Comments on: my band name's better than your band name

my band name's better than your band name

nylon — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 09:52:57 -0800

Meanwhile, Back in Communist Russia... BBC Radio1 clowns/idiots Mark and Lard have an ongoing quest to find the worst band name ever. Personally I think some of the bands in the poll have the best names. What makes a crap band name? Something unimaginative like The Michael Schenker Group? Something crass like Speculum Fight or Alien Porno Midgets? What, for that matter, makes a good name? Do tell.

By: Space Coyote

Space Coyote — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:01:16 -0800

I have a feeling that survey is just going to turn into 'which band do you hate the most?' contest. If I didn't have a certain attachment to their music I probably would have been more likely to choose They Might Be Giants. But oh well, bias is great when it's conscious. Limp Bizkit it is.

By: starvingartist

starvingartist — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:05:34 -0800

I have two proposals: Nunslaughter Heavy Days and the Feminine Applicators - not sure about this one, but I think that was their name. And a bad album name proposal - Frozen Corpse Stuffed With Dope, from Agoraphobic Nosebleed (which is not a bad band name, IMHO)

By: KnitWit

KnitWit — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:06:39 -0800

Odd, I was just talking about weird band names on my site (obvious self-link) this morning... Personally, I think the Goo Goo Dolls have the stupidest name in existance, but for a full list of unfortunate names go to Brainwashed's canonical guide to weird band names.

By: PinkStainlessTail

PinkStainlessTail — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:08:35 -0800

I always thought Lenin's Pallbearers would make a good band name. Never had a band to put it on tho'.

By: LouReedsSon

LouReedsSon — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:10:05 -0800

Mindless Self Indulgence.

By: shecky57

shecky57 — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:10:46 -0800

What, no "... And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead"? (best band name ever, BT...)

By: darkpony

darkpony — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:15:41 -0800

"Add to Cart" feel free to use this beauty for YOUR band today!

By: ewagoner

ewagoner — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:24:10 -0800

Before they proved how good they really were, the Dictatortots got plenty of local press on their name alone.

By: Johnny Assay

Johnny Assay — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:26:06 -0800

Schecky - I was just thinking the same thing. Although "Godspeed You! Black Emperor" is up there, especially now that they've moved the exclamation mark...

By: redsparkler

redsparkler — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:28:31 -0800

I've always wanted to see ICanLickAnySonofaBitchInTheHouse open for The Fucking Champs. Them there's quality nomenclatures.

By: tommasz

tommasz — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:32:29 -0800

Flock of Seagulls got my vote. Their music sucked too, but you couldn't vote on that issue.

By: Skot

Skot — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:36:22 -0800

I can't believe that Hoobastank isn't even in the running. Just typing their name makes my gums bleed. And for maximal awfulness, there is always (I'm really sorry, but I'm not making this up): Anal Cunt. Their song titles are also . . . something. Examples: "I Got Athletes Foot Showering At Mike's," "You Went To See Dishwalla And Everclear (You're Gay)," and of course "I Ate Your Horse."

