Square Pig in a Round Hole-November 19, 2023

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Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Since 2010, Square Pig in a Round Hole has been rewarding 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 Stranger’s Everout nightlife listings for abundant source material!

As predicted, I’m posting a day late, having spent Saturday selling books at the Shoreline Underground Holiday Market. A good day talking about books with people who like books, and much warmer than last year! Good sales numbers, too. It always feels good to put one (or more) of my books directly into a reader’s hands. (If you want to be one of those readers, find me on December 9 at the Roosevelt High School Holiday Bazaar!)

 But I’m never not thinking about band names! If you are able, please buy these bands’ music and merch. And … hit the follow button at the lower right to never miss a post.

Be Your Own Pet
Carry your favorite treats. Replace your shredded toys. Take yourself for walks. Let your sleeping self lie undisturbed. Ask yourself, “Who’s a good human?” Love yourself unconditionally.

Bent Not Broken
Resilience and weirdness together.

Chimestone
This one spoke to me in a personal way. Years ago, we collected a flake of basalt from a place near my hometown called The Blowout. It doesn’t exactly chime like a bell, but when struck, it clanks like a flowerpot and is one of my favorite improv instruments.

The Fall of Troy
Nice to find an epic in the live music listings! For the past several months, read-aloud material at Square Pig HQ has included Virgil’s Aeneid, Homer’s Odyssey, and The Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes. So Troy and its fall have rarely been far from my mind.

Mega Cat
Last week we had A Giant Dog. I’m imagining an epic kaiju battle with lots of hissing and growling. Or maybe they’re best pals and will play a show together.

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.)