Every time I go music shopping, I’m struck by all the bands named for plants and animals. And the quirkier ones leave me wondering, “what species are still left, free for the taking?” So, listing all the band names recalling flora or fauna, in a [very!] crude taxonomic scheme is something I’ve actually been wanting to do for awhile. Fellow pop music naturalists who can contribute specimens or fossils are most welcome! NB: You get a lot of leeway with bands regarding mispellings and phrases…
Flora:
Downy Mildew
The Magic Mushrooms
The Seeds
Leaves
The Leaves
The Screaming Trees
63 Trees
Pansy Division
The Posies
Madder Rose
The Lilac Time
Lilys
Black Eyed Peas
The Electric Prunes
Strawberry Alarm Clock
Strawberry Switchblade
Wild Cherry
Blind Melon
Smashing Pumpkins
The Mighty Lemon Drops
The Lemonheads
Olive
The Cranberries
Apples In Stereo
Bananarama
Fauna (The Animals):
The Lower Invertebrates (hey, a band name right there!), marine division:
The Coral
Blue Oyster Cult
Jellyfish
Marine Vertebrates:
Seahorse
Eels
Babel Fish
Hootie & the Blowfish
Hot Tuna
Great White
Insects & other lower invertebrates, land division:
The Nightcrawlers
The Beatles
Adam and the Ants
The Bees; also, Voice of the Beehive
Dinosaurs:
Dinosaur Jr.
T-Rex
Reptiles:
The Chameleons
Tortoise
The Turtles
Snake River Conspiracy
The Detroit Cobras
Amphibians:
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Avians:
The Byrds
Blackbird
Cock Robin
The Housemartins
Counting Crows
A Flock of Seagulls
Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her, Kiss Her
The Wild Swans
Hawkwind
The Eagles
Mammals:
Rodentia & similar –
Mouse
Modest Mouse
Squirrel Nut Zippers
The Judybats
Echo & the Bunnymen
Possum Dixon
Ungulates & similar –
Lamb
Ram Jam
The High Llamas
Grant Lee Buffalo
Buffalo Tom
Babe the Blue Ox
Stealing Horses
The Golden Palominos
The Hippos
Felines –
The Stray Cats
Richard & The Young Lions
Canines –
that dog.
Pugs
The Laughing Dogs
The Fabulous Poodles
Poi Dog Pondering
Bloodhound Gang
Los Lobos
Ursine –
The Bears
Primates, lower & higher –
The Blow Monkeys
The Human Beinz
The Human League
Whew! Now, what’s interesting and still left for the taking (as far as I know)?
The Naked Mole Rats
The Giant Hissing Madagascar Cockroaches
The Lemurs
The Hamsters
The Lemmings
Flounder
Daddy Long-legs
The Dik-Diks
The Sloths
The Hermit Crabs
The Lampreys
The Skunks (“I caught ‘The Skunks’ in a dive… and they stunk up the place!”)
The Army Ants
The Dung Beetles
The Hammerheads
Nutria
…?
