Clever Band Names

[SmackFu]

Around here, we're always pointing out turns of phrase that would make good band names. How about if we go in the other direction? A lot of bands have straightforward names (like The Dave Matthews Band) or simple, boring ones (like Garbage).

What bands have names that actually deserve to be band names? That are clever and witty and insightful and stuff.

[mswas]

Talking Heads
Switchblade Symphony
Black Tape for a Blue Girl
Panacea
Butthole Surfers
Virgin 2.0
And One
Steely Dan

Now I am not claiming these bands are good, just that I think they have cool names. Some of them are good though.

Erek

[Iguana Boy]

There used to be a Dundee band called Free Beer.

Their name on a poster always guaranteed a good turnout at the gig!

[MrVisible]

The king of the heap has to be Camper Van Beethoven, IMHO.

Also...

The Magnetic Fields
Califone
Ladybug Transistor
Lucksmiths
Red House Painters
Trembling Blue Stars
The Softies

Music these days is astonishingly good, ya know?

[mswas]

Originally posted by Iguana Boy
There used to be a Dundee band called Free Beer.

Their name on a poster always guaranteed a good turnout at the gig!

My friend's uncle's band was named To Be Announced or something like that. I don't think that's exactly it, but it was one of those things they put when you don't know the band that's gonna play just yet.

Erek

[Skijumper]

Looking through my collection, some band names I like -

Cocteau Twins
This Mortail Coil
Sneaker Pimps
Hooverphonic
Throwing Muses
Aztec Camera (although technically, it's just one person)
Fairground Attraction
Eddi Reader & The Patron Saints of Imperfection
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
The Tindersticks
Cowboy Junkies
10,000 Maniacs

And a word in for a few local boys -

Lilac Saints
Ben Harrison & the Electric Penguins
The Oddfellows
Concave Scream
Serene's Closet

[the O-man]

There used to be a Dundee band called Free Beer.

Their name on a poster always guaranteed a good turnout at the gig!

That's why "Barenaked Ladies" named their band the way they did.

[HairyPotter]

The "Beatles" was a clever pun.

[reveille]

gangsta bitch barbie

well, at least they were, until Mattel threatened to sue...

[Jack Batty]

Crash Test Dummies
Blue Oyster Cult
New Riders of the Purple Sage
Hot Tuna
Quicksilver Messenger Service

[Bboy]

I remember a few clever ones that turned up in a websearch once.

Jesus Chrysler Supercar
Devastation Wagon
Amputatoe

[fish in the sky]

Me First and the Gimme-Gimmes
Ivory Library
Toad the Wet Sprocket
They Might Be Giants
Dead Can Dance
Burnt Toast and Jam
Soul Coughing
Meat Puppets
Corrosion of Conformity
Talking to Animals
The Jesus and Mary Chain
The Soup Dragons
Sonic Youth
Killdozer
Fuzzdolly
Fish Karma

[23skidoo]

The The
Butthole Surfers
The Dead Kennedys
John Cougar Concentration Camp
REO Speed-dealer
Blind Venetians

My personal favorite requires a bit of a set up. They were originally called "The Friends of Dean Martin" and released one album under that name, IIRC. Of course, someone associated with Dean Martin sued, and they had to change their name. Most bands, when forced to change their name, try to keep it as close to the original as they can. Hence, "The Friends of Dean Martin" became...

The Friends of Dean Martinez

[El_Kabong]

Reaching way, way back...

The Mothers of Invention
Souxsie and the Banshees
Missing Persons
The Cramps
Rockpile
Divinyls
X

And perhaps the greatest band name of all time:

Half Man Half Biscuit

[Nocturne]

Further Seems Forever
Kathleen Turner Overdrive
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Our Lady Peace (how they got their name is cool)
? and the Mysterians
Three Dog Night

[Jack Batty]

Originally posted by Nocturne
Our Lady Peace (how they got their name is cool)

Ok, ya got me. How did they get their name?

[HomeSlice]

Pearl Jam, Led Zeppelin, and Pink Floyd just because they are my favorite bands. :D

[Opus1]

Well, you can't beat the Japanese for good band names. Their infatuation with Engrish (http://www.engrish.com) provides endless entertainment. From the Engrish site:

Three Michelle Gun Elephant
Sound Masturbation
Bathtub Shitters
Flying Testicle
Goddamn Motherfuck Shitass Bitches

Some more from another (http://www.ropesend.com/ropesend_translations/lost_tl/tl1002.html) site:

The Infinite Radical Freaks
Colored Ricemen
Congenital Haemmhoroids
Defiance of Shit Bastards

[meyer]

There is a band around these parts called The Special Guests, but the The is often left off, so you see posters like this:

Tonight!
Our Lady Peace
with
Special Guests

And until you show up, you have no idea whether it's THE Special Guests, or if the promoters just didn't know who they were getting when they booked the concert.

How did OLP get thier name, anyways?

[Trucido]

I always liked Clark Kent and His Supermen.

Our Lady Peace is named for a poem by Martin van Doren, son of Charles van Doren (think quiz shows).

