Artists You've Written Off/Pointedly Ignored because of their name

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I refused to listen to Death Cab For Cutie for years because of their name. Even after I inadvertently heard and liked them, I've refused to ever own any of their music, just because I hate their name.

I can sit in my car all day, and that doesn't make me a car. (HI DERE), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:21 (seventeen years ago)

Basically 95% of indie/emo bands

hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:21 (seventeen years ago)

Took me a while to shell out for anything by The Butthole Surfers.

Soukesian, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:22 (seventeen years ago)

c-murder

rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:23 (seventeen years ago)

clap your hands say yeah

Gentle Giant
I don't really like prog but I always liked the name

iatee, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:23 (seventeen years ago)

It took me a long time to listen to Of Montreal because I thought the name was so pretentious. My Mom despised the band Hole because of their name but I caught her singing along to Violet once!

she started dancing to that (Finefinemusic), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:24 (seventeen years ago)

xp iatee: I think I have an aversion to anything that has a name that smacks of "elves and fairies in the forest" or new age/hippie stuff - Animal Collective made me think of hippie jam bands where the musicians have power animals.

photoshop your disgusting ass partner into passive-aggressive notes (sarahel), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:27 (seventeen years ago)

yeah agree on animal collective at least

iatee, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:29 (seventeen years ago)

my two were mentioned:

My Morning Jacket - got over it and think they're pretty ace
Deathcab for Cutie - i think i heard them once and found them unremarkable enough to go on ignoring

now is the time to winterize your manscape (will), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:32 (seventeen years ago)

I know it's shallow of me but no matter how many times they sweep the Voice poll I still can't bring myself to listen to The Guys Who're Gonna Beat J0hn D's Ass

Just one thing I was thinking about as I was getting on the copter (J0hn D.), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:36 (seventeen years ago)

Big Dick McGee

brocktune (jeff), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:44 (seventeen years ago)

I like the name but I couldn't forgive him for killing his wife marion

鬼の手 (Edward III), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:45 (seventeen years ago)

Black Moth Super Rainbow OTM.

ilxor, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:46 (seventeen years ago)

clap your hands say yeah
the yeah yeah yeahs

basically

yes threads (country matters), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:49 (seventeen years ago)

Fucked Up, for awhile, now i like them a lot

wassup rockers? (M@tt He1ges0n), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:51 (seventeen years ago)

minus the bear

yes threads (country matters), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:51 (seventeen years ago)

Dr. Dog, I guess. I've still never knowingly heard them.

now is the time to winterize your manscape (will), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:52 (seventeen years ago)

It took me a while to get around to checking out Eyehategod because of the name. I'm glad I got past that.

Pissed Jeans, oddly enough, doesn't bother me as a name. It suits their sound. They're good! One of the better pigfuck revival acts out there.

buttslam is a pretty good move (circa1916), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:55 (seventeen years ago)

yeah yeah yeahs is a great band name, except for when you have to say it aloud

congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:59 (seventeen years ago)

funny, i do remember, way back when I was a teen, hearing about this band Pavement and thinking, come on, come up with a real band name, dudes. Just sounded boring, along the lines of grunge bands naming songs "Porch."

tylerw, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:00 (seventeen years ago)

You couldn't pay me a million dollars to listen to one second of the work of a band with a name like "Death Cab for Cutie". No fucking way.

Bill Magill, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:01 (seventeen years ago)

Final Fantasy
Dr. Dog

Whiney G. Weingarten, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:03 (seventeen years ago)

ryan adams

i figured anybody w/name that close to bryan adams who didn't change it couldn't possibly be any good.

m coleman, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:07 (seventeen years ago)

maybe i'm in the minority here, but Death Cab For Cutie's name is my fave thing about them, becuz it makes me think of that funny Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band song.

tylerw, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:07 (seventeen years ago)

!!! is another one, actually

I can sit in my car all day, and that doesn't make me a car. (HI DERE), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:08 (seventeen years ago)

In case y'all didn't know:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Cab_for_Cutie_(song)

Bianca Jagger (jaymc), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:08 (seventeen years ago)

(oh xpost!)

Bianca Jagger (jaymc), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:08 (seventeen years ago)

and yet, they are totally humorless and sound nothing like the Bonzos AND are just terrible in general

Pre-Beatles Yoko Ono (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:11 (seventeen years ago)

agreed

tylerw, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:12 (seventeen years ago)

Dogs Die in Hot Cars

Genghis Khan and his brother Don (G00blar), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:21 (seventeen years ago)

They've been too ubiquitous here for me to write them off solely because of their name, but I think I might have given Arctic Monkeys more of a chance if they were called just about anything else instead.

