Square Pig in a Round Hole-March 31, 2018

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Square PigNaming 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 club listings for abundant source material!

April Fool! It’s not March 31st at all. A head cold persuaded me to sleep late yesterday, leaving little time for blogging before we went out to celebrate #1 son’s 27th birthday with a matinee of Black Panther and dinner at The Shambles (both highly recommended.) But behold, an Easter basket of band-name treats:

At the Heart of the World

Mother Earth has molten core, a beating heart.

Dolphin Midwives

We’re not the only mammals who need help to bring forth the next generation.

Mean Grown Ups

Not exactly a band, but on the same bill with past honorees Butt Dial; close enough for me. Kids will regard as “mean” adults who don’t give them their way. That being said, when you are the grown up, remember how it felt and try to deal kindly with the child.

Pissed On

What a difference a preposition makes.

Ruptured Silence

That silence was broken and no mistake. I couldn’t find an online presence, alas.

 

 

Shameless Self Promotion: In case you didn’t know, I write about a lot more than band names! My young adult wizard fantasy novel Daughter of Magic releases May 22, 2018 from Not a Pipe Publishing. As part of the Year of Publishing Women, in 2018 Not a Pipe is publishing nine books by seven women; I’m honored to be one of them.

Square Pig in a Round Hole-March 24, 2018

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Square PigNaming 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 club listings for abundant source material!

You know it’s really spring when you have several days of every kind of weather, sometimes all within an hour. Kind of it to be reasonably nice for March for Our Lives, but it still seems like a good weekend for indoor activities, such as going out to hear a band (or maybe a piano recital). These names sprouted up and caught my attention:

Epic Beard Men

Exactly what it says on the label. I appreciate the grandiose description of facial hair. This could be a Blood Bowl team; I’m thinking dwarves.

Mables Marbles

Toy company, children’s book, sculptor’s output, or what Mable is losing? Regardless, it’s fun to say. (I had already chosen this before I discovered that their bass player is none other than Ronnie Rodriguez, who figures prominently in the lyrics of “Tear-Shaped Bruise” by Your Mother Should Know (I play drums) and covered here by Dead Bars.)

Mind Beams

I want this superpower: the ability to project my thoughts without having to find the right words.

Racoma

Of course I will choose one that combines my favorite music genre with the City of Destiny, where I spent my first five adult years. Bonus points for going for the simplest spelling.

Shitty Person

This reminds me of a story my husband tells about being stranded by the side of the road and the sympathetic stranger who stopped to help. He spoke the same two words, “Shit, man,” as greeting, commiseration, and farewell, and is known around our house under his nom de  superhero, ShitMan.

Shameless Self Promotion: In case you didn’t know, I write about a lot more than band names! My young adult wizard fantasy novel Daughter of Magic releases May 22, 2018 from Not a Pipe Publishing. As part of the Year of Publishing Women, in 2018 Not a Pipe is publishing nine books by seven women; I’m honored to be one of them.

Square Pig in a Round Hole-March 17, 2018

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Square PigNaming 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 club listings for abundant source material!

I didn’t come up with a list of Irish-themed band names, but I will still wish a Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all who celebrate it! My day will consist of editing and donating blood, but I plan to recover at home with corned beef and beer; celebration enough. Meanwhile, the bands continue to come through:

Death Coach

By happy linguistic accident, either funeral transport or end-of-life doula. A bit of personal serendipity: the book I will be editing this afternoon is book 1 of a trilogy; book 3 might be titled Death’s Midwife.

The Exquisite Taste of Plain Water

“If you’re thirsty, drink water,” Mom would say. Fortunately, we were on a well with excellent water; I grew up baffled by kids who had to have juice or pop. In case you didn’t know, Seattle has pretty great tap water.

Gloom

Yeah, it’s almost spring and the cherry trees are blooming, but don’t forget: Junuary is just around the corner.

(h)ourglasses

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Our Glasses

They might not wear glasses, but I come from a long line of bespectacled people, back through time. (This group also shares a drummer with previous honoree Razor Clam!)

Mortuary Beach

Don’t look too close at the sand. Those aren’t shells.

 

Shameless Self Promotion: In case you didn’t know, I write about a lot more than band names! My young adult wizard fantasy novel Daughter of Magic releases May 22, 2018 from Not a Pipe Publishing. As part of the Year of Publishing Women, in 2018 Not a Pipe is publishing nine books by seven women; I’m honored to be one of them.

Square Pig in a Round Hole-March 10, 2018

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Square PigNaming 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 club listings for abundant source material!

PSA: It’s TIME CHANGE NIGHT! If you’re still analog enough to rely on a clock you have to set, remember to “spring ahead” one hour so you won’t be late for church!!! We will be making an early night of it for this very reason. If you don’t have to get up in the morning, by all means go out and support your local bar band. If you’re still up at 2 am, you can watch DST begin. I’ve heard it’s an unforgettable experience.

The Lone Bellow

This can be a complete sentence about a solitary subject and their loud utterance; or a description of a loud utterance in isolation; or the title of a work about a decrepit organ in its last gasp.

