I'm writing a novel featuring an all-girl teenage garage band. It started out as a repository for the band names (including the title band, St. Rage) and song titles (such as "Half a Bus Closer to Home" and "Huge Guy in the Mosh Pit") that come to me all too easily but would otherwise never get used. Then I decided to try writing the songs. I get better results with a fictional songwriter than if I tried to write them as me! Since I still don't have the knack for coming up with tunes, it takes two of us to actually finish writing the songs. (Shout out to my brother & bandmate Neal and Your Mother Should Know for making this a reality!) This means I get to say things like, "I wrote this song but I don't know how it goes." That situation usually doesn't last long.We're still working on how to get this fictional band out in public.
These, as far as I know, are not fictional:
As It Is
It's hard to go wrong with a short phrase about the state of reality. Not a wasted letter or syllable, either.
Gothsicles
I love how the dark and gloomy opening is undercut by the cheery allusion to quiescently frozen confections.
Here We Go Magic
I like the sense of immediacy and excitement. Whether it's stage magic or the real thing, we're wasting no time getting to the good part.
SLOW slow LORIS
The even slower subspecies; kind of like the lesser least weasel.
Wall of Ears
Perfect for listening to a wall of sound.
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 your mother should know. Show all posts
Showing posts with label your mother should know. Show all posts
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Sunday, June 21, 2015
June 21, 2015
Yesterday I blew off both blogging and the solstice parade to go to Mt. Rainier. Not only was the road to Sunrise open (unusual this early in the season) but there was no snow on the trails except in two small patches, and it was warm enough to hike without a jacket. I'm a little concerned about what this means for the rest of the summer, but I was happy to welcome the season on a perfect day in the mountains.
Meanwhile, in a dark bar somewhere . . .
Abstract Friends
A step removed from imaginary friends, this implies an idea of friends separate from any actual experience of friendship. The teenage protagonist of my young-adult work-in-progress could probably relate -- she's invisible and has no real friends until she takes courage and starts a garage band. The members of this band look the right age to be her classmates, too.
Broken by Clouds
I like the metaphorical dissonance of something as ethereal as clouds doing physical damage. Just because something looks soft and immaterial doesn't mean it can't hurt you. (I happened to meet this group a few years ago at Evolution Rehearsal Studios as they were checking in and Your Mother Should Know was checking out. I was already writing this blog, so I collected their name. Finding them in the club listings this week reminded me that I hadn't blogged about them yet. Happy to rectify the oversight!)
Hostile Makeover
This was the first one to make this week's list, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows of my weakness for puns and all-girl bands. A single letter change takes this out of the business world and into the middle-school sleepover, where the tomboy (or geekgirl) gets made up and manicured against her will. Hmm, I might have to write that into my novel . . .
Maudlin Strangers
Why aren't they on a bill with Abstract Friends? But they are on a bill with Bad Idea, which might be a clue: guy walks into a bar with only the concept of friendship, sits next to an emotionally demonstrative stranger and quickly gets dragged into someone else's drama.
The Whateverly Brothers
The name alone implies humor and close harmonies, two of my favorite things.
Meanwhile, in a dark bar somewhere . . .
Abstract Friends
A step removed from imaginary friends, this implies an idea of friends separate from any actual experience of friendship. The teenage protagonist of my young-adult work-in-progress could probably relate -- she's invisible and has no real friends until she takes courage and starts a garage band. The members of this band look the right age to be her classmates, too.
Broken by Clouds
I like the metaphorical dissonance of something as ethereal as clouds doing physical damage. Just because something looks soft and immaterial doesn't mean it can't hurt you. (I happened to meet this group a few years ago at Evolution Rehearsal Studios as they were checking in and Your Mother Should Know was checking out. I was already writing this blog, so I collected their name. Finding them in the club listings this week reminded me that I hadn't blogged about them yet. Happy to rectify the oversight!)
Hostile Makeover
This was the first one to make this week's list, but that should come as no surprise to anyone who knows of my weakness for puns and all-girl bands. A single letter change takes this out of the business world and into the middle-school sleepover, where the tomboy (or geekgirl) gets made up and manicured against her will. Hmm, I might have to write that into my novel . . .
Maudlin Strangers
Why aren't they on a bill with Abstract Friends? But they are on a bill with Bad Idea, which might be a clue: guy walks into a bar with only the concept of friendship, sits next to an emotionally demonstrative stranger and quickly gets dragged into someone else's drama.
The Whateverly Brothers
The name alone implies humor and close harmonies, two of my favorite things.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
January 31, 2015
Out of probably hundreds of great shows we could have gone to last night, we chose . . . to stay home. The last week of the month is like that. Very sorry to miss Shelby Earl at the Columbia City Theatre and hope to catch her next time around. (Your Mother Should Know included this tribute to Shelby on our new album, Rocks and Glass.)
I probably won't make it to any of these bands' shows, either, but that doesn't mean I can't celebrate their names:
Boom City
So many reasons to love this as a specifically Seattle band name: our history with supersonic jets; that long-lived fireworks stand; our growing reputation as the capital of LOUD. Appropriately, they are playing tomorrow, Super Bowl Sunday, and will, we hope, be celebrating the actions of our beloved Legion of Boom.