Genghis Khan and his brother Don (G00blar), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:24 (seventeen years ago)

I gave Dananananaykroyd a listen on emusic out of morbid curiosity (expected some horrible joke band) and was pleasantly surprised with my favorite album of the year to date...

dlp9001, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:30 (seventeen years ago)

^^^^I have been struggling with friends' recommendations owing to their name

yes threads (country matters), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:38 (seventeen years ago)

Used to really be bothered by At the Drive-In too. Even if it's a stab at Poison's "Talk Dirty To Me" (is it?), it's just lame.

Haha, I never made that leap from At-the Drive In to Poison, but I love it!

display names have been changed to protect the innocent (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:41 (seventeen years ago)

i had a friend who was really into the pAper chAse & kept insisting i check them out but i refused because i thought their name looked dumb. now, "When & If The Big One Hits" is one of my favorite songs but i still don't like looking at their name.

more recently, i had a similar experience with tUnE-YaRdS.

myndbloom, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:43 (seventeen years ago)

Gastunk has a name that just doesn't entice.

Neotropical pygmy squirrel, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:03 (seventeen years ago)

Ween.

Enormous Epic (Matt DC), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:07 (seventeen years ago)

And also Death Cab For Cutie.

Enormous Epic (Matt DC), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:08 (seventeen years ago)

Heltah Skeltah
Cunninglynguists
All Natural

hope this helps (Granny Dainger), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:14 (seventeen years ago)

Anal Cunt.... there's a tough one to defend.

Alex in NYC, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:15 (seventeen years ago)

After disliking Crystal Castles, feeling meh about Crystal Stilts, and not getting much from Deerhoof, I'm unreasonably skeptical of recent advice to check out Crystal Antlers.

bendy, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:25 (seventeen years ago)

oh yeah anything with "Wolf" in the title

yes threads (country matters), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:28 (seventeen years ago)

apart from "Wolf Eyes" because they were the first one I knew about and they blew my 17 year-old brain to bits

yes threads (country matters), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:28 (seventeen years ago)

Crystal Antlers are great and better than those other bands (judgment based entirely on the one show we played with them - haven't heard their recorded output)

Pre-Beatles Yoko Ono (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:35 (seventeen years ago)

for a long time one reason i didn't get into radiohead was their name. most bands have stupid names these days. and make crap music. coldplay anyone? what kind of name is clouddead? arctic monkeys i have never listened to (is their name supposed to be funny?) but i don't think i missed something. as mentioned upthread the whitest boy alive is a terrible name. like kings of convenience btw. but kings of convenience at least had some great guitar songs. twba are just plain dull. kings of leon i never listened to 'cause of the name. there must be dozens of others i can't think of right now.

alex in mainhattan, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 21:50 (seventeen years ago)

Rapeman, and I'm a pretty big Albini fan.

sleeve, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 22:00 (seventeen years ago)

Any band called The Black whatevers (Keys, Lips, Angels etc). Especially Black Kids.

Matt #2, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 22:22 (seventeen years ago)

dude you should check out black sabbath, good stuff

wassup rockers? (M@tt He1ges0n), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 22:23 (seventeen years ago)

Were they called The Black Sabbaths? Exactly.

Matt #2, Tuesday, 14 April 2009 22:26 (seventeen years ago)

i have no interest in them at all, but

someone still loves you boris yeltsin

has got to be among the worst names ever

i like to fart and i am crazy (gbx), Tuesday, 14 April 2009 22:27 (seventeen years ago)

I kind of love that name tbh

beard papa, Monday, 29 December 2025 21:41 (five months ago)

Maybe there's a Cambodian doom covers band called Penhtagram

a stadium filled with people in cheesecloth shirts (Matt #2), Monday, 29 December 2025 21:47 (five months ago)

I’m sorry, you like penh pals?!?!

I’m actually trying to name my music project right now. It’s the worst part of being a musician.

Heez, Monday, 29 December 2025 22:11 (five months ago)

Have you considered "Heez Nutz"?

assert (matttkkkk), Monday, 29 December 2025 22:28 (five months ago)

Yes. I have considered that

Heez, Monday, 29 December 2025 23:52 (five months ago)

Tony Shhnow

some dude, Tuesday, 30 December 2025 01:07 (five months ago)

I’m sorry, you like penh pals?!?!