Opposite Armor

After the battle, trade uniforms and go home friends.

Pairanoiseum

When single-celled animals collide with a sense that everyone’s out to get you, you get NOISE. And of course, it’s a two-piece.

Trash Panda

The humor and aptness of the words make this a memorable insult for Starlord to throw at Rocket. Rhythm, repeated vowel sounds, and percussive consonants that crash and thump make it a perfect band name.

The What For

When you’re getting a stern lecture but don’t know why.

Shameless Self Promotion: In case you didn’t know, I write about a lot more than band names! My young adult wizard fantasy novel Daughter of Magic releases May 22, 2018 from Not a Pipe Publishing. As part of the Year of Publishing Women, in 2018 Not a Pipe is publishing nine books by seven women; I’m honored to be one of them.

 

 

Review: The Supernormal Legacy: Book 1 Dormant

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DormantThe Supernormal Legacy: Book 1 Dormant by LeeAnn McLennan (Not a Pipe Publishing, February 2018)

I was predisposed to like this story of a reluctant teen superhero in the Pacific Northwest; it’s my sub-sub-genre, too. McLennan delivers the goods with a relatable young protagonist in a recognizable real-life setting. Dormant provides a nice twist on the origin story, too: rather than being surprised by the sudden advent of powers, Olivia has known about them her whole life and doesn’t want them.

Who wouldn’t want superpowers? But 14-year-old Olivia has good reason. Descended from a long line of “supernormals,” as a child she witnessed her mother’s death in action and blames herself. She rejected her powers and that side of her family, suppressing abilities that should have manifested when she was 13. When a bank robbery compels her to use her abilities, Olivia is drawn back to the “family business” and begins training with her cousins to learn to control her powers and help protect the city of Portland from supernormal bad guys and monsters. (I really loved that her superteam is a group of cousins, a special kind of friend-relative that everyone should have a bunch of to grow up with.) When more than one local landmark is violently destroyed in her presence, Olivia and her family begin to wonder if she’s turning into a villain herself, unconsciously using powers when upset or angry. Meanwhile, she’s trying to keep up her old normal life of school, friends, and boyfriend while avoiding a mean girl who has it in for her; but the universe—and her aunt and uncles—have other ideas. Plenty of action–and humor–keep this from devolving into an angsty-teen emo-fest.

For someone who spends most of the book rejecting or suppressing her powers, Olivia takes great delight in using them. She knows deep down that this is who she is and what she does. I especially liked those scenes, which showed she was still capable of joy. Although she had good reason for turning away from that identity, embracing it seems like her one hope for healing from her early trauma. By the end of Book 1, she has endured more than one tragedy, but has excellent motivation for training and using her abilities. Book 2, Root, comes out in June. Read Book 1 now so you’re ready.

Square Pig in a Round Hole-March 3, 2018

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Square PigNaming 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 club listings for abundant source material!

It has been a busy musical and literary week here at Square Pig HQ: spouse’s piano recital last Saturday, memorial reading for Ursula LeGuin on Sunday, free improvisation on Monday, writing group on Tuesday, last-minute rock & roll trouperism at the Skylark on Thursday, Seattle Composers Salon on Friday. It’s like I have a life, in spite of appearances. And I’ve earned a Saturday at home. If you have something left in the tank, consider going out and appreciating a well-named band; perhaps one of these:

Bigger Than Mountains

Oceans. Planets. The sky.

Brianna Skye & the Dark Clouds

I’m a perennial fan of classic X and the Y structure, especially when there’s clever or poetic connection between the name of the band leader and the name of the band. By happy coincidence, my garage-rock fairy tale The Gospel According to St Rage includes an important character named Storm Skye. I wonder if they’re related.

DANGG

A mild swear powered up with a touch of reverb.

Good Old War

Nostalgia is strange. “…wars and lechery, nothing else holds fashion.” (Troilus and Cressida, Wm. Shakespeare)

Riot at the Dojo

Over-the-top fight scene. Everyone bows at the end. (The resident young person was hoping for an exclamation point after “Riot.” You can’t always get what you want.)

Shameless Self Promotion: In case you didn’t know, I write about a lot more than band names! My young adult wizard fantasy novel Daughter of Magic releases May 22, 2018 from Not a Pipe Publishing. As part of the Year of Publishing Women, in 2018 Not a Pipe is publishing nine books by seven women; I’m honored to be one of them.

Square Pig in a Round Hole-February 24, 2018

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Square PigNaming 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 club listings for abundant source material!

OK, Winter, you’ve had your say. Having faith in Spring, I planted peas before the snow fell. I also believe in band names; they never fail to cheer me up, no matter the weather. These five warmed the end of a cold week:

Blacklite District

A different and groovier vibe than the other common ___-light district.

The Common Names

I’m a fan of shining a spotlight on the ordinary. In a humorous twist, they seem to be hiding behind a blank wall; they have no obvious web presence.

Icon for Hire

I like that it’s icon rather than hero. An icon is a window to inspiration and could go more than one way. Appropriately, this group is not hiding.