By: damehex

damehex — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:41:45 -0800

A discussion of the worst possible band name went on for many months on the Songfight.com message boards. There are many categories of bad band names. The most reliable are: Puns Pretentions Mixed metaphors Bandmember name and the plural noun Verb or noun plus random number All ska band names There are a few twists; a run-of-the-mill terrible band name can make a great punk band name (my favorite ever: Fucking Retard). And my favorite bad bandnames are parodies of other bands' names (Urethra Franklin, REO Speeddealer, Folk Implosion). There is also one popular (though lousy) band who made a serious effort to claim the title for all time by taking their name from a Monty Python skit ABOUT LAME ROCK BAND NAMES. That band: Toad the Wet Sprocket. I think the very worst band names are based on bandmember names. The worst ever: Hall and Oates. That band name has nothing going for it. Runner up: the fictional Rod Torfulson's Armada Featuring Herman Menderchuck. We came up with the following as-yet unsused terrible bandnames (use your scroll wheel to bypass): Hulapoop Flapjackal Escapegoat Farthuffer Twee The Seminferous Tubules Laserjet Endust Audio Erotic M.C larry and his family members Ass Queef The Dark Pondering Pork Rage UK Nat King Cold Sore Snowtorch Foxy Pig Open Mike and the Knights You Ruined My Shirt! The Pedophiles Four Word Band Name Dr. Frankenshred About Box MC Text Wrap Self Titled Debut Sore Looser Crystal Blue and the Pretty Persuasions Kentucky Wigwam Village Homosexual Panic Prosthetic Johnson The Pina Colonics Ohio Tractor Explosion Rejected Gift Gift Horse Sense & Sensibility Prehensile Cock Obliterati Meta Refresh Tuna Svelte The Chroma Zone Disturbin' Turban Succor Punch Leper Suction Girthquake Bachelor Spatula Slurp Cardiac Citation Local Anastasia Quarry and the Rocks Twig Newton Letter Size & The Collation Umlaut for Omellete Can't Opener Unspeak-a-Boo Eric von Cylable and the Differences et cetera et cetera My very favorite, the worst possible ska bandname: My Brother's Name is Ska-aahtt

By: brock

brock — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:46:02 -0800

a friend suggest the best (worst) band name ever when we were looking for one...speaking of ska bands. multiple skalerosis

By: dragstroke

dragstroke — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:46:37 -0800

Rod Torfulson's Armada Featuring Herman Menderchuck

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:47:37 -0800

Worst Band Names let's see...Severed Head In a Bag, Frumious Bandersnatch, The Blossom Toes, Everpresent Fullness, Lolita & the Exotics, Necrophagia , Peter & the Test Tube Babies, Renaldo & the Loaf, Helmet Boy and countless more, some of whom despite their names were excellent bands. The same cannot be said of the worst band name ever...

By: mr_crash_davis

mr_crash_davis — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:48:01 -0800

My late uncle once was in a band entitled The Barnyard Boogie Band. damehex, you will be both shocked and appalled to learn that they chose this name after considering and then rejecting Escapegoat.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:52:26 -0800

On second glance, the name Renaldo & the Loaf sounds like some kind of very weird kids book dosen't it? "There sat poor Renaldo, all alone except for his trusty, crusty loaf.."

By: mikrophon

mikrophon — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 10:55:42 -0800

None of those name strike as particularily bad except for Puddle of Mudd and Take That. Christ. Yeah, and Hoobastank.

By: KnitWit

KnitWit — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:01:03 -0800

Bandmember name and the plural noun I think that would be an INCREDIBLE name for a band!

By: mikrophon

mikrophon — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:01:13 -0800

Also, I think that there is a band called Escapegoat in Nashville . . . not 100% on that one.

By: Katemonkey

Katemonkey — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:04:00 -0800

My friends and I always wanted to have a all-girl band called The Rent Boys... But I think I'd have to go with T'Pau for the worst band name ever. Obscure Star Trek reference? Gotta go... (Although...The Don Knotts Experience is pretty high up there...I'm positive I saw that on a flyer once...)

By: effer27

effer27 — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:05:14 -0800

Whiskey Drinkin' Second Graders. Good and bad at the same time.

By: nickmark

nickmark — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:10:16 -0800

Some folks I know used to be in a band called Grätüïtöüs Ümläüt. I've also always liked the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir.

By: picea

picea — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:14:34 -0800

Most of the worst band names I can think of are fairly mainstream: Hootie and the Blowfish Extreme That Russell Crowe band, 30 Odd Foot of Grunt (I think) Spice Girls N Sync Bands I enjoy who have names I'm not so fond of: Silver Jews Neutral Milk Hotel Dirty Three Godspeed you Black Emperor Best/worst album name ever: Smell the Glove, Spinal Tap

By: starvingartist

starvingartist — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:16:25 -0800

When I was in high school I was in a band called "My Mom". In retrospect, that was a pretty bad name.

