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 and The Stranger nightlife listings for abundant source material!I

Aside from how it’s still light out at 9 pm, we in the Pacific Northwest could be forgiven for not realizing it’s almost the summer solstice. (Apologies to people everywhere else for whom the season is all too obvious.) It’s next Tuesday if you didn’t know, and I will be spending the Longest Day in a dawn-to-dusk writing marathon with the Writing Against the Darkness team to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Association for dementia research, care, and support. I plan to draft scenes for the next book in my garage rock/superhero mashup St. Rage series. I might even write a new St. Rage song! My fundraising goal is $1600–$100 for each hour of daylight. If this cause is meaningful to you, I welcome donations of any size here.

If you’re just here for the band names, thank you for putting up with that short PSA. If you are able, please buy these bands’ music and merch to encourage them as we look forward to less interesting times. And … hit the follow button at the lower right to never miss a post!

Donner Party of One
As if dining alone weren’t sad enough. (Even better or worse, this is a solo act from a band called Donner Party of Four, which raises the obvious question.)

Not Haunted
If you have to say it, there’s definitely at least one ghost.

The Space Noodles
Wordplay, humor, and local flavor–this one has all three. My Uncle Leo always called our quaint homage to the past’s future the Space Noodle, so I do, too. Glad I’m not alone.

TONS & TONS
Whatever it is, there’s a whole lot of it and we are enthusiastic!

Your Son the Professor
Unclear whether the academic’s parent is meant to be proud or embarrassed. I hope they’re proud.

Shameless Self-promotion Department: My friend and fellow author LeeAnn McLennan and I brought our fictional teen superheroes together in Far from Normal, a Rage Brigade & Supernormal Team-up . The novella is available in ebook form and in weekly serialized episodes right here on my blog. Read Episode 1 here. Hit the follow button and never miss an episode!

Two last things before you go:

1. I run 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 archive and subscribe here for future issues. (Or just follow the blog for your weekly dose of band names.)