I’m actually trying to name my music project right now. It’s the worst part of being a musician.

yeah, it's a fun and memorable name for a cover band

beard papa, Tuesday, 30 December 2025 01:55 (five months ago)

yeah agreed

fall of the house of urrsher (sic), Tuesday, 30 December 2025 02:46 (five months ago)

Fine I’ll go to a show but damn well better be fun and memorable

Heez, Tuesday, 30 December 2025 03:01 (five months ago)

Ross from Friends makes me think of Scott & Charlene's Wedding, who actually had a couple of good-if-scrappy tunes.

Stoop Crone (Trayce), Tuesday, 30 December 2025 03:51 (five months ago)

(I do confess I did listen to a RFF EP about 7 years ago on a friend's rec and it was probably good too but all I remember was hating the name as I still do.)

Weed420
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizzard
The War on Drugs

you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 30 December 2025 11:35 (five months ago)

Wizard* rather - hey it's still Christmas

you can see me from westbury white horse, Tuesday, 30 December 2025 11:35 (five months ago)

two months pass...

https://nocturnalemissions.bandcamp.com/album/transearth

nocturnal emissions

koogs, Wednesday, 25 March 2026 16:40 (two months ago)

sounds like a Coil album title

. (jamiesummerz), Wednesday, 25 March 2026 16:56 (two months ago)

They were actually contemporaries! The name never put me off but it has led to some raised eyebrows from family members when it's been loaded on my multimedia system (that is, running foobar on a 48" screen).

sawdust lagoon, Wednesday, 25 March 2026 17:10 (two months ago)

someone does warehouse dj nights in NY under the same name now

bulb after bulb, Wednesday, 25 March 2026 17:15 (two months ago)

better not tell Nigel

sawdust lagoon, Wednesday, 25 March 2026 17:21 (two months ago)

i was looking for butoh related music but it all tends to be 30+ minute long tracks and this was one of the few things that had short pieces.

koogs, Wednesday, 25 March 2026 18:52 (two months ago)

Nocturnal Emissions is a great name!

beard papa, Wednesday, 25 March 2026 20:41 (two months ago)

yeah, i agree, don't see what's wrong with it.

a tv star not a dirty computer man (the table is the table), Thursday, 26 March 2026 17:05 (two months ago)

I heard they were offered a daytime festival gig and they had to turn it down. "Sorry, we can only emit our music at night, hence the name."

calmer chameleon (Ye Mad Puffin), Thursday, 26 March 2026 18:53 (two months ago)

Nothing wrong with daily emissions

Cow_Art, Thursday, 26 March 2026 19:04 (two months ago)

Avalon Emerson because it sounds like an aspirational name for a “cheating” website, like Ashley Madison.

Sample Clearance Revival (punning display), Friday, 27 March 2026 17:22 (two months ago)

three weeks pass...

Fred again..

MarkoP, Friday, 17 April 2026 06:28 (one month ago)

otm -- whenever i see that name i think it's this guy: http://www.youtube.com/fred

and then i get very confused when the likes of brian eno and anderson .paak are collabing with him...

Lavator Shemmelpennick, Thursday, 23 April 2026 14:21 (one month ago)

I saw that name yesterday and am realizing now that I'd confused him with Right Said Fred (who should collab with Eno also).

jmm, Thursday, 23 April 2026 14:27 (one month ago)

i think Right Said Fred turned out to be some Right Wing Nutters so that's never going to happen

I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Thursday, 23 April 2026 16:10 (one month ago)

It was hiding in plain sight all along

. (jamiesummerz), Thursday, 23 April 2026 17:12 (one month ago)

Sister Ray Davies
Deathray Davies
Lana Del Ray Davies

Colonel Poo, Wednesday, 29 April 2026 22:33 (one month ago)

Geese. Sorry.. just can't do it.

beard papa, Wednesday, 29 April 2026 22:54 (one month ago)

But that's... one of their USPs

rameau in the main room (dog latin), Wednesday, 29 April 2026 23:08 (one month ago)

Diarrhea Planet and Viagra Boys being good bands was pretty annoying


also having to say pretty much my favorite currently active band is Tropical Fuck Storm is not great

Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 29 April 2026 23:12 (one month ago)

Thighpaulsandra

― Bianca Jagger (jaymc), Tuesday, May 19, 2009 12:54 AM (sixteen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Still terrible

brian of britain (Matt #2), Thursday, 30 April 2026 06:38 (one month ago)

Is there a joke or pun there that I'm not getting?

Cow_Art, Thursday, 30 April 2026 10:40 (one month ago)

best Fred is Fred P

https://ra.co/dj/fredp/biography

Tracer Hand, Thursday, 30 April 2026 11:29 (one month ago)

submit Fred V & Grafix for your consideration

Throw It Down Binman (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, 30 April 2026 12:32 (one month ago)


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