By: wackybrit

wackybrit — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:16:28 -0800

The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band gets my full votes. And I gotta admit, Justincase is a totally cheesy name, even though I love the band *g*

By: yeahyeahyeahwhoo

yeahyeahyeahwhoo — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:17:42 -0800

john cougar concentration camp is a good bad name.

By: gwint

gwint — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:18:43 -0800

For sheer goofiness-with-a-gross-out-factor, you gotta love those death metal bands: Autopsy Torment Bleeding Display Bloodgasm Bloodvomit Cannibal Corpse Dismembered Fetus ok, I can't even make it past the Ds....

By: sillygwailo

sillygwailo — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:20:27 -0800

I don't think it exists (yet), but I'm fond of The Pornographic Genocide MC's.

By: grum@work

grum@work — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:22:30 -0800

My favourite band names (but not my favourite bands) are : Dead Kennedys Crash Test Dummies The Tragically Hip The Shuffle Demons My favourite name that didn't stick was the one that the Butthole Surfers used to go by (briefly): The Inalienable Right To Eat Fred Astaire's Asshole I just wished Dick Clark or Rick Dees had to say that at least once... Any time I come across an odd phrase, mispelling or bizarre word combo, I always end up saying "That would be a good name for a band."

By: yhbc

yhbc — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:23:08 -0800

I think the very worst band names are based on bandmember names. The worst ever: Hall and Oates. "Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young" is twice as bad.

By: Kafkaesque

Kafkaesque — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:23:24 -0800

Crispy Ambulance Attilla the Stockbroker

By: Dark Messiah

Dark Messiah — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:24:15 -0800

Best names: - The Sweatpant Boners - The Circle of Dead Children - Wellwater Conspiracy - Kill Allen Wrench - The Cum Shots - Sofa King Killer - combatwoundedveteran - Scissorfight - Alabama Thunderpussy - Sixty Watt Shaman - The Atomic Bitchwax - James Plotkin's Atom Smasher - Beaten Back To Pure - My Dying Bride - Pungent Stench - Puny Human - Total Fucking Destruction

By: Atom12

Atom12 — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:27:47 -0800

There's always JFKFC Urethra Franklin

By: SweetIceT

SweetIceT — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:29:56 -0800

grum@work I was going to suggest Butthole Surfers not so much that they were bad just that name....

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:36:39 -0800

Back in my band-starting-up days I tried to start up a band that would do inane, stupid songs, just so we could use this excellent name: Two, I Mean Three, Morons Never got off the ground, though, for some reason...

By: Homeskillet Freshy Fresh

Homeskillet Freshy Fresh — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:43:09 -0800

FYI, the Michael Schenker Group is often referred to as "MSG" by its fans. And when MS isn't in jail or Mexico, I hear he rocks out. If you played guitar with UFO and the Scorpions, you'd want to name the band after yourself. Michael Schenker is a premier guitar player, as well as his brother, Rudolph Schenker. My parents almost named me and my brother after these two, so we take Schenker idolatry pretty seriously. By the by, my vote for the worst band name ever is Anal Cunt, whom also happen to have the worst song titles ever. "You're Pregnant so I Kicked You in the Stomach, "I Sent Concentration Camp Footage to America's Funniest Home Videos" and "I Gave NAMBLA Pictures of Your Kid" to name a few.

By: mikrophon

mikrophon — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:49:27 -0800

Soyjoy: Other great bands that my friends and I have never (or just barely) gotten off the ground: Pets' Musical Park Partytown Hospital Das Sofa Taihen Ziko Pamper Cakes Bird Week Anti-Nova Underground Zoidzilla We'll get around to them all some day.

By: alex_reno

alex_reno — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:52:28 -0800

Well, damehex, I must say I like the name Prosthetic Johnson, I may use that. Say it loud: I want Prosthetic Johnson! I personally have been in bands named Smurfburger, Armored Snout, Vlad and the Happy Impalers (once played a show with the Jolly Gravediggers), Patriot Love Rockets, Baffin Island Party, and of course the Alex Reno Experience. Friends have had bands named Forty Foot Waves of Puke, God, Glorystompers, SNFU, Whitey Houston, Pangina, and Bing Jesus.