Cat Bomb
Always happy to celebrate a cat-related name. Rather than cats carrying explosives, I prefer of think of this as a stealth weapon that goes off and suddenly everybody everywhere has a cat on their lap and cat rock in their earbuds.
Pig Snout
Always happy to give a shout-out from one pig to another! Pig things make me happy, and there's something arresting about putting the spotlight on just one part, as in the folk song, "The Sow Took the Measles" (as performed by Train Case). Then I find out this band is young kids, and the little sister is the drummer!!! And she sings, too. It's like Your Mother Should Know if we'd started several decades earlier.
Radioactive Vomit
This seems really metal; or maybe, as my resident science adviser put it, it's what happens when you eat too many bananas, which are apparently mildly radioactive due to potassium ions. Learn something new every day.
Splatinum
I love the combination of a sloppy sound effect with a precious metal, achieved with the addition of only one letter.
My fiction and blogging projects collide in "St. Rage," now available as 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 probably won't make it to any of these bands' shows, either, but that doesn't mean I can't celebrate their names:
Boom City
So many reasons to love this as a specifically Seattle band name: our history with supersonic jets; that long-lived fireworks stand; our growing reputation as the capital of LOUD. Appropriately, they are playing tomorrow, Super Bowl Sunday, and will, we hope, be celebrating the actions of our beloved Legion of Boom.
Cat Bomb
Always happy to celebrate a cat-related name. Rather than cats carrying explosives, I prefer of think of this as a stealth weapon that goes off and suddenly everybody everywhere has a cat on their lap and cat rock in their earbuds.
Pig Snout
Always happy to give a shout-out from one pig to another! Pig things make me happy, and there's something arresting about putting the spotlight on just one part, as in the folk song, "The Sow Took the Measles" (as performed by Train Case). Then I find out this band is young kids, and the little sister is the drummer!!! And she sings, too. It's like Your Mother Should Know if we'd started several decades earlier.
Radioactive Vomit
This seems really metal; or maybe, as my resident science adviser put it, it's what happens when you eat too many bananas, which are apparently mildly radioactive due to potassium ions. Learn something new every day.
Splatinum
I love the combination of a sloppy sound effect with a precious metal, achieved with the addition of only one letter.
My fiction and blogging projects collide in "St. Rage," now available as 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."
Saturday, January 24, 2015
January 24, 2015
If you weren't at last night's Your Mother Should Know album release at the Highline, you missed an amazing show! What an honor to share a bill with Tom Price Desert Classic, Can You Imagine?, and Dead Bars. Everybody brought their A game, and we even sold a few records. And for once, the majority of the performers skewed older than me!
I'm a little dazed from keeping rock & roll hours, but these band names aren't going to blog about themselves.
DJ Vitamin D
The promise of aural sunshine. This is so Seattle -- somebody knows what we can't get enough of in these dark days of winter.
GodFish
I like how this manages to use multiple forms of wordplay in just two syllables. Starting with two different fish, you arrive by different routes at the same aquatic deity. I leave it to you to discern any deeper theological significance.
Knee High Fox
Another example of the power of a single letter. One swap transforms humble hosiery to the diminutive object of admiration.
Saliva Giant
Disgusting on a hilariously grand scale. Have to respect that. Do not get in a spitting contest with this one.
The Toasters
There's something optimistic and cheerful about a toaster, humble household appliance that it is. Perhaps it's the breakfast connection. (Brought to you by the Toast Marketing Board. Eat more toast).
My fiction and blogging projects collide in "St. Rage," now available as 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.
I'm a little dazed from keeping rock & roll hours, but these band names aren't going to blog about themselves.
DJ Vitamin D
The promise of aural sunshine. This is so Seattle -- somebody knows what we can't get enough of in these dark days of winter.
GodFish
I like how this manages to use multiple forms of wordplay in just two syllables. Starting with two different fish, you arrive by different routes at the same aquatic deity. I leave it to you to discern any deeper theological significance.
Knee High Fox
Another example of the power of a single letter. One swap transforms humble hosiery to the diminutive object of admiration.
Saliva Giant
Disgusting on a hilariously grand scale. Have to respect that. Do not get in a spitting contest with this one.
The Toasters
There's something optimistic and cheerful about a toaster, humble household appliance that it is. Perhaps it's the breakfast connection. (Brought to you by the Toast Marketing Board. Eat more toast).
My fiction and blogging projects collide in "St. Rage," now available as 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.
Sunday, November 23, 2014
November 23, 2014
Due to a shortened holiday week, the pickings are a little slim in the club listings, so I'm taking this opportunity to do a Thanksgiving Retrospective of some favorites from the past. I have selected from Square Pig's first year in two categories: Names that are still Hands-Down Brilliant and Bands that have Been on a Bill with Your Mother Should Know. Here's what I had to say way back when:
Hands-Down Brilliant
Eighteen Individual Eyes
(from November 13, 2010) I have delighted in this name for months, so I'm thrilled they came up this week. The inclusion of "individual" makes it for me -- it's not just "eighteen eyes" but "eighteen individual eyes." Is this an eighteen-eyed creature, each eye functioning independently? Eighteen one-eyed creatures? A nine-piece band? It's also fun to say -- all those vowels just roll off the tongue.
