mind getting freaked out, I totally recommend it. ;)

Indeed they are. If you have a chance to see the live show and you don't mind getting freaked out, I totally recommend it. ;)

Haha...odds they'll tour here are pretty slim, though. But you never know.

Ken's Korean Kookout

or

Nip on (Nippon) in

;) Other favourites include: The Divine Comedy; Jilted John; We Might Be Giants; Led Zeplin (Someone once compared their futire career to the path of a lead balloon);
Fixed!

How about B-Sharp? Featuring Homer, Apu, Skinner and Wiggum (later replaced by Barney).

Melt Banana are awesome! :p

Don't they have a split with the Locust?

The The.

Originally Posted by Acad-emia
Other favourites include: The Divine Comedy; Jilted John; We Might Be Giants; Led Zeplin (Someone once compared their futire career to the path of a lead balloon) Fixed!
Not quite - Led Zeppelin.

Oh, and fuck Led Zeppelin!

The Who >>>>> Zep

Led Zeppelin > you.

Don't they have a split with the Locust?

I think so. Rings a bell, anyway.


Not quite - Led Zeppelin.

Hehe, thankyou. I'm pretty sure that's the most mispelled band name of all time.

my friends had a Def Lepperd tribute band called- We Only Do this toGet Laid. they made shirts and everything. then a casino said to change the name,or they couldnt play. so they broke up.

The Mars Volta.





(also there was once an obscure electro band called just 'Mars Volta').

A nifty trivia point about "Boards Of Canada". They took that name because the source they sample more extensively than anything else for their sound is old Film Board Of Canada nature documentaries.

But anyway, on to other nifty band names.

(I'll start with bands where people get bonus points for figuring out what the reference is)
spdfgh
Five Thousand Fingers Of Dr T
Uriah Heep
Mr Bungle
Fantomas
The Bloodhound Gang
DJ Danger Mouse
Stanford Prison Experiment

(then the rest)
The Celibate Rifles
Machinegun Fellatio
Crazy Penis
The Swollen Members
Rocket Science
Midnight Oil
Limozeen

Shame on you all! No one has yet mentioned the greatest band name in the history of recorded music! The Dead Kennedys.
Agreed. I have a Dead Kennedys shirt.

Agreed. I have a Dead Kennedys shirt.

yeah, they are great...and are actually here, in the US, next month :D

yeah, they are great...and are actually here, in the US, next month :D

Ugh, don't go see them- they're not really worth it without Biafra anyway, but I heard that they opened up a concert with a "We'd just like to say that we support everything President Bush has been doing to fight the War on Terrorism". They were booed off stage.

Ordinarily their politics wouldn't be a problem (music is music, after all...Generally the politics don't bother me, unless they're Nazi's) but it's out of principle...to see such a legendary band turn its back on its original ideals...the ideals which, for many, were part of the attraction...and then sell their music out for the purpose of making a quick buck rather than carrying any real message behind it is simply terrible. :(

I always liked the name "The Art of Noise"

An a current German Band is called: "Banana Fishbone"

Yeah, but less hardcore than that. I can see a band named "Penis" as possibly achieving limited radio airplay.

Imagine if they were called "My Penis".

"Kelly, what's the loud music?!"

"Shut up, I'm listening to my penis!"

Ugh, don't go see them- they're not really worth it without Biafra anyway, but I heard that they opened up a concert with a "We'd just like to say that we support everything President Bush has been doing to fight the War on Terrorism". They were booed off stage.

Ordinarily their politics wouldn't be a problem (music is music, after all...Generally the politics don't bother me, unless they're Nazi's) but it's out of principle...to see such a legendary band turn its back on its original ideals...the ideals which, for many, were part of the attraction...and then sell their music out for the purpose of making a quick buck rather than carrying any real message behind it is simply terrible. :(
True. I saw them last year in Bristol. They're ok, but that's it. Mind you, there was the classic exchange between drummer and crowd - 'Is Bristol a racist town?' 'No, it's a city!'

Imagine if they were called "My Penis".

"Kelly, what's the loud music?!"

"Shut up, I'm listening to my penis!"

Even better- "Your Penis".

True. I saw them last year in Bristol. They're ok, but that's it. Mind you, there was the classic exchange between drummer and crowd - 'Is Bristol a racist town?' 'No, it's a city!'

Heh. They toured here a while back, but I didn't bother.

Some of the ones I'd have said have already been taken, but here's a few:
the Lunachicks
My Bloody Valentine
Suicide
Stabbing Westward
Switchblade Symphony

Even better- "Your Penis".That would be even better, that way fans of the band could say "I love Your Penis!"


Shame on you all! No one has yet mentioned the greatest band name in the history of recorded music! The Dead Kennedys.Now if only we could get you to like their message, also. :)

Brad (a band that features no one named Brad)I read an interview with one of them. Brad has a member of Pearl Jam in it, and when they decided to form a band, they wanted to call it Shame. So they called the singer of Shame, Brad something or other to ask to use his name. He said okay, but then he found out that a member of Pearl Jam would be in the band, so he wanted a bunch of money. Instead, they just took his name, and called their first album Shame.

That would be even better, that way fans of the band could say "I love Your Penis!"

Your Penis rules!! :D

True. I saw them last year in Bristol. They're ok, but that's it. Mind you, there was the classic exchange between drummer and crowd - 'Is Bristol a racist town?' 'No, it's a city!'

Bad sign when a heckle from the crowd is the most memorable part of the evening.

That would be even better, that way fans of the band could say "I love Your Penis!"

Haha, that triggered a memory...

A couple of years ago, one of my friends out of nowhere said "I love you too". After a moment of stunned awkwardness, "Oh shit! I meant the band!" (U2) :p


I read an interview with one of them. Brad has a member of Pearl Jam in it, and when they decided to form a band, they wanted to call it Shame. So they called the singer of Shame, Brad something or other to ask to use his name. He said okay, but then he found out that a member of Pearl Jam would be in the band, so he wanted a bunch of money. Instead, they just took his name, and called their first album Shame.

Ha!

Great band names:

Refused
Jawbreaker
Glassjaw
Iron Maiden
10,000 Maniacs
Millions Of Dead Cops
Million Dead
Hell Is For Heroes

Punk versions of classic songs. For example, Nothing Compares 2 U, Stairway to Heaven, Blowin' in the Wind, Don't Cry For Me Argentina, etc, etc, etc. Well worth checking out. Especially the intro to Strawberry Fields Forever - 'Right, the next song was written by one of the most overrated bands of all time'.


"This is a song we wrote about a year ago, you may remember it, it's called Johnny be Good.... I swear I wrote this..."



Ha, classic.

"The Superjesus" is a kickass band name.

Ugh, don't go see them- they're not really worth it without Biafra anyway, but I heard that they opened up a concert with a "We'd just like to say that we support everything President Bush has been doing to fight the War on Terrorism". They were booed off stage.

Ordinarily their politics wouldn't be a problem (music is music, after all...Generally the politics don't bother me, unless they're Nazi's) but it's out of principle...to see such a legendary band turn its back on its original ideals...the ideals which, for many, were part of the attraction...and then sell their music out for the purpose of making a quick buck rather than carrying any real message behind it is simply terrible. :(

understand the selling out portion, but I actually agree with the politics, so....that and the tickets are dirt cheap- may never get a chance to see them again, figured I'd jump at the chance

Bellybuttons from Outer Space
Spargelcore
Deaf Oxxel

"The Superjesus" is a kickass band name.

Yeah, but they're boring.

Yeah, but they're boring.


That point I don't contest.