By: gottabefunky

gottabefunky — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:53:20 -0800

Foetus has an impressive discography: Foetus Under Glass You've Got Foetus On Your Breath Foetus Over Frisco Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel The Foetus Of Excellence The Foetus All-Nude Revue The Flesh Volcano Foetus Interruptus Foetus In Excelsis Corruptus Deluxe Manorexia and of course Foetus Symphony Orchestra featuring Lydia Lunch

By: sgt.serenity

sgt.serenity — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 11:56:46 -0800

best name: the smiths.

By: serafinapekkala

serafinapekkala — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:04:40 -0800

foxy pig i've gotta hand it to ya, damehex, this slayed me...for some reason. i like to rely on tested Bad Band Name theories, like the one that states All Bands Named After Geographical Places Suck. To wit: Chicago, America, Miami Sound Machine, Boston, Europe, Africa, Bay City Rollers, Alabama, Texas, The London Suede...i could go on.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:10:45 -0800

This seems as good a place as any to mention: Metallica vs. Metallica.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:16:37 -0800

All Bands Named After Geographical Places Suck. What about the MC(stands for Motor City)5, Southside Johnny & the Asbury (Park) Jukes, Jason & the Nashville Scorchers, the Kentucky Headhunters, the English Beat, the Australlian Crawl, the Irish Rovers, Lordz Of Brooklyn and Brooklyn Funk Essentials? There goes that theory.

By: neustile

neustile — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:21:47 -0800

Ten Thousand Statistically Grammar-Average Fake Band Names.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:23:15 -0800

NTM, the Mississippi Sheiks, Crown Heights Affair, and Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band.

By: serafinapekkala

serafinapekkala — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:24:02 -0800

sub-thread alert... i was thinking about The Invisible Library, and thought we could start a list of Invisible Bands, which only appear in movies. most of them would have pretty lousy names in real life: The Pinheads -- "Back to the Future" The Barbusters -- "Light of Day" (sorry, M.J. Fox obsession) Hey That's My Bike -- "Reality Bites" Kathleen Turner Overdrive -- "High Fidelity" Barry Jive and the Uptown Five -- " Sonic Death Monkey -- " The Kinky Wizards -- " Mystery -- "Satisfaction" The Oneders/Wonders -- "That Thing You Do" The Grasshoppers -- "Dr. Doolittle" I don't think The Commitments or Spinal Tap really count, do they? others?

By: yhbc

yhbc — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:31:48 -0800

Where does the E Street Band fall on your spectrum, jon? and serafinapekkala: add the BC-52's from the Flintstones movie (I'm sorry I knew that). Unfortunately, I don't think Jet Screamer (from the Jetsons) had a band.

By: black8

black8 — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:36:22 -0800

Best (This week) The John and Spencer Booze Explosion Runner up: The Hate Fuck Trio

By: serafinapekkala

serafinapekkala — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:39:34 -0800

ooh, and there's Hotblack Desiato, the real estate agent that became a literary rock star (leader of invisi-band Disaster Area!) that became a real prog rock band!

By: nylon

nylon — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:45:25 -0800

brilliant, brilliant, everyone. KnitWit, the brainwashed list is of unprecedented fantasticness. i'll be visiting often to check out each band in turn. no-one has yet mentioned the mighty bump of chicken. and one of my local bands is called Mr Duck. terrible name, terrible band. serafina and johnmc, your geography arguments have flaws - the london suede and the english beat are names imposed upon them by the americans, because apparently there were already some lame-ass bands called suede and the beat over there. they are, however, still crap.

By: nylon

nylon — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:50:01 -0800

jonmc, sorry, not only did i mis-read your last post, but i also got your name wrong. i'll get my coat. anyone remember we've got a fuzzbox and we're gonna use it?