Mythical Vigilante

Who to call when you need to track down the villains of lore and legend.

The Square Feet

Another common concept in the spotlight, also with no obvious web presence. Although square feet might make it hard to dance, claiming squareness probably means you’re the opposite.

Shameless Self Promotion: In case you didn’t know, I write about a lot more than band names! My young adult wizard fantasy novel Daughter of Magic releases May 22, 2018 from Not a Pipe Publishing. As part of the Year of Publishing Women, in 2018 Not a Pipe is publishing nine books by seven women; I’m honored to be one of them.

Review: Shadow Girl

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Shadow GirlShadow Girl by Kate Ristau (Not a Pipe Publishing, February 2018)

I received an advance review ebook from the publisher.

This book begins in a strange place. No, literally, with main character Áine (pronounced ON-ya) crossing from the world she knows into the mysterious and dangerous Shadowlands. I didn’t know where I was or what was happening, but Ristau’s writing is so assured that I could relax and enjoy the ride.

In a neat reversal on the usual fairy story, Áine comes from the Aetherlands, a place of magic and immortality where Oberon and Titania are real, and her crossing brings her into 21st century Ireland, the land of her long-ago birth. She’s searching for answers about her parents and the traumatic events that led to her own disappearance from the human world. That part of the story is serious, sad, and scary. The mood is lightened by Hennessy, the human girl who attaches herself to Áine as sidekick, tour guide, friend, maybe more than friend. There’s a lot of humor to be had in the person-from-another-world plot, but it’s not overdone. The growing affection between the two girls is touching and real; they have chemistry, above and beyond their willingness to sacrifice for each other. This budding relationship is complicated by Áine’s loyalty and fondness for her childhood friend Ciaran, who makes his own dramatic entrance into the story.

Ristau writes dialogue without explicit dialect, yet I could hear the Irish in it. That’s a magic touch. She brings folklore to life in the experiences of a character who feels like a real person. Áine has magic, too, but it’s not reliable and she has to work at it, which adds to the suspense. I was not ready for the (cliffhanger) end to this book and look forward to the next exciting episode.

Available in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover here.

Review: Djinn

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Djinn+ebook+Cover+edit+3Djinn by Sang Kromah (Not a Pipe Publishing March 2018)

I received a review copy of the e-book from the publisher. It will be released March 20, 2018 and is available for pre-order now.

Djinn is a twisty page-turner about magic and identity, rooted in folklore but with a 21st century spin. The unfolding tale keeps the reader guessing right to the end.

Bijou Fitzroy just wants to fit in. She knows she’s different, perhaps mentally ill; she constantly shuffles cards to calm her nerves, she’s hypersensitive to the feelings of others, and her color-changing eyes seem to freak people out. She has no idea what’s wrong with her, and Gigi, the wealthy, uncannily young grandmother who raised her, isn’t telling. Home-schooled until the age of 16, everything she knows about high school comes from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. So when she moves to the small town of Sykesville and enrolls in public school for the first time in her life, she hopes to make friends, go to parties, maybe have a boyfriend. She thinks her wish has come true when she meets Sebastian and Amina Sinjin, though she can’t tell what Sebastian is feeling. Her teacher Mr. Jennings has it in for her, and seems to think A Midsummer Night’s Dream is non-fiction. And what’s up with mean girl Mandy, who takes an immediate dislike to Bijou? Is she only jealous about Sebastian, or is something more going on?

When Bijou learns that local girls who share her birthdate have been disappearing, she can’t resist digging into the mystery. What she learns causes her to question everything she thought she knew about her family, her new friends, and most of all, herself. It’s possible she’s not only different; she may be the Chosen One. Who can she trust when no one is what they seem? What looks at first like petty teenage rivalry turns out to have earth-shattering stakes, and Bijou has to choose: escape to safety or risk everything to protect those she has come to care about.

Bijou’s story, like Buffy’s before her, applies a magnifier of myth and magic to typical adolescent issues of identity, belonging, and empowerment. Author Kromah widens the folklore scope to include African (specifically, Liberian) sources, enriching material that may be familiar to some readers and new to others. And this satisfying book’s ending is temptingly left open for sequels. More? Yes, please!

Available March 20, 2018. Order your copy from your favorite independent bookstore by asking for it at the front counter, or order it from one of these fine online booksellers:

Amazon: HERE

Kindle: HERE

Square Pig in a Round Hole-February 17, 2018

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Square PigNaming 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 club listings for abundant source material!

I’m too angry and sad about gun violence to come up with a lighthearted intro this week. Thankful the band names came through once again to lift weary spirits.

Are They Brothers

Worded, but not punctuated, like a question. As if someone already knows the answer.

Chance to Steal

Another sign of hope: spring training has begun.

Krunch Sauce & Kranky Nugs

Obscure bar snacks hiding the identities of musicians playing undercover.

Mostly Other People Do the Killing

Well, as long as it’s mostly other people, I guess we can sit back and enjoy the show. Ulp.

Night Lunch

I appreciate the subtle similarity of brownbagging it after dark to a spectacular space shot.