Out Like Pluto
(from November 20, 2010) I like Pluto. I'm sorry it got demoted from the planet club. On the other hand, it's so far out, maybe it doesn't want to be in our lame club.
High Class Wreckage
(from January 8, 2011) Yay! I've been waiting for these guys to show up. This name trips off the tongue, yet feels like an oxymoron. Full disclosure: I've seen High Class Wreckage twice. Their shows are reliably loud, dumb, full-on fun. Expect high-jinks and physical contact. (Technically, HCW was on a bill with YMSK, but before my tenure so I'm not counting it).
Garage a Trois
(from April 16, 2011) The perfect relationship in the garage-band capital. Way to pull off a foreign-language pun! (I'm also amused that the band is a four-piece).
Gazebo of Destruction
(from May 14, 2011) This one belongs to the opposing images school of band names. "Gazebo" is refined, elegant, civilized. "Destruction" is everything but. It doesn't hurt that "gazebo" figures in a couple of running family jokes.
On a Bill with Your Mother Should Know
Ancient Warlocks
(from February 5, 2011) This appeals to my fantasy-novel side. Music and fiction are the closest to magic we can get: something out of nothing. It also evokes Spinal Tap and their tiny Stonehenge, and that makes me smile.
Black Plastic Clouds
(from November 5, 2011) As if black clouds weren't threatening enough! Any mention of black plastic reminds me of the ultimately ineffective weed barrier the previous owner of our house used in the front yard. We were digging pieces of black plastic out of the ground for years.
Curtains for You
(from December 4, 2010) 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.)
Pouch
(July 2, 2011) I've been hearing about these guys and liked the name from the start. Pouch is one of those words that's fun and funny to say. (I'm planning to go hear them at EMP today, so it seemed like a good time to drop them into the blog.) I hope to see more bands named for hand luggage.
Hands-Down Brilliant
Eighteen Individual Eyes
(from November 13, 2010) I have delighted in this name for months, so I'm thrilled they came up this week. The inclusion of "individual" makes it for me -- it's not just "eighteen eyes" but "eighteen individual eyes." Is this an eighteen-eyed creature, each eye functioning independently? Eighteen one-eyed creatures? A nine-piece band? It's also fun to say -- all those vowels just roll off the tongue.
Out Like Pluto
(from November 20, 2010) I like Pluto. I'm sorry it got demoted from the planet club. On the other hand, it's so far out, maybe it doesn't want to be in our lame club.
High Class Wreckage
(from January 8, 2011) Yay! I've been waiting for these guys to show up. This name trips off the tongue, yet feels like an oxymoron. Full disclosure: I've seen High Class Wreckage twice. Their shows are reliably loud, dumb, full-on fun. Expect high-jinks and physical contact. (Technically, HCW was on a bill with YMSK, but before my tenure so I'm not counting it).
Garage a Trois
(from April 16, 2011) The perfect relationship in the garage-band capital. Way to pull off a foreign-language pun! (I'm also amused that the band is a four-piece).
Gazebo of Destruction
(from May 14, 2011) This one belongs to the opposing images school of band names. "Gazebo" is refined, elegant, civilized. "Destruction" is everything but. It doesn't hurt that "gazebo" figures in a couple of running family jokes.
On a Bill with Your Mother Should Know
Ancient Warlocks
(from February 5, 2011) This appeals to my fantasy-novel side. Music and fiction are the closest to magic we can get: something out of nothing. It also evokes Spinal Tap and their tiny Stonehenge, and that makes me smile.
Black Plastic Clouds
(from November 5, 2011) As if black clouds weren't threatening enough! Any mention of black plastic reminds me of the ultimately ineffective weed barrier the previous owner of our house used in the front yard. We were digging pieces of black plastic out of the ground for years.
Curtains for You
(from December 4, 2010) 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.)
Pouch
(July 2, 2011) I've been hearing about these guys and liked the name from the start. Pouch is one of those words that's fun and funny to say. (I'm planning to go hear them at EMP today, so it seemed like a good time to drop them into the blog.) I hope to see more bands named for hand luggage.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
November 15, 2014
I'll skip the small talk about our prematurely wintry weather and get right to the band names:
Choir Vandals
One week ago in a church theatrical, I played a mischievous chorister who opened the show by vandalizing the choir room. And now, this. Merely a coincidence?
Every Time I Die
I like the uncertainty. It's only four words, but the lack of punctuation leaves this phrase open to at least two interpretations. Is it merely an exaggeration of embarrassment, or does this character get multiple endings?
First Aid Kit
Not playing in Seattle this week as far as I know. Joel Adams, a photographer kinsman, posted a photo that he took of this band at Fun Fun Fun Fest. I loved the photo and made careful note of the name, which implies that your life could be literally saved by rock and roll.
John Hamhock and the Rooster Run Band
I love it when someone builds creatively on the classic X and the Y structure. All on his own, the frontman evokes a country-fried founding father, while the band evokes strutting, crowing confidence. Put them together and I think you can count on an enthusiastic and noisy good time.
Lavacado
A word mash-up that produces profoundly spicy guacamole.
UPCOMING: Your Mother Should Know CD release show, with Dead Bars and headliner Tom Price Desert Classic, Friday, January 23 at the Highline Bar. I'd want to go to this show even if I wasn't playing! https://www.facebook.com/events/374070109426331/
Choir Vandals
One week ago in a church theatrical, I played a mischievous chorister who opened the show by vandalizing the choir room. And now, this. Merely a coincidence?
