Dear Santa,
The club listings are a little thin this week, so instead of picking favorites, I'm making another kind of list. A wish list, of band names I'd like to see. Maybe in 2011?
Greenwood Academy of Hair
The beauty school has closed, but the name could live on as a metal band -- or a venue!
Human Blood Rush
The first time I saw this on a box at the Puget Sound Blood Center, I thought, "Brutal."
Sack o' Hamsters
Just cuz.
Talents West
Another local business that could have a second life. This would also be a good name for a local record label.
White Creek Grange
The vacant and weathered grange hall, with wind turbines in the background marching off for miles in either direction, sits at the crossroads of the Old West and sci fi. I'm thinking techno-country.
I'll be watching for these in the new year.
Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are listed alphabetically. Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won't know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times club listings for abundant source material!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Saturday, December 18, 2010
December 18, 2010
It's not even Christmas yet, and I've already received the gift of TOO MANY GOOD BAND NAMES!!! I have bravely narrowed this week's abundance to these lucky few:
The Dead Kenny G's
This one is great on so many levels, harking back to a great old punk band name while also poking fun at a local boy. There's always room for poor taste . . .
Dirt Worshipper
The name is funny, and the band was apparently playing two gigs in the same night, which wins my attention and respect.
Nearly Dan
When perusing the club listings on Friday night, this was the first band name to catch my eye, and it just stuck with me. It cleverly references another band, and being "nearly" anyone is funny on its own.
Pickwick
Trespassers William
These two both get the nod for literary allusions to a couple of favorite books. Music and books go together like books and music.
The Dead Kenny G's
This one is great on so many levels, harking back to a great old punk band name while also poking fun at a local boy. There's always room for poor taste . . .
Dirt Worshipper
The name is funny, and the band was apparently playing two gigs in the same night, which wins my attention and respect.
Nearly Dan
When perusing the club listings on Friday night, this was the first band name to catch my eye, and it just stuck with me. It cleverly references another band, and being "nearly" anyone is funny on its own.
Pickwick
Trespassers William
These two both get the nod for literary allusions to a couple of favorite books. Music and books go together like books and music.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
December 11, 2010
Playing music is a creative act, but so is forming a band and naming it. I like to reward creativity where I find it. Here is what I found in this week's listings:
Afraid of Figs
My Greek's rusty -- would this be "phiggophobia"? I like this one because it has nothing obvious to do with music, and seems so unlikely. Figs are more comical than frightening, and the disconnect makes it work. That, and the repeated "f" sound.
Angry Snowmans
Nice seasonal touch, with a twist. I'm thinking of the Killer Monster Snow Goons on Calvin's front step. The incorrect plural adds a touch of childlike sweetness . . . or is it spine-tingling peril?
Felonius Funk
I love the sly reference, as well as the implication that they're so funky, it's illegal.
Idaho Meth Project
Apologies to the actual Idaho Meth Project non-profit. Meth isn't funny . . . but Idaho is. Thanks to EMP, any name that goes "something something Project" is automatically funny in Seattle. Idaho just pushes this over the top.
Siegfried vs. the Giant
Hooray for Norse mythology geeks! Siegfried is my favorite big dumb hero.
Afraid of Figs
My Greek's rusty -- would this be "phiggophobia"? I like this one because it has nothing obvious to do with music, and seems so unlikely. Figs are more comical than frightening, and the disconnect makes it work. That, and the repeated "f" sound.
Angry Snowmans
Nice seasonal touch, with a twist. I'm thinking of the Killer Monster Snow Goons on Calvin's front step. The incorrect plural adds a touch of childlike sweetness . . . or is it spine-tingling peril?
Felonius Funk
I love the sly reference, as well as the implication that they're so funky, it's illegal.
Idaho Meth Project
Apologies to the actual Idaho Meth Project non-profit. Meth isn't funny . . . but Idaho is. Thanks to EMP, any name that goes "something something Project" is automatically funny in Seattle. Idaho just pushes this over the top.
Siegfried vs. the Giant
Hooray for Norse mythology geeks! Siegfried is my favorite big dumb hero.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
December 4, 2010
Although I had an embarrassment of riches to choose from, I was blessed with several automatic selections of beloved names I've been eager to see again. And not one, but two bands I've actually heard! It was difficult to exclude the runners-up, but I'm sure they will have their chance another day.
Curtains for You
Full disclosure: I'd heard of this band years before I saw them at the Columbia City Theatre (which has a stage with actual curtains), and the keyboard player has visited my house. But I think I would list them even if that weren't so. I like how the name references another era and aspect of American pop culture. (I tend to pronounce it "coitains" like the gangsters in old Bugs Bunny cartoons.)
Jefferson Death Star
This one made the whole family laugh out loud, an automatic winner. Rock music and Star Wars came into my life at around the same time, so this kind of intersection will always get my attention.
Ocelot Omelet
I like ocelots and omelets, though not necessarily together. This one is goofy and kind of gross, with the fun of both assonance between the opening Os and alliteration between the closing Ts. An unlikely pair but made for each other.
Ravenna Woods
I saw this band on the same bill with Curtains for You and can attest that they put on a great show. They make the list for neighborhood-level local flavor. In fact, the name implies that they're my neighbors.
ThorNton Creek
Likewise. I would expect to see Thornton Creek and Ravenna Woods on the same bill at Meadowbrook Pond. This is local music at its localest.
Curtains for You
Full disclosure: I'd heard of this band years before I saw them at the Columbia City Theatre (which has a stage with actual curtains), and the keyboard player has visited my house. But I think I would list them even if that weren't so. I like how the name references another era and aspect of American pop culture. (I tend to pronounce it "coitains" like the gangsters in old Bugs Bunny cartoons.)
Jefferson Death Star
This one made the whole family laugh out loud, an automatic winner. Rock music and Star Wars came into my life at around the same time, so this kind of intersection will always get my attention.
Ocelot Omelet
I like ocelots and omelets, though not necessarily together. This one is goofy and kind of gross, with the fun of both assonance between the opening Os and alliteration between the closing Ts. An unlikely pair but made for each other.
Ravenna Woods
I saw this band on the same bill with Curtains for You and can attest that they put on a great show. They make the list for neighborhood-level local flavor. In fact, the name implies that they're my neighbors.
ThorNton Creek
Likewise. I would expect to see Thornton Creek and Ravenna Woods on the same bill at Meadowbrook Pond. This is local music at its localest.
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