The first post of spring! Rain is falling, trees are budding, the grass is growing and it's too wet to mow. This week's list is a little shaggy that way, too: four bands and a lineup I'd like to see.
Dead Uncle Steamer, Dead Relatives, Death in the Family
What a dismal reunion this would be. (These bands are all playing at the Funhouse, and two of them appear with previous honoree Rat City Ruckus, so it's possible, even probable, that they already know each other or even share some personnel.)
Man Without Ax
What is a man without his ax? It's almost too sad to contemplate, especially in a rock band. Unless you're a tree, in which case, it's a dream come true. (Unfortunately, this seems to be typo in the listings -- it's actually Man Without Wax, which is not nearly as sad.)
Paper Machete
It starts out arts & crafts, and ends up a Robert Rodriguez flick. This kind of wordplay just makes me happy.
Sedna
I have a character named Sedna in the backstory of a science fiction novel, so I had to include this one. For my own sci-fi reasons, I'd like to see them on a bill with Out Like Pluto; if Pluto is out, Sedna's even further out.
Yarn Owl
The name sounds great, and evokes a macrame wall-hanging my mom made back in the '70s. I'm also charmed that the rest of the lineup includes The Brambles and Legendary Oaks. It's a nice forest vibe. They're probably happy about the man without ax.
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!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
March 19, 2011
Thanks to Spinning Whips, Ancient Warlocks, and Koko & the Sweetmeats for a memorable St. Patrick's Day! Now it's Saturday again, and time for a brand new list of winners.
Abandon Kansas
During tornado season, this is probably good advice. I love the balanced assonance of schwa, short a, schwa, short a, schwa that makes it fun and easy to say.
Dog Shredder
One of the resident cats thinks this applies to her. I imagine it's brutal and raucous.
Last of the Steam Powered Trains
I have an enduring soft spot for absurdly long band names, and for steam trains, so this was an easy pick.
The Mother Hips
I never noticed before how easily the sci-fi stalwart, "mother ship," can be transformed into a woman's ongoing struggle. Suddenly those hips seem cooler!
Potty Mouth Society
Juvenile humor gets organized. (I doubt we have much to worry about).
Abandon Kansas
During tornado season, this is probably good advice. I love the balanced assonance of schwa, short a, schwa, short a, schwa that makes it fun and easy to say.
Dog Shredder
One of the resident cats thinks this applies to her. I imagine it's brutal and raucous.
Last of the Steam Powered Trains
I have an enduring soft spot for absurdly long band names, and for steam trains, so this was an easy pick.
The Mother Hips
I never noticed before how easily the sci-fi stalwart, "mother ship," can be transformed into a woman's ongoing struggle. Suddenly those hips seem cooler!
Potty Mouth Society
Juvenile humor gets organized. (I doubt we have much to worry about).
Saturday, March 12, 2011
March 12, 2011
Lots of Irish-sounding acts in the listings for next week, but not in my post. This Square Pig will be heading out to the Columbia City Theatre on Thursday for Spinning Whips and Ancient Warlocks. I love it when my honorees team up!
The Lunasphere
Since childhood, I've had a special fondness for the moon. I think this may be because people went there before I started school, so I knew it could be done without knowing how hard it was. Now that I write sci-fi, my fondness has increased. The Lunasphere sounds like where I've been spending a lot of time lately, and only partly because it's so close to "lunacy."
People in the Future Recording Co.
I have a soft spot for absurdly long names like this one. And recorded sound is a form of time travel, but of people in the past. This will require some thought.
Pocket Panda
This is just so darned cute! Real pandas are adorable, but huge. A pocket version is genius. (Pocket Panda has been a runner-up several times before, so I'm glad to finally list them.)
Ravens Rant
All the corvids have extensive vocabularies, particularly suited for rants. I once wrote, "When a raven cast its bright, knowing eyes on a mere human, the contempt was palpable. The raven was no silly flutterer, hurrying here and there. Hearing the slow, deep whuooomh whuooomh of its wingbeats, any earthbound creature had to acknowledge that someone great had passed over." When you've been scolded by a raven, you know it.
A Silent Film
I love the audacity of a rock band with "silent" in its name. But film and music have had an intimate association from the start, so it really works.
The Lunasphere
Since childhood, I've had a special fondness for the moon. I think this may be because people went there before I started school, so I knew it could be done without knowing how hard it was. Now that I write sci-fi, my fondness has increased. The Lunasphere sounds like where I've been spending a lot of time lately, and only partly because it's so close to "lunacy."
People in the Future Recording Co.
I have a soft spot for absurdly long names like this one. And recorded sound is a form of time travel, but of people in the past. This will require some thought.
Pocket Panda
This is just so darned cute! Real pandas are adorable, but huge. A pocket version is genius. (Pocket Panda has been a runner-up several times before, so I'm glad to finally list them.)
Ravens Rant
All the corvids have extensive vocabularies, particularly suited for rants. I once wrote, "When a raven cast its bright, knowing eyes on a mere human, the contempt was palpable. The raven was no silly flutterer, hurrying here and there. Hearing the slow, deep whuooomh whuooomh of its wingbeats, any earthbound creature had to acknowledge that someone great had passed over." When you've been scolded by a raven, you know it.
A Silent Film
I love the audacity of a rock band with "silent" in its name. But film and music have had an intimate association from the start, so it really works.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
March 5, 2011
No theme this week, just another crop of great band names. A few of them would make great line-ups, so I've listed them together as single selections.
Atheist and Deicide
Of course, one who knowingly commits deicide cannot claim to be an atheist. But it would be fun to see these two battle it out: "There is no God" vs "There was a God, but I killed her."
Brahms and Conducting from the Grave
Conducting from the grave beats the heck out of rolling over in it.
The Flying Tortugas and The Whoopsie Daisies
These two really are on the same bill, next Thursday at the Blue Moon Tavern, and I wish I could be there. This kind of whimsy needs to be encouraged.
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
This is probably a bad idea, but saying it sure clears the phlegm.
The Shrapnelles
I try not to play favorites, but I have to admit this one is my favorite this week. I applaud the ability to evoke, in one word, Phil Spector's girl groups and shredding metal. This I've got to hear.
Atheist and Deicide
Of course, one who knowingly commits deicide cannot claim to be an atheist. But it would be fun to see these two battle it out: "There is no God" vs "There was a God, but I killed her."
Brahms and Conducting from the Grave
Conducting from the grave beats the heck out of rolling over in it.
The Flying Tortugas and The Whoopsie Daisies
These two really are on the same bill, next Thursday at the Blue Moon Tavern, and I wish I could be there. This kind of whimsy needs to be encouraged.
A Hawk and a Hacksaw
This is probably a bad idea, but saying it sure clears the phlegm.
The Shrapnelles
I try not to play favorites, but I have to admit this one is my favorite this week. I applaud the ability to evoke, in one word, Phil Spector's girl groups and shredding metal. This I've got to hear.
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