Saturday, December 31, 2011

December 31, 2011

Happy New Year! I hope that 2012 will bring many more notable band names. This week's picks:

Down with People
This could be an anti-people protest slogan or a statement of support: "I'm totally down with them." I like the ambiguity.

Feeding Frenzy
Energetic and messy, like the best rock music. I chose this one because of an emerging shark theme (see People Tank, below). I understand that sharks have more to fear from us than we from them, but I still wouldn't want to get caught in a feeding frenzy. Down with people, indeed.


Le Shat Noir
A cat is implied, and the French lends elegance, but it's still gross. Somebody clean that litter box!

People Tank
What the shark villain threatens the hero with in shark spy fiction. They have more to fear from us than we from them.


Pierced Arrows
I read about this band and got interested in them before I realized what a great name they have. Nice reference to a classic car that younger fans might not even recognize. I have to support punk rockers in their 60s -- makes me feel like a young whippersnapper!

Saturday, December 24, 2011

December 24, 2011

Merry Christmas! Not many shows this week, but Santa brought a handful of winners: one seasonal, the rest decidedly not.

Death Polka
I've heard of a dance of death, but I never pictured it accompanied by jolly oom-pah music.


The Donner Vixens
Christmas-y, yet of questionable taste in so many ways! (Insert your own cannibal joke here). I heard this week that if Santa's reindeer are as usually portrayed, with full antlers in mid-winter, they're all female. So I really hope this is a girl group.

Full Toilet
This may be the grossest band name I've encountered, because we've all seen it. But it made me laugh.


Leadership by Assault
My wish for 2012 is that this is not what we get.

Redneck Girlfriend
This partners nicely with my favorite Young Fresh Fellows song, "Hillbilly Drummer Girl."

Saturday, December 17, 2011

December 17, 2011

It's been a long week and I don't have many brain cells left, so let's get straight to the list:

All Stars No Stripes Band
I like the double meaning of "stars" that lets the name go off in an unexpected direction.


Grunge Tree
So that's where it comes from! In the '90s, there must have been a whole orchard.


Pink Freud
Rock band as analyst? "Tell me about pink, Mr. Floyd . . ." 

Screaming Sons of
I love the bitten-off expletive as band name. Finish it how you will.


Sugar Burger
A weird but sweet term of endearment, in the same category as "Little Cabbage."

Saturday, December 10, 2011

December 10, 2011

I had the privilege to hear the James King Trio last night at University Temple United Methodist Church, playing kickass bluegrass gospel. The name is nothing special, but the music? Whew! Mandolin = lead guitar, banjo = bass, and all versions of rock, country, and blues boil down to one beautiful root.

The names I like this week:

The Aimlows
This one has great slacker cred. I like the celebration of low expectations.

Betty Ford Falcons
As I know I've admitted before, I have a soft spot for this kind of name that starts off it one direction and ends up somewhere else, in only three words. Plus, my sister-in-law used to own a late-'60s Ford Falcon Futura with a Detonators bumper sticker, so I have nostalgic fondness for the model.


Heterosapien
These guys should be playing with Hobosexual. Is it the same guys?!

Mansions on the Moon
 Nice. I'd settle for a spaceport, but hey, dream big! It's always a beautiful day on the moon . . .

Yamn
My hands-down favorite this week -- the final 'n' seals it. (We're having yams for dinner tonight).

Saturday, December 3, 2011

December 3, 2011

If I weren't going to a holiday party tonight (and if I had an extra $15 kicking around) I'd want to be at the Triple Door to hear The Tripwires and The Young Fresh Fellows! I won't get out to hear any of these bands, either, but I wish them well on the strength of names alone:

Green Pajamas
"Pajamas" evokes homey comfort and childlike sweetness, but "green" somehow gives it a weirder edge. I don't think I've ever had green pajamas, even though green is one of my favorite colors to wear. Now I want some.

Loathsome Couple
I've loved the word "loathsome" ever since Calvin asked Suzie Derkins to guess what he had in his hands and she asked, "Is it loathsome?"

Polkadot Cadaver
Grouped as it was with more sinister sounding bands, this one cracked me up. The polkadots make even a cadaver seem cheery and festive.

The Sound of Speed
I don't think I ever noticed before that the familiar phrase could be switched and still make sense. The sound of speed is probably "Whoosh!" or "Zoom!" but now I want to know, what is the light of speed?


Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin 
As noted previously, I'm a sucker for names that are a little too long for convenience. As a bonus, this one's even a complete sentence and includes a historical figure.