By: jonmc

jonmc — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 12:50:21 -0800

yhbc-do you mean are they good or geographically named? They're great of course. But I figured I'd keep the geography at at least the town level. and nylon,I'm actually arguing that some geographically named bands(like the abovementioned) are good. plus the american group known as the Beat was actually not bad(nor was the English Beat for that matter).

By: serafinapekkala

serafinapekkala — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 13:03:19 -0800

jonmc, nylon, et al., i hereby retract my Geography-Suckage Index Theory from circulation, as it's clearly not been put through proper beta-testing. *sniff* >;- P on the London Suede tip, yes, i knew that about the name change, the American "Suede" is a mediocre lounge singer.

By: Kafkaesque

Kafkaesque — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 13:19:19 -0800

There goes that theory Actually, I think Serafinapekkala is right. I have long subscribed to the Place Name Theory. Jon, your examples: MC(stands for Motor City)5, Southside Johnny & the Asbury (Park) Jukes, Jason & the Nashville Scorchers, the Kentucky Headhunters, the English Beat, the Australlian Crawl, the Irish Rovers, Lordz Of Brooklyn and Brooklyn Funk Essentials, the Mississippi Sheiks, Crown Heights Affair, and Charles Wright & the Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band. While surely impressive, are not truly named for places like Asia, Boston, Kansas and America.

By: Officeslacker

Officeslacker — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 13:47:31 -0800

Doing a search for one of my old favourites, I Jog and the Tracksuits, came up with this link, which has a number of great names, including the Scrotum Poles. CHOM FM in Montreal used to have this great contest, Racehorse or Rockband, in which they read out a name and contestants had to decide in which category they belonged. It's pretty funny how similar naming conventions can be, although horse names tend not to be in such bad taste.

By: bhayes82

bhayes82 — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 14:06:19 -0800

Icy Hot Stuntaz? Ben-Gay Bustaz? Krill Be Ballaz? White Gangstaz?

By: horsewithnoname

horsewithnoname — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 14:09:50 -0800

In college, I played with a band known as Lonely Shepherd. Our covers included 'Embraceable Ewe' and the 'Baa-ad to the Bone.' Halfway through the set, our singer was pelted with a bologna sandwich.

By: serafinapekkala

serafinapekkala — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 14:10:20 -0800

an update to the Invisible Bands list: boyfriend Nathaniel is all twinked out that i neglected to include: Marvin Berry & The Starlighters -- "Back to the Future" Citizen Dick -- "Singles" so there ya go. i am also formulating a sub-group of actors who sing/play solo in a movie with no band, like Lily Taylor in Say Anything, Mary Stuart Masterson in Some Kind of Wonderful, and Hugh Grant and That Kid in About A Boy. [/fairly pointless listmaking]

By: me3dia

me3dia — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 14:26:07 -0800

Serafina, there already exists a Rocklopedia Fakebandica, which compiles fictional bands from TV and movies. I didn't verify if your suggestions were listed, but if not I'm sure they'd accept your nominations. Way back in junior high, some friends of mine had a punk band called the Flaming Necropheliacs. A couple members went on to form God Awful , which self-released an album ("What Would Jesus Do," after a banner that hung in the catholic school gym they often performed in -- back in the early '90s, before the WWJD craze hit) before breaking up.

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 14:36:15 -0800

me3dia, that reminded me of a band I "discovered" (a la PDQ Bach) back in college - Jesus and the Disciples. Their albums - recorded back in 23 A.D., because Jesus had access to any equipment He could conceive - included God is My Amp; Wine, Women and Songs; and Fire & Brimstone. They rocked, righteously, in my imagination. A few years later I recorded (er, re-recorded) some of the songs myself and realized that, well, I couldn't and shouldn't try to compete with Jesus.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 15:31:35 -0800

My vote goes to local Chicago band the Impotent Sea Snakes. Other terrible names of actual bands are:

the stupid -- Fuck
the irritating -- My Life with Thrill Kill Kult
the boring -- The Band
the trying too hard to be menacing by using a K instead of a C -- Korn

By: ssmith

ssmith — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 15:31:48 -0800

Worst ever: Milli Vanilli Best ever: Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem

By: interrobang

interrobang — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 15:37:52 -0800

"The Ass Ponys" has always bothered me for its lack of the proper plural "-ies" ending. But that's just me.

