# Band names that don't fit their style **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576 "2014-06-25T01:55:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/41 "2014-06-25T15:29:51Z")
**Lenny Kravitz**. Name sounds like an obscure vaudevillian. Artist sounds like Curtis Mayfield, Prince, and Jimi Hendrix fell into a Cuisinart. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/42 "2014-06-25T15:36:36Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > **Lenny Kravitz**. Name sounds like an obscure vaudevillian. Artist sounds like Curtis Mayfield, Prince, and Jimi Hendrix fell into a Cuisinart. Or [this ladie’s son.](http://bewitched.wikia.com/wiki/Gladys_Kravitz) ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/43 "2014-06-25T19:26:02Z")
**Job for a Cowboy** sounds like a Country Band. Their first album was called **Genesis** , so probably Christian Country right? Subsequent albums **Ruination and Gloom** and **Black Discharge** give the game away - they’re Death Metal. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/44 "2014-06-25T19:29:58Z")
\*\*Vampire Weekend \*\*sounds like they would be a goth band, not an African rhythm-influenced alt-pop band. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/45 "2014-06-25T19:34:28Z")
**Iwrestledabearonce** sounds like they should be opening for Mojo Nixon or some other humorous alt-country group. Nope - they play metalcore. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/46 "2014-06-25T20:22:03Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > \*\*Vampire Weekend \*\*sounds like they would be a goth band, not an African rhythm-influenced alt-pop band. That’s a good one. I also avoided **My Bloody Valentine** for awhile because I assumed they were just another goth band. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/47 "2014-06-25T21:05:55Z")
> [@Randolph](#): > > Death Cab for Cutie. Ben Gibbard said, “The name was never supposed to be something that someone was going to reference 15 years on. So yeah, I would absolutely go back and give it a more obvious name.” Ten years ago I saw Death Cab for Cutie play with Dismemberment Plan as an opener. They called it the Death and Dismemberment Tour. The crowd consisted of people standing completely still in small groups three feet away from each other. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/48 "2014-06-25T21:39:12Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > ??? Extreme is one of the most approriate band names ever. > > It not only describes their talent and playing style but also their versatility in being able to transition from one “extreme” to another. > > Also, it derived from Gary Cherone and drummer Paul Geary previously being in a band called “The Dream” and then referred to themselves as “Ex-Dream” [My rebuttal.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrIiLvg58SY) ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/49 "2014-06-25T21:45:18Z")
> [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](#): > > **Iwrestledabearonce** sounds like they should be opening for Mojo Nixon or some other humorous alt-country group. Nope - they play metalcore. [Wolfmother](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySjXFjLTagQ) seems to me like they should be a hippie, Phish-like band with Native American influences. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/50 "2014-06-25T23:48:22Z")
**Martha and the Muffins** sound like they should be opening for Raffi. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/51 "2014-06-26T00:00:27Z")
Reverend Horton Heat To extended the OP a bit, Amy Winehouse sure doesn’t look like the music she sings. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/52 "2014-06-26T00:05:56Z")
With **Nine Inch Nails** , I stand corrected. I’d only heard their song “Hurt”. I guess every Kiss has its Beth. Going the other way, I’ll suggest **Cream**. We’re so used to associating the name with the act, we forget that the name really sounds more like Perry Como or ABBA type music rather than hard-hitting blooze. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/53 "2014-06-26T00:33:23Z")
I’ve never felt there was anything even slightly dildo-ish about _Steely Dan’s_ music. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/54 "2014-06-26T03:45:27Z")
Cripple Mister Onion should be annoyingly smug college alt-rock along the lines of Weezer or Ben Folds and not awesome prog-metal. And Oasis sounds like the name for a Windham Hill elevator jazz act from 1987. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/55 "2014-06-26T03:46:38Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > I’ve never felt there was anything even slightly dildo-ish about _Steely Dan’s_ music. Really? I’d heard they were stuck up cunts. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/56 "2014-06-26T03:51:24Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Really? I’d heard they were stuck up cunts. Snerk. Best not to read too much into “Peg.” ---
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/57 "2014-06-26T04:11:42Z")
**Taking Back Sunday** sounds like they should be a Christian rock band. Instead they are a typical pop-punk band. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/58 "2014-06-26T04:36:03Z")
> [@Flywheel](#): > > Ditto **Soundgarden**. Especially considering they got their name [from a wind-driven public scuplture.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Sound_Garden) ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/59 "2014-06-26T04:53:26Z")
I don’t know exactly _what_ kind of band **Toad the Wet Sprocket** sounds like they should be, but whatever it is, I don’t think they’re it. **Jethro Tull** sounds like a country artist. **Trans-Siberian Orchestra** sounds like a Russian classical group. I guess the ‘classical’ part is right, but heavy-metal classical and no Russians as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576/60 "2014-06-26T06:14:08Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Reverend Horton Heat > > To extended the OP a bit, Amy Winehouse sure doesn’t look like the music she sings. With respect, I’d say Amy Winehouse hasn’t looked like much of anything for the last four years. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-names-that-dont-fit-their-style/691576.md?page=4)