Every Time I Die
I like the uncertainty. It's only four words, but the lack of punctuation leaves this phrase open to at least two interpretations. Is it merely an exaggeration of embarrassment, or does this character get multiple endings?
First Aid Kit
Not playing in Seattle this week as far as I know. Joel Adams, a photographer kinsman, posted a photo that he took of this band at Fun Fun Fun Fest. I loved the photo and made careful note of the name, which implies that your life could be literally saved by rock and roll.
John Hamhock and the Rooster Run Band
I love it when someone builds creatively on the classic X and the Y structure. All on his own, the frontman evokes a country-fried founding father, while the band evokes strutting, crowing confidence. Put them together and I think you can count on an enthusiastic and noisy good time.
Lavacado
A word mash-up that produces profoundly spicy guacamole.
UPCOMING: Your Mother Should Know CD release show, with Dead Bars and headliner Tom Price Desert Classic, Friday, January 23 at the Highline Bar. I'd want to go to this show even if I wasn't playing! https://www.facebook.com/events/374070109426331/
Sunday, May 11, 2014
May 11, 2014
Thanks for stopping by! Square Pig is taking a hiatus this week while Your Mother Should Know records a 12-track album. We had a productive first day yesterday and hope to finish the backing tracks today. I'll be back next week with a new list of band names.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
December 28, 2013
As the sun sets on this last Saturday of 2013, painting even the east pink from south to north, I look back on a year that has seen well deserved attention to some favorite musicians (I'm looking at you, Dead Bars and Shelby Earl), my first published fiction (a story in HEATHERS, now available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle versions), and the first steps toward a full-length album from Your Mother Should Know. I could do a year-in-review blog, but I won't because there's always plenty of new material! The final list of 2013:
About the Author
I'm a writer -- how could I not choose this one? My bio in HEATHERS reads "Karen Eisenbrey was saved by rock and roll and fantasy novels." Perhaps I should change that "was" to "is being."
Dressed as Super Heroes
I appreciate a band that can own its comic book nerd roots. And as it happens, the follow-up to my story in HEATHERS gives the heroine superpowers. She doesn't do capes or high heels.
The Feelgood Band of the Year
There really are bands that lift away the years and make me feel 17 again (in a good way). Dead Bars is out of town, so this must be somebody else, but I hope they really do that for someone.
Puddle City Possums
This has both downhome folksiness and good poetic/syllabic structure. As an old Pogo fan, I'm happy to honor these possums. Puddle City is an excellent Seattle nickname, too.
You Knew Me When
Don't we all want to say this? I hope HEATHERS gets positive attention. I hope to publish more work. I hope the record turns out well. Whether any of this happens, you knew me when. Happy New Year!
About the Author
I'm a writer -- how could I not choose this one? My bio in HEATHERS reads "Karen Eisenbrey was saved by rock and roll and fantasy novels." Perhaps I should change that "was" to "is being."
Dressed as Super Heroes
I appreciate a band that can own its comic book nerd roots. And as it happens, the follow-up to my story in HEATHERS gives the heroine superpowers. She doesn't do capes or high heels.
The Feelgood Band of the Year
There really are bands that lift away the years and make me feel 17 again (in a good way). Dead Bars is out of town, so this must be somebody else, but I hope they really do that for someone.
Puddle City Possums
This has both downhome folksiness and good poetic/syllabic structure. As an old Pogo fan, I'm happy to honor these possums. Puddle City is an excellent Seattle nickname, too.
You Knew Me When
Don't we all want to say this? I hope HEATHERS gets positive attention. I hope to publish more work. I hope the record turns out well. Whether any of this happens, you knew me when. Happy New Year!
Sunday, October 27, 2013
October 27, 2013
Just one year ago tonight, Your Mother Should Know closed out a rockin' Halloween party/show at Sound Effects. Little did we know we would be the last band to play there before the building was demolished. RIP Sound Effects, Jam Box, Funhouse, and I guess the Comet, too. This winter will be a little darker without you. But other venues are still kicking, and there are plenty of well named bands to play in them this Halloween week:
All New Material
I'm always amused when I go to hear a band for the first time and they announce that the next song is a new one. (But Your Mother Should Know hasn't played the same set twice, so we probably fall into the "This is a new one" trap every time out.) Also, they're a cover band -- nice.
Curse of the Black Tongue
This is great for Halloween week -- creepy and gross and sorcerous. It also makes me think of a friend who used to be in a band called Black Hairy Tongue, which is even grosser.
La Fin Absolute du Monde
Everything sounds better in French, even the absolute end of the world.
Nervous Curtains
Shakey Blankets
I so wish these two were on the same bill! They need only Quivering Quilts to complete a themed show of haunted household textiles.
All New Material
I'm always amused when I go to hear a band for the first time and they announce that the next song is a new one. (But Your Mother Should Know hasn't played the same set twice, so we probably fall into the "This is a new one" trap every time out.) Also, they're a cover band -- nice.
Curse of the Black Tongue
This is great for Halloween week -- creepy and gross and sorcerous. It also makes me think of a friend who used to be in a band called Black Hairy Tongue, which is even grosser.
