Bands You could never allow yourself to like, given their (to your ears) indefensibly stupid name.

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Not all messages are displayed: show all messages (206 of them)

Re: the Shins -- I had that same response to the Glands -- I was like, "Ewww, the Glands?" But then it was pretty good. Which I guess means this post should be on that other thread. Oops.

On topic: Frozen Ghost. Glass Tiger. White Lion.

But who am I to talk? I was in a band called Desert Ice. And I named it! (I was 15! I swear!)

― spittle (spittle), Sunday, 30 November 2003 20:13 (twenty years ago) link

I agree that Floetry -- or in that case, any band name that attempts to sum up the bands sound or what they're aiming for -- is usually really bad.

However, I like His Name is Alive, for the soul reason as it sounds good when said aloud. That's the biggest problem I had when trying to come up with a band name, getting to something that I could tell people without being embarassed. I still haven't done it.

Bad band names of my own: ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead. Godspeed You Black Emperor. And that's true, I still can't bring myself to listen to either bands music... and when my friend's play them in their cars, I try my best to tune it out.

― David Allen, Sunday, 30 November 2003 20:25 (twenty years ago) link

I never thought "tone deaf" when I saw/heard the name Deftones. I thought of doo-wop groups like the Monotones, and thought it was really cool to combine hip-hop ("def") and doo-wop ("tones") that way, especially since about 2 people in their target audience were likely to get it, if that many.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Sunday, 30 November 2003 21:50 (twenty years ago) link

The BANGS. Name brings to mind a sea of heads just a' bobbin' to the rock.

Super Furry Animals
definitely second Hoobastank -- obliquely evoking crotch-rot does not a good band name make
any jam band name that references eatin', dirty shit, or drugs

― Clarke B., Sunday, 30 November 2003 22:24 (twenty years ago) link

There's a subcategory of bad bands that name themselves after comedy sketches. Ned's Atomic Dustbin naming themselves after a Goon Show episode. Toad The Wet Sprocket after a Python line.

― Elvis Telecom (Chris Barrus), Sunday, 30 November 2003 22:56 (twenty years ago) link

any band with a penis pun in their name

― the surface noise (electricsound), Monday, 1 December 2003 00:09 (twenty years ago) link

Turbonegro.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 1 December 2003 11:02 (twenty years ago) link

Also, Average White Band. And The Band.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Monday, 1 December 2003 11:03 (twenty years ago) link

Megadeth
Anthrax
Venom
Satan's Cheerleaders

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 1 December 2003 11:53 (twenty years ago) link

I agree....Turbonegro is hard to support.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 December 2003 12:52 (twenty years ago) link

soup dragons
love tractor
gigolo aunts
hindu love gods
hypnolovewheel
humble pie
hot tuna
mott the hoople
uriah heep
black grape
moby grape
moby
operation makeout
rich kids on lsd
sheep on drugs

― brian badword (badwords), Monday, 1 December 2003 13:24 (twenty years ago) link

replace gigolo aunts with baby lemonade.

― brian badword (badwords), Monday, 1 December 2003 15:42 (twenty years ago) link

Afghan Whigs

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 December 2003 15:49 (twenty years ago) link

luscious jackson
g love & special sauce
mother love bone
nerf herder
every ska band with a play on ska in their name!!!

not that i could ever possibly like ska anyway.

― brian badword (badwords), Monday, 1 December 2003 16:17 (twenty years ago) link

because i'm too good for ska and ska is too crappy for me, see.

― brian badword (badwords), Monday, 1 December 2003 16:18 (twenty years ago) link

I can't remember any bands I've ever hated just BECAUSE of their name (though with names like "Granola Funk Express," I guess I tend to be wary). But I still feel the Cherry Poppin Daddies and Rapeman should be mentioned here. (Also, didn't Steve Albini and some guys from Urge Overkill briefly have a project called Run Nigger Run in the '80s?)

