# Bands that don't sound like their name **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 23, 2019, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927 "2019-06-23T13:20:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/41 "2019-06-24T06:09:37Z")
The Killers ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/42 "2019-06-24T08:37:44Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > Godspeed You Black Emperor! is not the heavy trip you’d expect from the name. “Post-rock” is the genre; I like it, not for everyone. Dreamy and long-winded. Sorry to be “that guy”, but… oh, you know what, let’s do this properly… Um, aaaaaactually… it’s “Godspeed You\*\*! \*\*Black Emperor” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/43 "2019-06-24T11:29:19Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > **The Old 97s** are an alt-country band, but for me the name always conjures up something like “The Good Old Boys” from the Blues Brothers, a bunch of fat old guys in matching western shirts. It’s **Old 97s** (no “The”). Nit picky sure, but I think it makes a difference. Great band. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/44 "2019-06-24T11:33:04Z")
_ **The Smiths.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/45 "2019-06-24T12:23:18Z")
This was the entire point of Kittie taking that name - it didn’t sound like the name of a metal band, and they liked that contradiction. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/46 "2019-06-24T12:51:10Z")
N/m. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/47 "2019-06-24T13:27:35Z")
The Cowboy Junkies were … not as hardcore as the name suggests Miranda Sex Garden … odd name for a madrigal band. Wolfsheim … you wouldn’t expect synthpop The Birthday Party … not a kid’s band! Swans ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2019, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/48 "2019-06-24T13:51:17Z")
**The Pixies** - suggests bouncy pop music to me. **Grateful Dead** - seen outside the context of the hippie movement, the name and imagery suggests a much harder style of music. **Skinny Puppy** - I rescind this one. **The New Pornographers** - not entirely sure what I expected, but definitely not what I got (jangly Canadian pop). **Widespread Panic** - I would never guess they were a southern blues-rock jam band. My first guesses would be either electronic or hard rock. **Panic! At the Disco** - always confusing when a band name includes the name of a style of music that band doesn’t play (like “Eagles of Death Metal” mentioned above). **Cinderella** - sounds like the name of a band that would open for The Wiggles. ---
**Author:** ![dzeiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@dzeiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dzeiger)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/49 "2019-06-25T00:12:16Z")
I’m not exactly sure what “Jethro Tull” should sound like, but I am sure it shouldn’t sound like a band that beat Metallica for a Hard Rock Grammy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/50 "2019-06-25T04:09:28Z")
Come on guys - if they’re the _Eagles_ of Death Metal, they most definitely do not play Death Metal. Just like Fine Young Cannibals, every word in the band names counts. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/51 "2019-06-25T05:51:48Z")
Damn, Incubus was taken. Faith No More might not suggest Christian rock, but I don’t know what it suggests. The New York Dolls sounds like some Runaways group. Nine Inch Nails maybe some 60s girl pop. > [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > The Killers They took the name from a [New Order video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVMyXDsadLQ). Speaking of which, Joy Division might be misleading if you take the words individually and at face value. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/52 "2019-06-25T06:02:20Z")
_Pavement_ Name sounds like it’d be some hard hitting, fuck yea rock!! But it’s not. Still good band tho. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 8:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/53 "2019-06-25T08:59:17Z")
Ben Folds Five ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/54 "2019-06-25T09:40:51Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Never heard of them – to me the name comes across as maybe some old timey throwback rock and roll band or a rockabilly band. Alt-country band, though sounds close enough to me. In case you’ve got a moment for a listen, [Old 97s - Good With God](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDMMd4zx7is) is one of my favorite songs from the past year or so. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/55 "2019-06-25T12:37:40Z")
There’s a mention of The Pogues in the opposite thread. Which reminds me of Shane MacGowan’s followup band: The Popes. Anything associated with MacGowan isn’t going to be very Pope-like. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_T-Cups](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ed655f/32.png) [@Sir\_T-Cups](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_T-Cups)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/56 "2019-06-25T15:08:25Z")
Soulfly. They sound like an indie rock band from the 90s but they’re a metal band ---
**Author:** ![Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_Arachnid_Laser_1)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/57 "2019-06-25T16:05:31Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > Come on guys - if they’re the _Eagles_ of Death Metal, they most definitely do not play Death Metal. Of course they would. It would just need to be the mellowest, blandest possible kind of Death Metal. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/58 "2019-06-25T17:28:53Z")
> [@Go\_Arachnid\_Laser](#): > > Of course they would. It would just need to be the mellowest, blandest possible kind of Death Metal. “I hate the fucking Eagles Of Death Metal, man…” ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/59 "2019-06-25T18:04:31Z")
[Uriah Heep](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l685JEwFPb4) ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927/60 "2019-06-25T20:17:30Z")
Night Ranger sounds like a fairly badass band name, but all I’ve heard from them is soft rock. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-that-dont-sound-like-their-name/835927.md?page=4)