May 18, 2013

Any May 18 when a volcano does not erupt is a good day. To celebrate, go hear a band!

Aruvius Thud
I just love the way this sounds, like the name of a backwoods wizard.

Invisible Shivers
Comes into its own when spoken aloud. All those short-i and v sounds are delicious.

Man or Astro-Man?
Anything that can simultaneously bring to mind space travel, Ed Wood and Nietzsche gets my vote.
 
Shark Dentures
Ice to Eskimos, coals to Newcastle, dentures to sharks . . .

Strangled Darlings
Writers are advised, "Kill your darlings." I didn't know we were supposed to strangle them!

May 11, 2013

I had the privilege to spend the evening of Cinco de Mayo in the parking lot of Restaurante Michoacan in Crown Hill, enjoying margaritas and Mexican food, with live music by Freddie and the Screamers -- classic Northwest rock & roll by some of the original perpetrators! Great party made hilarious by the cops shutting it down at 8 p.m. because of a noise complaint. (Click the link for the song that pushed it over the top). It takes old Northwest rockers to do that! Can't imagine that Mother's Day will be anywhere near so exciting, but the band names just keep on coming:

Ark of the Covenant
A twofer -- biblical and movie reference all in one!

The Blind Photographers 
There have been deaf musicians, so why not?

Cedar and Boyer
Boyer is one of my favorite hypotenuse streets in Seattle and there's a Cedar St. not too far away, but I couldn't find this intersection on the map. Fictional Intersections would be another good band name.

Dr. Drug and the Possible Side Effects
Classic X and the Y structure + household phrase = instant party. Sounds like a high old time.

Western Red Penguins 
This goes off in a completely unexpected direction but still sounds for a moment like a real thing. A composer friend has invented birds, complete with names and calls. Wonder what she'd do with this one.

May 4, 2013

It's one of Seattle's rare perfect days -- reason enough to celebrate! The bars will sell a lot of cold beer tonight. These band names caught my eye:

Captain Ahab's Motorcycle Club
Love the goofy literary reference! Probably would have been safer than the obsessive whaling voyage.

The Drunken Guitarists
Truth in advertising, perhaps? Drummers, hold onto your hi-hats! No mic stand is safe!

Duck! District
This would be amusing even without the exclamation point -- a section of town devoted to ducks (wait, that's Green Lake) -- but with it, the absurdity multiplies. Not just a hardhat zone; it's a duck! district.

Peeping Tomboys
Equal opportunity.

Wiscon
Take the sin out of Wisconsin, and what do you get?

April 27, 2013

I'm finally feeling almost good again, after being sick with a cold all week. Much as I'd like to go hear the Tripwires at the Royal Room tonight, I think I'd better finish my recovery in my own bed. Don't let that keep you in! Here are some inspiring band names to get you in the mood:

Boomzzilla
Drum monster! Promise of good, dumb fun.

Flosstradamus
The mundane and the arcane, punned together to create prophetic dentistry.

Killing Joke
We already tell comedians, "You slay me!" so it's an easy step from stroke to joke.

Nostalgist
I have to face it -- I'm probably old enough to apply for this job.

The Ongoing Concept
This could apply to a song or an album or a band or rock & roll itself.

April 20, 2013

Chickadees are nesting in the birdhouse on my porch. One just flew by with big beakful of fluff -- looked like a beard. Chickadee Santa Claus would be a moderately good name for a band. Here are my picks this week. I'm not feeling wordy, so my comments are brief.

CCR Headcleaner
Product names often make good band names. This one sounds particularly technical. Or maybe it scrubs all the Creedence songs from your brain.

Damn Divas
I have been know to condemn the self-important.

Jelly Bread
Folded over, the comfort food of my childhood.

Once Upon a Tuesday
Mythic and specific all at once.

Uncommon Men from Mars
Well, they would be. Mars needs women . . . ?

April 13, 2013

Winter's making a lame attempt at a comeback, but chickadees are nesting and I see buds on the lilac bush. It might be cold and wet, but it's still spring, and only a month to the U. District Street Fair, when it might be sunny and 90 (or rainy and 60). Think warm thoughts and go find a band. Here are a few that caught my eye:

Captured! by Robots
I would like the silly sci-fi B-movie vibe regardless, but the exclamation point puts it over the cheesy top.

Inkiest Eels
I try not to play favorites, but this week, this is my favorite. This bizarre word pairing sounds like the title of some weird children's book that I would love to get my hands on. The assonance of all those long-e sounds also makes it a delight to say.

The Past Impending
Obscure verb tense? Convoluted narrative device? Time travel reference?

Power Cassette
This must be the accessory of a second- or third-tier music-themed 1980s superhero.

Stop Motion Poetry
Poetry in motion, the animated series.

April 6, 2013

On this rainy Saturday, there are six or eight interesting shows we could go to, but when it came right down to it, we chose The Holy, Red Ribbon, Acapulco Lips and No Rey at The Josephine. Should be good. This week's picks were selected by the unscientific method of reading all the listings aloud and noting which ones got a chuckle.

Ballard Train Wreck
Love the local flavor! Was this wreck caused by lutefisk on the tracks, or did someone leave their turn signal on?

Cerebral Cortez
Smart and funny! Science puns get me every time.

Dinner and a Suit
Starts out sounding like a nice date, ends up as a lame game-show prize. Or a really tiny inheritance.

Gilbert Grape and the Trucknuts
Classic X and the Y format, a few too many words, and apparent simultaneous references to a Johnny Depp movie and a breakfast cereal. What's not to like?

Second to Last
I feel like I should go back and find a "T" band so this can be in the penultimate position. Serious punk cred here: if you come in dead last, you're a loser, but coming in second to last is about as lame as it gets.