La Fin Absolute du Monde
Everything sounds better in French, even the absolute end of the world.
Nervous Curtains
Shakey Blankets
I so wish these two were on the same bill! They need only Quivering Quilts to complete a themed show of haunted household textiles.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
July 6, 2013
Tonight! Your Mother Should Know is pleased and honored to be included with Old Man Williamson, Pouch and Peterman on the bill for Peterman's record release at Victory Lounge, 9:00 p.m. Free! I even get to step out from behind the drums and sing one number, so it's a momentous occasion.
And we're not the only well named bands out there this week. Try these on:
Golden Robot Army
I'm thinking old-school giant robots here, with laser eyes, and golden armor gleaming in the sun as they take their rightful place as our overlords.
Kingdom Crumbs
. . . thy will be dumb . . .
Loud Eyes
That's some serious synesthesia! Not just mis-wired senses, but the sensory organs themselves, doing things they can't.
Special Explosion District
Anywhere on July 4?
The Woolen Men
I picture a set of cuddly knitted golems. I wish they were on the same bill with the Golden Robot Army.
And we're not the only well named bands out there this week. Try these on:
Golden Robot Army
I'm thinking old-school giant robots here, with laser eyes, and golden armor gleaming in the sun as they take their rightful place as our overlords.
Kingdom Crumbs
. . . thy will be dumb . . .
Loud Eyes
That's some serious synesthesia! Not just mis-wired senses, but the sensory organs themselves, doing things they can't.
Special Explosion District
Anywhere on July 4?
The Woolen Men
I picture a set of cuddly knitted golems. I wish they were on the same bill with the Golden Robot Army.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
June 29, 2013
How can this be? It's hot, and still June! Does this bode well or ill for July 4? Which reminds me: time for a shameless plug! Your Mother Should Know is pleased and honored to be included with Pouch and Peterman on the bill for Peterman's record release at Victory Lounge next Saturday, July 6, 8:30 p.m. And on Friday, July 5, 8:00 p.m. the members of Your Mother Should Know (Neal Kosaly Meyer and yours truly) will present "Songs Your Mother Should Know," a three-song cycle of Neal's recent neo-Tin-Pan-Alley songs at Seattle Composers Salon, Chapel Performance Space,
4649 Sunnyside Ave N, 4th Fl, Seattle. $5 - $15 sliding scale admission.
There's lots going on before that, and here is a well-named sampling:
"Botheration" was one of my mom's favorite (clean) exclamations. I love the association of an old-fashioned expression with today's music.
This one hits my fantasy reader and writer spot. While you're worrying about the dragon's mouth, the tail will come around and take you out from behind.
It's way too warm to want a fuzzy cloak, but it's such a comforting image. Or is it . . . distortion?
An audacious and clever punning nod to history and activism.
I couldn't believe I hadn't done this name already. It has the obvious sludgy, undead association, but then you say it out loud and it sounds like something completely different. They keep being on bills with friends of YMSK, so I'm bound to hear them before long.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
March 2, 2013
Coming right up: Your Mother Should Know with Canals of Venice, Dead Bars, and Red Ribbon! Tuesday, March 5 at Comet Tavern, doors open at 8 pm, music starts at 9 pm, $6 cover. Very excited about this show. YMSK has an oddly wonderful new set -- no two songs alike -- and I'm eager to hear the other bands, two of them for the first time. As usual, seeing us in the listings sort of distracted me from my blog research, but I found five worthy names to write about:
All Get Out
Folksy idiom -- "That band was noisy as all get out!" -- or emergency order -- "All get out! The bar's on fire!"? You decide.
Bacon Grenade
If this isn't the name of a hangover breakfast, it should be. Or maybe it's the thing you toss in to distract the guard dogs.
The Blank Tapes
Nostalgia trip! There was a time in the not-so-distant past when we devoted a certain part of our budget and storage space to blank tapes. We haven't bought one in ages; even the used tapes have all been ripped or are steadily being replaced. But this band name triggered memories of a well-used recording medium that was a great convenience in its day.
Paper Rout
I hope this is not just a typo in the paper, because I really like it this way but I'm not finding any web presence. Is this where the paper bag punches back? Or where you win, but only on paper? Funny the difference one letter can make.
Pollens
Timely, considering the season. (Apologies to all hay fever sufferers). I like this because pollen is a collective noun already and making it plural is amusing overkill. But I'm sure that botanists (and hay fever sufferers) are concerned with the variety of pollens out there.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
December 1, 2012
Your Mother Should Know is recording a new song this afternoon, so I have to keep this brief -- only four bands instead of five. Let's get to it:
Buffalo Jones
Johnny Unicorn
I was delighted to find these two on the same bill. They use the same format -- name + animal -- but in reverse of each other, so there's balance.
The Cocktail Revisionists
This sounds serious and academic, except -- cocktails.
Swingset Showdown
I don't know how I've gone this long without mentioning this band. I know they've made the short list in the past, but somehow never got into the top 5. I love the childish aggression of it. Tickled to learn that the drummer works at my neighborhood video store, so there's a micro-local connection, too. And they sound like the goofy kid brothers of Curtains for You!
Buffalo Jones
Johnny Unicorn
I was delighted to find these two on the same bill. They use the same format -- name + animal -- but in reverse of each other, so there's balance.