[Dragon Phoenix]

The Amazing Stroopwafels...

[Cy Coe]

Atom and His Package (a synthesizer)
Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals
Placebo (if you ever hear their music, you'll understand...)
Man...or Astro-Man?
Jas Mathus and his Knockdown Society
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Propagandhi

[blur]

Originally posted by reveille
gangsta bitch barbie
well, at least they were, until Mattel threatened to sue...
So thats why they changed their name. I forgot their new name, but I saw them a couple of months ago, and they freaking trashed the barbie name, to the point where I just figured the band had broken up, and this was just a new band made from the ashes.
Back on topic, some cool names I've seen are
J.C. Superska
Fun Lovin' Criminals
Toxic Field Mice
Mephiskaphalies (sp?)
Voodoo Glowskulls
Genitorturers

[ElwoodCuse]

Porno For Pyros

Anyone else think its strange that there are bands named Boy Starts Fire and Boy Hits Car? Eerily similar...

One of Dave Barry's trademarks is the line "(some ridiculous previous statement), which would make an excellent name for a rock band."

And, from Dave Barry Does Japan, another Japanese band:

King Fucker Chicken

[Dijon Warlock]

I always liked "Seven Year Bitch".

[don't ask]

There used to be a band in Sydney called Atilla the Hun and the Panel Beaters

[hardygrrl]

The Mr T Experience

Babes in Toyland

[frock75]

Batman's Brother Ed

[Winnie]

A local band out of New Mexico:

Rage Against Martin Sheen

[gallows fodder]

Chuck E. Weiss and the Goddamn Liars
Buster Hyman and the Penetrators
Murder, Inc.
The Winona Riders
Gomez (I don't know...it makes me snicker)
Science for Kids

[katiekilldare]

Badly Drawn Boy
My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult
Alien Sex Fiend
Buck Satan and the 666 Shooters (that's just funny)

[Ich Bin's]

My favorite was a band from Minn. called Bald Headed Bitches Throwing Fishes at Witches

Even though Bboy and 23skidoo took my favorites, I managed to think of a few more:

The Flaming Lips
The Dismemberment Plan
Diesel vs. Steam
Snail Racing
Allscars
The Diarrhea of Anne Frank
Total Passover - The only jewish rock band I can think of
Bloodthirsty Butchers
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead
Godspeed, You Black Emporer!
Fragile Porcelin Mice
Cop Shoot Cop

[Ich Bin's]

Thought of another as I was posting!

MC 900-Foot Jesus



Which of course led to the often quoted but rarely heard:

the MC 900-Foot Liquid Jesus Jones Lizard and Mary Chain

[Infovore]

Speaking of band names--

...can someone please explain to me what "System of a Down" means? Or if it means nothing, tell me that?

I'm usually pretty good at ferreting out the meanings of band names, but that one has me stumped.

[mouthbreather]

JFKFC

Although I think their logo (http://www.dorsey.org/sounds/jfkfc/index.html) is even better than their name.

[pezpunk]

Furious George

[AwSnappity]

Originally posted by Opus1
Well, you can't beat the Japanese for good band names.Love Love Straw

[blur]

G-String Eyepatch
Quest of the Moonbreed
My Blind Kitty

[Reverend]

nonoyesno
cat rapes dog
bomb disneyland (untill Disney sued them,their new name was bomb everything)
superpunk
anti-pop consortium
a small good thing
dinosaur jr
handsome boy modelling school
spacetime continuum
the amalgation of soundz
a forest mighty black
wedding present

[Neurotik]

Catch-22
Scuba Steve and the Rubber Sharks
The Dead Milkmen
Saphire Bullets of Pure Love
Stone Temple Pilots
Superdorks
Foo Fighters
Aquabats
The Toasters
Dial-7

[Mercutio]

Originally posted by pezpunk
Furious George
Oh, give me a break pez. Furious George? I'm gonna go start a band called Al Bore. :rolleyes:

[racinchikki]

the rheostatics

[bobjones]

There was a band in the seventies called Captian Beefheart and the Magic Mirror Band.

[Ogre]

Crash Kills Five

[Ogre]

dogma i.

I don't need to tell you guys to read it backward, do I?

[TheOtherOne]

Hmmmmmmm...

The Grateful Dead? Sounds pretty cool to me :)
Leftover Salmon
The String Cheese Incedent
(Four guys named) Moe.
Social Distortion
Free Beer and Chicken
Them
Some guys with stuff

[RocknRoll Killing Machine]

ElwoodCuse I think it's Boysetsfire.

other names I think are cool are:

The Dillinger Escape Plan
Do Make Say Think
Camera Obscura
The (international) Noise Conspiracy
Drowningman
Reggie and The Full Effect
The Weakerthans
Poison The Well
Shai Hulud

[jinty]

Optiganally Yours
Reverb Motherfuckers
Attilla the Stockbroker

[reveille]

their new name is nullset...not nearly as clever...

[NutMagnet]

Does no one remember the atrocious:

Teenage Jesus and the Jerks

(featuring Lydia Lunch)?

http://pages.ripco.net/~nailhead/teenage.html