By: oh posey

oh posey — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 15:55:44 -0800

The Impotent Sea Snakes has to get my vote for the best and worst band name ever, although actually they started out in Atlanta based out of a fetish club called the Masquerade. Chicago was one of the few sexually liberated cities that would even allow them to play when they started back in the mid 90's so maybe they should claim them as their own.

By: asok

asok — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 17:02:19 -0800

gottabefunky - and wiseblood, perhaps? every track a winner, Godbrain being a personal favourite. then there's henrietta collins and the wifebeating childhaters. features 'i have come to kill you' (to the tune of 'we have come to rock you' - queen) amongst others. and of course wayne county and the electric chairs, with the classics 'toilet love' and 'fuck off'. it's all good.

By: Songdog

Songdog — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 17:25:36 -0800

I encountered a listing once for a Boston-area band named Feces Pieces.

By: alumshubby

alumshubby — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 17:36:28 -0800

Flamin' Gobs of Vomit Death, anyone?

By: krakedhalo

krakedhalo — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 17:41:01 -0800

There used to be a great Cincinnati area band (who've since changed their name) called The Legendary Big Bill Pickle and the Jerkin' Gherkins. Some friends of mine and I are starting a band called the Monks of Funk, just so we can use the name. Currently we have 2 harmonicas, a drummer, and a flute-playing Monkette, so it might be a while before you hear about us. Two more invisi-bands for you - Hey Man, That's My Bike > Reality Bites My Little Brother's Puss > Home Improvement

By: mmascolino

mmascolino — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 18:30:15 -0800

A local band in college was "Group Shower".

By: stavrosthewonderchicken

stavrosthewonderchicken — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 20:18:25 -0800

'Naked and Shameless are better than sex.' Full disclosure : friends of mine. I was for a very brief period long ago the 'lead ranter'.

By: Vidiot

Vidiot — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 21:12:00 -0800

(Unless noted, all are real names, I swear to God) Band names I love: Superchunk Sorry About Dresden (I think my favorite band name. Ever.) Vibraspank They Might Be Giants (seems so paranoid) Your Mom Mighty Mighty Bosstones Talking Heads Dire Straits Screaming Cheetah Wheelies The Replacements The Testostertones The Clash Mojo Nixon (& Skid Roper, too) Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys Divine Intermission No Use for a Name Veruca Salt Rage Against The Machine Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Free Beer & Chicken Southern Culture on the Skids Bettie Serveert MC 900 Foot Jesus Wilco Neko Case and her Boyfriends The Band The Damned Kewpie Doll Whu Gnu? Bad Brains Circus Monkey (in the movie "Bandwagon") Circle Jerks Shark Quest Traffic Of Montreal Apples In Stereo Little Georgie and the Shufflin' Hungarians Band names I hate: Ass Ponys Butthole Surfers Anal Cunt (hmmm, a theme seems to be developing) UB40 Peaches and Herb Slint Queensryche Hootie and the Blowfish Indigo Girls Hoobastank Mister Mister Strawberry Alarm Clock (anything with an umlaut) Extreme Shakespear's Sister Wang Chung Right Said Fred Toad the Wet Sprocket For Squirrels Snotty Scotty And the Hankies If I ever start a band, it's gonna be Tastes Like Chicken.