The Cocktail Revisionists
This sounds serious and academic, except -- cocktails.
Swingset Showdown
I don't know how I've gone this long without mentioning this band. I know they've made the short list in the past, but somehow never got into the top 5. I love the childish aggression of it. Tickled to learn that the drummer works at my neighborhood video store, so there's a micro-local connection, too. And they sound like the goofy kid brothers of Curtains for You!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
October 28, 2012
Due to a late night Friday -- Your Mother Should Know closed out a fun and varied show at Sound Effects -- blogging is happening on Sunday instead of Saturday this week. But my husband had a little to say about band names in his blog, Now Music in New Albion:
Angelspit
I like that I can't tell where to divide this. Is it Angel Spit or Angel's Pit? Either way, it's strange and surprising.
The Balloons
Confetti Kids
These two get in because they were on the same bill, like it was a party or something.
Boys Like Girls
This could have at least two meanings, both equally likely.
Spiderface
In honor of Halloween, something a little creepy. All those eyes . . .
Beast of the SkyBut there are other bands who have played or will play this week. Here are just a few:
The Hunting Club
Black Plastic Clouds
Your Mother Should Know
The band names increased in length by letter count and layout, but were arranged symmetrically by word count 4 3 3 4. Sorry, it's the sort of thing I notice.
Angelspit
I like that I can't tell where to divide this. Is it Angel Spit or Angel's Pit? Either way, it's strange and surprising.
The Balloons
Confetti Kids
These two get in because they were on the same bill, like it was a party or something.
Boys Like Girls
This could have at least two meanings, both equally likely.
Spiderface
In honor of Halloween, something a little creepy. All those eyes . . .
Saturday, October 20, 2012
October 20, 2012
Shameless plug: Your Mother Should Know is playing Friday, October 26 at Sound Effects Coffee House, with The Hunting Club, Black Plastic Clouds, and I think two other outfits -- a packed, interesting show! This'll likely be our last gig of 2012 because we're feeling old and tired, and have a backlog of songs we want to record!
On to this week's notable band names:
All Human
I find this reassuring. No animals, robots or space aliens were harmed in the making of this music.
Birdhouse
I grew up in the Bluebird Capitol of the World, where special bluebird houses dot the countryside. So I notice birdhouses wherever I go. I have one outside my window. And birds sing, so there you go.
Feet
Body parts are reliably good band names. And I love me a good monosyllable.
Sinizen
I'm enjoying this mash-up of citizen, denizen, and sinner. All have sinned, so there's nothing for it but to make some music.
Troubadour Dali
Whoa, surreal, man.
On to this week's notable band names:
All Human
I find this reassuring. No animals, robots or space aliens were harmed in the making of this music.
Birdhouse
I grew up in the Bluebird Capitol of the World, where special bluebird houses dot the countryside. So I notice birdhouses wherever I go. I have one outside my window. And birds sing, so there you go.
Feet
Body parts are reliably good band names. And I love me a good monosyllable.
Sinizen
I'm enjoying this mash-up of citizen, denizen, and sinner. All have sinned, so there's nothing for it but to make some music.
Troubadour Dali
Whoa, surreal, man.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
October 6, 2012
As I blog, I'm listening to Your Mother Should Know, live at the Blue Moon. We sound pretty good! But the best part of playing shows is still that it ensures we get out regularly to hear other people. Yeah, I'm talking about you, Andrew James Robison, Red Ribbon, and Peterman! Great show. On to Reverb Fest tonight. Meanwhile, some band names:
Brokestra
In which our heroes discover just how much money there is to be made in music.
Little Green Cars
One of my brother's high school classmates owned a little green Opel named Stewart (after a pet turtle, I believe). I've liked little green cars ever since, especially when they have names.
My Heart is an Idiot
Technically not a band, but this about sums up 98% of blues, rock and country songs.
Pink House
Across from my childhood home was a pink house, known as The Pink House. Later, it was painted white, and now it's yellow, but it will always be The Pink House to me.
Two Heads is Twice as Many Teeth
Why mess around with metaphor when you can go straight to literal, mathematical fact?
Brokestra
In which our heroes discover just how much money there is to be made in music.
Little Green Cars
One of my brother's high school classmates owned a little green Opel named Stewart (after a pet turtle, I believe). I've liked little green cars ever since, especially when they have names.
My Heart is an Idiot
Technically not a band, but this about sums up 98% of blues, rock and country songs.
Pink House
Across from my childhood home was a pink house, known as The Pink House. Later, it was painted white, and now it's yellow, but it will always be The Pink House to me.
Two Heads is Twice as Many Teeth
Why mess around with metaphor when you can go straight to literal, mathematical fact?
Saturday, September 29, 2012
September 29, 2012
So I'm trolling through the Times club listings like I always do on Friday afternoon, looking for good blog material, when I come to the very last listing: Your Mother Should Know, Peterman, Red Ribbon, Andrew James Robison, Thursday night at the Blue Moon. It took me half a tick to go, "Hey! I know those guys! That's us!" Here's the link to the events page: http://www.facebook.com/events/526955247320118/
And I found some other good names, too:
Deerhoof
Eyeball
New Lungs
These three all appeal to me for the same reason -- odd parts out of the context. They can be regarded as gross (in your soup), sinister (giant movie monster), comical (how is one eyeball going to play all the instruments?!) or perhaps hopeful (a new set of lungs when the old ones fail). I kind of hoped to do an all body-parts theme, but I couldn't find two more.
