Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically.

Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won’t know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times nightlife listings for abundant source material!

(Until live music returns, I am curating retrospective posts from past material. Dates indicate when the band was originally featured.)

SQUARE PIG IN A ROUND HOLE PANDEMIC EDITION #49

How’s everybody doing after our near nationwide snow event? Seattle shut down as usual, but only for a couple of days and most of that was a holiday weekend. Looking on the bright side, at least no shows were canceled! We had it much better than a lot of places, but I was just as glad to see the snow melt away before I had to drive anywhere. 

Meanwhile, the celebration of classic X and the Y band-name structure continues for another two weeks! Completely by chance, this week’s set has an animal theme. As ever, wash your hands, wear your mask, and if you are able, please buy these bands’ music and merch while we wait for a better day.

John Hamhock and the Rooster Run Band
(November 15, 2014) I love it when someone builds creatively on the classic X and the Y structure. All on his own, the frontman evokes a country-fried founding father, while the band evokes strutting, crowing confidence. Put them together and I think you can count on an enthusiastic and noisy good time.

Johnny and the Moles
(July 27, 2019) The sound from the underground. You can’t go wrong with classic X and the Y structure.

Kid Congo & the Pink Monkey Birds
(May 16, 2015) It’s so great when somebody takes the classic X and the Y structure way over the top. Band and bandleader both have improbable cartoonish names that would be good on their own but are completely awesome together.

King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
I could not pass up the delightful rhymes and goofily grandiose imagery. (The resident gamers suspect this is also a reference to Elderscrolls, in which it is possible to play as a lizardperson who is a wizard. I am perfectly willing to believe this interpretation.)

Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs
(September 22, 2018) Classic X and the Y structure in perfect rural guise. And it is now or soon will be hunting season for various game birds in our state.

Two last things before you go:

1. My new thing in 2021 is The Rage Brigade, a Facebook group for conversation about fantasy, science fiction, superheroes, and music (and the intersections thereof). If that sounds like fun, come join us here.
2. I share highlights from this blog in my quarterly author newsletter, The Storypunk Report, as well as news of what I’m writing and reading, upcoming events, and other goodies, including “Wizard in the Mosh Pit,” an exclusive short story just for subscribers. Click the link to check out the first nine issues and subscribe here for future issues. (Or just follow the blog for your weekly dose of band names.)