Dew Scented (god what a horrible name that is) are a German crossover-y thrash/deathmetal thing.
An old local band called Bruised and Stupid would make you think, basically - punk, but no - wussy pop shit.
Nice little 8-second’er from Nice View
From the same wonderful 7" (84 songs! dig it, man!) a nifty little five-second’er from Real Reggae
The Dukes Of The Stratosphere sounds like a heavy metal prog band, but it was the name of XTC’s side project, perfectly emulating ca. 1966/67 psychedelia.
(and XTC itself sounds like the name of a hip hop singer or maybe an electronic act, but not like an English new wave/post punk band.)
Savage Garden sounds like the name of some kind of metal or heavy alternative band.
Reverend Horton Heat is not exactly gospel choir.
Mannheim Steamroller is not a death metal band.
Jerry Garcia apparently agreed, saying that he felt the the name Grateful Dead “held them back” from greater mainstream popular and critical success in the early going.
I always thought the name and even moreso, much of the imaging and artwork they used in self promotion was offputting and semingly a poor fit for their music, but given that in the late 1980’s-early 1990’s the band and their “scene” basically self-collapsed due to the various stressors of mega success, what do I know?
The Jesus and Mary Chain.
Nothing religious or bondage-y about them.
The Violent Femmes
Three white guys in an American Folk Punk band.
Bram Tchaikovsky, though I have to admit that it doesn’t exactly sound like a classical musician.
I misspelled the name of the band, it’sThe Dukes Of Stratosphear, which sounds even more like space or prog rock mixed with metal.
Remember the relaxing New Age sounds of that World Music band from the early nineties, Nirvana?
Job For A Cowboy plays death metal.
And You Will Know Us Bt The Trail Od Dead does not play death metal.
I was waiting for someone to mention that group. Supposedly early in the band’s existence, they played some gigs before rowdy audiences who, on the basis of their name, assumed they were a heavy metal band.
Yeah, Grateful Dead came to mind for me as well when making the OP. It’s a bit difficult for me to separate the name from the band and the music the play, since all my life the Grateful Dead was hippy jam band music, but if I had encountered the name with no context whatsoever, I don’t think I would have guessed they were a band that played an improvisational style of rock with American folk influences. My first instinct would be punk, followed by metal, followed by post-punk. (Of course, the band predates these genres. I’m not sure what I would have thought in 1970 upon hearing that name. Probably some psychedelic band.)
Dixie Dregs.
1000 homo dj’s doesn’t sound like they’d play industrial…well, maybe.
Yeah, what I found especially misleading was their ubiquitous poster of a long-haired skeleton playing violin, which, as a kid, I took note of before ever hearing them, thinking they were something heavy/wierd, but then their '78 SNL appearance (“Casey Jones”, I think) brought that impression to a crashing and most disappointing end.
There was a well known death metal band in the '80s by that name. Isn’t it something they were the ones who changed their name. It’s tough to make money in the world of underground metal. Opprobrium (band) - Wikipedia
Extreme.
ETA: Just looked them up. Turns out their hit ballad “More than Words” was NOT typical of their harder style, so not really appropriate for this thread, though I’m guessing most people would THINK they are. Lesson learned!
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.