Great Spiders
Giant spider in the third act!
The Leafy Greens
I have always maintained that rock music is good for you.
And I found some other good names, too:
Deerhoof
Eyeball
New Lungs
These three all appeal to me for the same reason -- odd parts out of the context. They can be regarded as gross (in your soup), sinister (giant movie monster), comical (how is one eyeball going to play all the instruments?!) or perhaps hopeful (a new set of lungs when the old ones fail). I kind of hoped to do an all body-parts theme, but I couldn't find two more.
Great Spiders
Giant spider in the third act!
The Leafy Greens
I have always maintained that rock music is good for you.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
August 5, 2012
I'm blogging a day late due to a fine trip to sunny Washington wine country, where it was even hotter than in Seattle, but dry. Unexplained anomaly: someone turned off the wind in Ellensburg!
Good Willsmith
I like the word overlap that turns the meaning in the middle from a movie into an actor.
Sad Little Men
I can't help thinking of Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody, accidentally abandoned at the refueling station. "You're a sad, strange little man, and I pity you."
Saint John and the Revelators
Nice reference to an old spiritual, and slyly apocalyptic.
Vomettes
Instant punk classic.
The Yolks
I've always liked the word yolk. It looks kind of funny, and it sounds almost like joke, but also kind of thick, like what it is.
Late breaking news: This show didn't make the club listings, but this Thursday, August 9, Your Mother Should Know is at the Rat & Raven, with Andrew James Robison and Tyrannosaurus Grace. Doors at 8.
Good Willsmith
I like the word overlap that turns the meaning in the middle from a movie into an actor.
Sad Little Men
I can't help thinking of Buzz Lightyear and Sheriff Woody, accidentally abandoned at the refueling station. "You're a sad, strange little man, and I pity you."
Saint John and the Revelators
Nice reference to an old spiritual, and slyly apocalyptic.
Vomettes
Instant punk classic.
The Yolks
I've always liked the word yolk. It looks kind of funny, and it sounds almost like joke, but also kind of thick, like what it is.
Late breaking news: This show didn't make the club listings, but this Thursday, August 9, Your Mother Should Know is at the Rat & Raven, with Andrew James Robison and Tyrannosaurus Grace. Doors at 8.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
July 28, 2012
TOMORROW NIGHT! Your Mother Should Know, with Charms, The Belmont Whips and Peterman at the Comet Tavern. $6 cheap! Doors open at 8, music starts at 9. We go on around midnight, so it'll be my birthday by then and I'll be up way past my bedtime. Should be a good show -- come out and celebrate with me.
And I Am the Riot
I wonder what came before the conjunction -- "You are the . . ." I like that it's not a riot, but the riot.
The Belmont Whips
This one gets in because I recognized the Castlevania reference all by myself.
Headless Pez
The repeated short e sound makes this trip off the tongue. The object itself is hilariously lame -- without the head, it's not worth anything as a collectible, and I'm not even sure it would work as a dispenser. Now I'm tasting Pez just by thinking about them.
Penguin Prison
Penguins behind bars -- now that's just sad.
Spaceman Flu
I researched spacesickness for a science fiction novel. Early in the US space program, they didn't realize it existed and were very concerned when some of the astronauts would suddenly barf in the cockpit. I suppose they wondered if it was some weird spaceman flu.
And I Am the Riot
I wonder what came before the conjunction -- "You are the . . ." I like that it's not a riot, but the riot.
The Belmont Whips
This one gets in because I recognized the Castlevania reference all by myself.
Headless Pez
The repeated short e sound makes this trip off the tongue. The object itself is hilariously lame -- without the head, it's not worth anything as a collectible, and I'm not even sure it would work as a dispenser. Now I'm tasting Pez just by thinking about them.
Penguin Prison
Penguins behind bars -- now that's just sad.
Spaceman Flu
I researched spacesickness for a science fiction novel. Early in the US space program, they didn't realize it existed and were very concerned when some of the astronauts would suddenly barf in the cockpit. I suppose they wondered if it was some weird spaceman flu.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
May 12, 2012
Something a little different this week, in honor of Mom:
I grew up in a home with only one record player. Later, it was a stereo, but there was still only one of it. This meant everybody heard whatever was played. In the beginning, of course, our parents chose the music, which generally meant Mom did. She enjoyed musical comedy, so we heard a lot of Rodgers and Hammerstein. She cleaned house to Bach, and we also got significant doses of Handel, Beethoven, and Grieg. If she liked a new song on the radio or a movie soundtrack, she'd buy the album. We did a lot of singing in the car, folk songs and camp songs and hymns. I'm not sure which came first, but when I was around 5 or 6, she bought a guitar and started listening to Simon and Garfunkel. She learned pop-inflected sacred music by Avery and Marsh and Carlton Young, and shared it with the youth and adult choirs in our church. For a time, she and my dad led the church youth group, and when Sgt Pepper came out, they hosted an event for the kids to explain and defend the music to their parents.
