How cool is it that The Sonics got written up in The New Yorker? And they're playing next Thursday with Mudhoney at the Moore -- killer lineup of killer lineups! That's only one of many great shows I'm likely to miss this week, though I hope to get out Sunday for Canals of Venice's mini-musical, Martha Jane.
Meanwhile, these names stood out from the crowd:
!!! (Chk Chk Chk)
A sound effect spelled with punctuation is already pretty great, but including the translation is a nice courtesy. "Chk chk chk" is exactly the processed hi-hat sound used in dance music since the disco era.
Butterflies of Death
You've no doubt heard that a butterfly flapping its wings can lead to a hurricane on the other side of the world. Specifically, these butterflies.
Craft Spells
Artisanal magic from hipster witches.
Hippo Campus
I have long imagined a Sandra Boynton cartoon of a college for hippos. Now they have a band to play for their house parties.
The Velvet Teen
Once seen, it seems so obvious, but somehow I never noticed that "velveteen" has the word "teen" embedded in it. Will this kid become Real as the fuzz gets loved off?
My fiction and blogging projects collide in "St. Rage," the 13th release in the Pankhearst Singles Club.
This story of an all-girl teenage garage band with superpowers is
short, it's funny, and it's only $ .99. If you like "St. Rage," please
like St. Rage on Facebook and go listen to their first demo, "Huge Guy in the Mosh Pit."
I play drums in a band called Your Mother Should Know. Our album Rocks and Glass is available now on Bandcamp.
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!
Showing posts with label mudhoney. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mudhoney. Show all posts
Saturday, March 28, 2015
Saturday, February 2, 2013
February 2, 2013
Happy Groundhog Day! I'm very excited to go hear The Sonics and Mudhoney tonight! Musically, I missed the '60s because I was a child, and the '90s because I had children. Most kind of these two bands to do a show together for my convenience! They are among the few I've blogged about after hearing their music. Here are some I've yet to hear:
Acapulco Lips
I was sorry to miss Red Ribbon's show at the Rendezvous last week, moreso when I learned the name of the opening act. On the page, it looks like silly nonsense, but has to be read aloud to really sink in. On top of the wordplay (for me, at least), it brings to mind Walt Kelly's Pogo strip, in which "Octawocktapockers done got Albert!"
Impossible Bird
Come to think of it, everything birds do seems impossible. They fly, soar, swoop, and flock without even thinking about it; snag mosquitoes out of the air; perch on branches and power lines without losing their balance; see colors that are invisible to us; migrate incredible distances. I'll stop there. Birds are awesome.
Rose Windows
Do they transform the venue into a cathedral? This would also make a good stage name.
The Shivering Denizens
I can't believe I haven't included this one before. I'm always happy to find the word "denizens" in use, and "shivering" seems like just the right adjective.
Train Wreck
Can't look away! A spectacle even when all goes wrong. Also, I tend to notice train references, due both to my lifelong fondness for trains, and to my folk-music project, Train Case.
Acapulco Lips
I was sorry to miss Red Ribbon's show at the Rendezvous last week, moreso when I learned the name of the opening act. On the page, it looks like silly nonsense, but has to be read aloud to really sink in. On top of the wordplay (for me, at least), it brings to mind Walt Kelly's Pogo strip, in which "Octawocktapockers done got Albert!"
Impossible Bird
Come to think of it, everything birds do seems impossible. They fly, soar, swoop, and flock without even thinking about it; snag mosquitoes out of the air; perch on branches and power lines without losing their balance; see colors that are invisible to us; migrate incredible distances. I'll stop there. Birds are awesome.
Rose Windows
Do they transform the venue into a cathedral? This would also make a good stage name.
The Shivering Denizens
I can't believe I haven't included this one before. I'm always happy to find the word "denizens" in use, and "shivering" seems like just the right adjective.
Train Wreck
Can't look away! A spectacle even when all goes wrong. Also, I tend to notice train references, due both to my lifelong fondness for trains, and to my folk-music project, Train Case.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
November 10, 2012
I'm feeling pretty happy about the election -- both the outcome and that it's over. Now we can devote ourselves to more important things, like getting tickets to hear the Sonics and Mudhoney in February! Here's who wins my vote this week:
Corpse of a Rotting Hottie
OK, yuck, but it really trips off the tongue. What really makes it is the surprise pairing of two words that shouldn't go together but almost rhyme.
Stuperhero
If it gets a laugh on first sight, it's probably going into the blog. I grew up surrounded by comic books, and the idea of a dumb superhero has great appeal.
Two Cow Garage
We already have backyard chickens and goats in Seattle. This is the next logical step.
Vice Device
Wire Choir
Both of these get in for having two words that rhyme, and for rhyming the same way. I really hoped to find five with a similar pattern so I could have a theme, but that rarely works.
Corpse of a Rotting Hottie
OK, yuck, but it really trips off the tongue. What really makes it is the surprise pairing of two words that shouldn't go together but almost rhyme.
Stuperhero
If it gets a laugh on first sight, it's probably going into the blog. I grew up surrounded by comic books, and the idea of a dumb superhero has great appeal.
Two Cow Garage
We already have backyard chickens and goats in Seattle. This is the next logical step.
Vice Device
Wire Choir
Both of these get in for having two words that rhyme, and for rhyming the same way. I really hoped to find five with a similar pattern so I could have a theme, but that rarely works.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
October 22, 2011
Even though the Fastbacks had to cancel, I'm looking forward to the Mudhoney show at Neumo's tonight. I mostly missed the '90s, so it's nice to have another shot.
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
I'm a sucker for names that are impractically long, and this is also a comical image. Just picture giant pandas doing anything worthy of the name "guerilla."
Methamfeta Cheese
A favorite category of wordplay -- starts someplace sinister, ends up someplace silly or even comforting. That said, this must be some pretty powerful cheese.
Mudhoney
I seldom blog about big-name bands, but I loved this name from the start, even if I didn't hear the music until recently. It has that melding of filth and sweetness, and the repeated schwa sound makes it plop off the tongue in a satisfying way.
Psychedelephant
See Methamfeta Cheese, above. Same deal but with pachyderms. If you see this, you've had enough.
Robot PI
This reminded me of when one of the resident youths was in 8th grade and had an assignment to write a detective story. He preferred sci-fi because he wanted his protagonist to be a cyborg. I assured him there was no rule against a cyborg detective, so that's what he wrote about.
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
I'm a sucker for names that are impractically long, and this is also a comical image. Just picture giant pandas doing anything worthy of the name "guerilla."
Methamfeta Cheese
A favorite category of wordplay -- starts someplace sinister, ends up someplace silly or even comforting. That said, this must be some pretty powerful cheese.
Mudhoney
I seldom blog about big-name bands, but I loved this name from the start, even if I didn't hear the music until recently. It has that melding of filth and sweetness, and the repeated schwa sound makes it plop off the tongue in a satisfying way.
Psychedelephant
See Methamfeta Cheese, above. Same deal but with pachyderms. If you see this, you've had enough.
Robot PI
This reminded me of when one of the resident youths was in 8th grade and had an assignment to write a detective story. He preferred sci-fi because he wanted his protagonist to be a cyborg. I assured him there was no rule against a cyborg detective, so that's what he wrote about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)