― chuck, Monday, 1 December 2003 16:21 (twenty years ago) link

And I didn't mean to single Granola Funk Express and hippies of their ilk out -- there are lotsa funk-punk and political hardcore and death metal and lesbian folk and gangsta rap and fill-in-the-blank names just as stupid, I suppose. I just don't wanna think of them right now.

― chuck, Monday, 1 December 2003 16:24 (twenty years ago) link

g love & special sauce

Yeah, this is just flatly unacceptable to me.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 1 December 2003 16:26 (twenty years ago) link

Actually I don't even know if Granola Funk Express is the band's real name, come to think of it. (p.s.: The Jazz June, Bongzilla, Floetry, and HedPE, all of which I see above, have definitely sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard to me in the past, though I actually wound up liking the Jazz June's music when I heard it. Bongzilla also reminds me of Satanicide and Dread Zeppelin, whose names are just as dumb -- in fact, "names making fun of heavy metal bands without being remotely funny" probably deserve their own special category.) (And I don't even know if that's what Bongzilla ARE, though they should be.)

― chuck, Monday, 1 December 2003 16:41 (twenty years ago) link

I can't believe it took SO LONG for Godspeed You Black Emperor! and And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead to come up!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Monday, 1 December 2003 16:57 (twenty years ago) link

one year passes...

There's a metal-ish band called 'Soil'. That suggests to me either gardening or incontinence, neither of which I associate with rock, apart from the second one. And Death-CabÉ is the name of a song by the Bonzo Dog Doodah Band. Go figure.

― Blahde Blah, Sunday, 17 July 2005 10:22 (eighteen years ago) link

What, no Arhers of Loaf yet?

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Sunday, 17 July 2005 10:38 (eighteen years ago) link

baby shambles

― Johann (johann), Sunday, 17 July 2005 10:39 (eighteen years ago) link

won g, not because of his name but for the title of his (only?) album "Do it, Do it Won G" that sat on a local used rack for at least 5 years.
I just imagine the title track is the worst song ever and involves Won g exhorting the crowd to 'get hyped' like, way too many times, I'd bet money on it even.

I third G Love, he's gotta be a clod

Trashcan Sinatras and the Lounge Lizards slipped in under my radar and got a reprieve of sorts.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Sunday, 17 July 2005 10:55 (eighteen years ago) link

oh and Cherrywine. 'Butterfly' wasn't bad enough! It boggles the mind.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Sunday, 17 July 2005 11:00 (eighteen years ago) link

i am kloot
my morning jacket
my ruin
my vitriol
my chemical romance
you am i
your mum
his name is alive
her space holiday
we will be pilots
us 3
they might be giants

all of that shit.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Sunday, 17 July 2005 11:06 (eighteen years ago) link

I used to misread Broken Social Scene as Broken Social Science, which is waaaaay better.

― dmun drive-in (dmun), Sunday, 17 July 2005 11:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Flying Burrito Brothers

― nicholas de jong (nicholas de jong), Sunday, 17 July 2005 11:54 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, I second Archers of Loaf. Some very cool people have recommended them to me and I'm just not having it.

― p.j. (Henry), Sunday, 17 July 2005 13:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Archers is indeed a terrible name, but for a certain kind of loud, driving indie rock, they're the undisputed kings. Up through Vee Vee they were one of the best bands in the world.

OPO Archers: Lowest Part Is Free

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Sunday, 17 July 2005 14:36 (eighteen years ago) link

SUNNO))) -> I mean, for fucks sake, if that isn't a name just invented to appear in Wire magazine then... Well, maybe I should check'em out, I'll probably like'em.

― nathalie's body's designed for two (stevie nixed), Sunday, 17 July 2005 14:45 (eighteen years ago) link

SUNNO)))
They pronounce it "sun", if that makes any difference.