When I was 10, I decided I wanted to play drums in the school band. My folks bought me sticks for my birthday. On my next birthday, I got a snare drum of my own, and started drum lessons. Eventually, I got a drum set. When the music store closed, Mom arranged for me to have my lessons in an empty office at the nursing home where she worked. When my brother got his driver's license, he also got the job of driving me to my lessons every Saturday, 40 miles each way. We'd listen to pop music on the radio, and we were both thinking, "Why didn't I know there was music like this?" Then he started buying records. We still had only one stereo -- everybody heard everything. I was a quick convert to Three Dog Night, Elton John, The Who, The Beatles -- but so was Mom. She'd listen, pay attention, find herself singing inappropriate lyrics in the hallways of the nursing home. She may have asked us to turn it down, but she never asked us to turn it off. Before long, she was cleaning house to Rocket to Russia.
During the summer of 1983, my brother and I took over the living room for an hour or two every day to play at being a rock band -- he played Mom's acoustic guitar and I played my drums, and on weekends our sister joined us on tenor sax. Even unamplified, we were loud enough that Mom might close the door. But she never told us to stop, and when we gave our sparsely-attended concert at the end of the summer, she and Dad listened proudly to both sets. In 1985, she came with us to a Bruce Springsteen concert. In 2002, she spent a lot of time listening in her car to The Rising.
In 2004, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She experienced precipitous declines and long plateaus, from which she could never come back. We went every week, with her guitar, and sang for her: folk songs and camp songs and hymns, Avery and Marsh songs, Beatles songs. Playing and singing on a regular basis gave my brother the skills and confidence to start a band, which he named Your Mother Should Know. Eventually he figured out he should invite me to be his drummer. Sometimes we sang his songs for Mom, and I know that if she could have, she would have listened carefully. She would have liked them, and she might have sung inappropriate lyrics in the hallways. She would have been there when we played in SkyChurch and at the High Dive. She would have listened to Your Mother Should Know in the car.
We thank our mother for our ears and our voices and our eclectic musical tastes. She was our earliest and most regular audience. I know I will think of her whenever I play or sing. Thanks, Mom. I know you're listening.
HOW MY MOM TURNED ME INTO A ROCK AND ROLLER
I grew up in a home with only one record player. Later, it was a stereo, but there was still only one of it. This meant everybody heard whatever was played. In the beginning, of course, our parents chose the music, which generally meant Mom did. She enjoyed musical comedy, so we heard a lot of Rodgers and Hammerstein. She cleaned house to Bach, and we also got significant doses of Handel, Beethoven, and Grieg. If she liked a new song on the radio or a movie soundtrack, she'd buy the album. We did a lot of singing in the car, folk songs and camp songs and hymns. I'm not sure which came first, but when I was around 5 or 6, she bought a guitar and started listening to Simon and Garfunkel. She learned pop-inflected sacred music by Avery and Marsh and Carlton Young, and shared it with the youth and adult choirs in our church. For a time, she and my dad led the church youth group, and when Sgt Pepper came out, they hosted an event for the kids to explain and defend the music to their parents.
When I was 10, I decided I wanted to play drums in the school band. My folks bought me sticks for my birthday. On my next birthday, I got a snare drum of my own, and started drum lessons. Eventually, I got a drum set. When the music store closed, Mom arranged for me to have my lessons in an empty office at the nursing home where she worked. When my brother got his driver's license, he also got the job of driving me to my lessons every Saturday, 40 miles each way. We'd listen to pop music on the radio, and we were both thinking, "Why didn't I know there was music like this?" Then he started buying records. We still had only one stereo -- everybody heard everything. I was a quick convert to Three Dog Night, Elton John, The Who, The Beatles -- but so was Mom. She'd listen, pay attention, find herself singing inappropriate lyrics in the hallways of the nursing home. She may have asked us to turn it down, but she never asked us to turn it off. Before long, she was cleaning house to Rocket to Russia.
During the summer of 1983, my brother and I took over the living room for an hour or two every day to play at being a rock band -- he played Mom's acoustic guitar and I played my drums, and on weekends our sister joined us on tenor sax. Even unamplified, we were loud enough that Mom might close the door. But she never told us to stop, and when we gave our sparsely-attended concert at the end of the summer, she and Dad listened proudly to both sets. In 1985, she came with us to a Bruce Springsteen concert. In 2002, she spent a lot of time listening in her car to The Rising.
In 2004, my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She experienced precipitous declines and long plateaus, from which she could never come back. We went every week, with her guitar, and sang for her: folk songs and camp songs and hymns, Avery and Marsh songs, Beatles songs. Playing and singing on a regular basis gave my brother the skills and confidence to start a band, which he named Your Mother Should Know. Eventually he figured out he should invite me to be his drummer. Sometimes we sang his songs for Mom, and I know that if she could have, she would have listened carefully. She would have liked them, and she might have sung inappropriate lyrics in the hallways. She would have been there when we played in SkyChurch and at the High Dive. She would have listened to Your Mother Should Know in the car.
We thank our mother for our ears and our voices and our eclectic musical tastes. She was our earliest and most regular audience. I know I will think of her whenever I play or sing. Thanks, Mom. I know you're listening.
In loving, rocking memory --
Marilyn Frances Meyer
December 30, 1932 - May 10, 2012
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