By: Vidiot

Vidiot — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 21:18:09 -0800

Forgot a few more cool names: Aquarium Rescue Unit Sex Mob Squirrel Nut Zippers Queen Sarah Saturday Sex Police Portastatic Nozmo King Marc Ribot Y Los Cubanos Postizos (prosthetic Cubans) Public Enemy

By: sinical

sinical — Wed, 22 Jan 2003 21:21:38 -0800

apart from all of this, it should be noted that the band meanwhile back in communist russia are positively amazing. (website currently quasi under constuction, naturally)

By: arto

arto — Thu, 23 Jan 2003 03:03:25 -0800

I always loved Me, Mom & Morgentaler. Some explanation required for all you non-Canadians, though: Dr. Henry Morgentaler was an abortionist who seemed to always be in the news back in the days when I was a teenager, before I had status and before I had a pager. Also good: A Tribe Called Quest JFKFC The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience Wagon Christ Forbidden Dimension (and Tom "Jackson Phibes" Bagley's old band, Colour Me Psycho, and what the hell, his new one, The English Teeth, too.) Utterly the opposite of good (name-wise, anyway) Any bar band with a license plate for a name (OU812, etc.) Enuff Z'Nuff Winger Ass Ponys, but please note that "Some Stupid With A Flare Gun" was one of my favourite album titles of whatever year that was) U2 Any band doing the "Noun Number" thing. You heard me, Sumblink 41182. Puff Daddy. Or is it P. Diddy, or Puffy? (yeah, I know, not a band) Kid N' Play Gorillaz. In fact, anybody who uses "z" for "s". Using "Thee" for "The" is OK, though. The Electric Prunes Oh, and bluebeetle, I think Jose Luis Borges would agree with me that the San Francisco Metallica have a terrible name, but the Edmonton Metallica have a great one.

By: inkeri

inkeri — Thu, 23 Jan 2003 03:47:04 -0800

side projects of notorious bands have often been a reliable source for crappy-yet-delightful band names. for proof, check out the names of Ministry´s: my favorites are 1000 Homo DJ´s and the unforgettable Revolting Cocks.

By: JoanArkham

JoanArkham — Thu, 23 Jan 2003 04:24:41 -0800

Worst band I ever saw just because I was intrigued by their name: Cadaviar.

By: Incubus.exe

Incubus.exe — Thu, 23 Jan 2003 13:33:35 -0800

Worst : Throbbing Gristle Best : Mindless Powder Hoovers admittedly, the above are inter-changeable, depending on my mood!...

By: jennyb

jennyb — Thu, 23 Jan 2003 14:21:03 -0800

Some band names I like: When Babies Eat Pennies Space Travel Made Children of Us All Some band names I don't like: The Toilet Boys (one Toilet Boy was a member of Mother Nature's Blacklight Rainbow, a fucking great band with a really terrible name) The Dismemberment Plan (I *heart* that band, I just hate the name. They are breaking up and I'm so sad about this I'm reluctant to make any critical remarks, just in case they are on the verge of staying together but then read that I think name is stupid and changed their minds again.) Vidiot -- Sorry About Dresden! Great band name, great band, too! Saw them live in Chapel Hill and they were fantastic.

By: ed\26h

ed\26h — Fri, 24 Jan 2003 06:34:48 -0800

Gift Horse There are two bands called "The Gift Horse"

By: KnitWit

KnitWit — Fri, 24 Jan 2003 07:53:32 -0800

Everyone is talking about stupid band names!

By: Vidiot

Vidiot — Fri, 24 Jan 2003 19:01:50 -0800

ohmigosh, jennyb. I thought I was the only one who ever knew of Sorry About Dresden. NC represent!

By: verso

verso — Fri, 24 Jan 2003 21:02:26 -0800

OK, so one I enjoy for the sole reason that they played here in town and the Oregonian ran an ad promoting the show and people all over town (well, the uptight parts) all complained about it: Nashville Pussy And the one I gave my brother when he said his band needed a name: Second Shooter And The Grassy Knolls Which I thought was brilliant. Worst though, I'd have to go with Skankin Pickle (???) or Barenaked Ladies (I love them love them love them, but their name is redundant) or perhaps Live (whom I also love, but their name can be confusing).