But anyway:
Nada Surf
the Dandy Warhols
Tricky Woo (who I've actually heard - they're o.k.)
Danko Jones
Preston School of Industry

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Sunday, 17 July 2005 15:01 (eighteen years ago) link

Morcheeba
Dogs Die In Hot Cars
Dan Fogelberg

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 17 July 2005 15:13 (eighteen years ago) link

be your own pet
say hi to your mom
clap your hands say yeah

― breezy, Sunday, 17 July 2005 16:00 (eighteen years ago) link

The Mooney Suzuki
Test-Icicles (apparently a new electro/rock/whatever signing to Domino, with one of the most cringe-inducing names I've ever seen)

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Sunday, 17 July 2005 16:05 (eighteen years ago) link

And you will know us by our trail of dead

― I.M. (I.M.), Sunday, 17 July 2005 16:06 (eighteen years ago) link

It's funny how these lists reflect personal dislikes. E.g., Breezy doesn't like to be told what to do! x-post

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Sunday, 17 July 2005 16:32 (eighteen years ago) link

what's wrong with trash can sinatras?
nobody calls gorky's zygotic mynci gorky's zygotic mynci anymore it is just gorky's which is not as bad.
his name is alive was the perfect name for the band on their first 3 or 4 records, it doesn't fit as much anymore but then i hear karin oliver is coming back? they shoudl release the his name is arrive japanoise versions of the songs with chelle marie singing.

― keith m (keithmcl), Sunday, 17 July 2005 16:54 (eighteen years ago) link

re: Trashcan Sinatras
it made me picture a gaggle of nu-crooners refashioned from an erstwhile swing revival band that missed that particular boat(the 'refashioning' mostly involving ditching the fedoras and paring down the brass section). I've learned otherwise, but still.

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Sunday, 17 July 2005 18:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Eminem

― Michael Costello (MichaelCostello1), Sunday, 17 July 2005 18:57 (eighteen years ago) link

Wolf Parade...not really a stupid name, but there's about 10000 bands with Wolf in their name now.

But holy mackerel, what a band! It's probably my favorite album of the year.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Sunday, 17 July 2005 20:37 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh and Gang Gang Dance and Hot Hot Heat. They both might just as well be called Shit Shit Bollocks

― blahde blah, Sunday, 17 July 2005 22:16 (eighteen years ago) link

Mister Mister

*shudders*

― Orbit (Orbit), Sunday, 17 July 2005 22:26 (eighteen years ago) link

Mr. Mister

sorry for the correction.

― Michael Costello (MichaelCostello1), Sunday, 17 July 2005 22:31 (eighteen years ago) link

!!!
Alien Ant Farm
Rainer Maria
Propagandhi
Butthole Surfers
Eve's Plumb
The Jean Paul Sartre Experience
Mr. T Experience
REO Speedwagon
Septic Death
Stone Temple Pilots
The Revolting Cocks

― cicatrix, Monday, 18 July 2005 03:11 (eighteen years ago) link

SUNNO))) -> I mean, for fucks sake, if that isn't a name just invented to appear in Wire magazine then... Well, maybe I should check'em out, I'll probably like'em.

-- nathalie's body's designed for two (stevienixe...), July 17th, 2005.

they are worth your time.

― latebloomer: lazy r people (latebloomer), Monday, 18 July 2005 03:20 (eighteen years ago) link

murder by death

I like this one!

― daavid (daavid), Monday, 18 July 2005 05:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Let's ask Johnny Thunders.

Hey, Johnny. Who's name don't you like?

http://www.bobgruen.com/files/nydolls/files/R.239%20JOHNNY%20THUNDERS%202%20DRINKS.
"KJ-52"

Thanks, Johnny Thunders.

― Michael Costello (MichaelCostello1), Monday, 18 July 2005 05:33 (eighteen years ago) link

Nid & Sancy

― temeraire (r h), Monday, 18 July 2005 12:41 (eighteen years ago) link

One thing I'm sure we can all agree on is that "Boymerang" is beyond a doubt the worst stage/band name in the entire history of music.
-- John Darnie11e (editor@lastpla...), January 16th, 2002 8:00 PM

I chuckled over this on the "Lost Generation" thread the other day. He may have a point.

― o. nate (onate), Monday, 18 July 2005 13:10 (eighteen years ago) link

Skipping 106 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.