Category: Band names

Square Pig in a Round Hole-May 6, 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!

20180505_125540.jpgI’m a day late because we spent Saturday on beautiful Whidbey Island, part of it on an actual farm. No pigs but lots of sheep and chickens, whose voices we recorded for future enjoyment. Meanwhile, the band names don’t stop even for cute little lambs.

The Beer Cozies

It amuses me that the prim, old-fashioned term “cozy” has come back, in association with beer. I’m even more amused that a Google search suggested longtime favorites and past honorees Tea Cozies.

Fifteen Stitches

This is why we don’t stage dive.

Froggy Fresh

Apt description of a May evening near a lake or pond.

Garage Heroes

I wrote a book about a girl who starts a garage band and gains superpowers, so this one is close to my heart.

Pink Talking Fish

If it offers you 3 wishes, say no thanks and toss it back. (Although it sounds like a fine product from Archie McPhee, this is actually a cleverly named hybrid tribute fusion act on the music of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads, and Phish.)

Daughter+of+Magic+eBook+Cover+edit+1Shameless 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 and is available for pre-order now! If you can’t wait till May 22, on Saturday, May 19, I and other Not a Pipe authors will be signing and selling books from 11 am to noon at Museum of Pop Culture (MoPop) as part of the celebration of their Write Out of This World youth writing competition.

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-April 28, 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!

Before I celebrate other bands, I need to share good news from my band, Your Mother Should Know. We released two new tracks this week and we’re pretty pleased with how they turned out. I present for your listening enjoyment “Fish Distributor”:

and “Ruined It (When You Hugged Me Back)”:

I think for the first time in almost 8 years of blogging, all 5 of my picks were playing on the same night. It happened to be last night so it’s too late to go out and hear them this time, but they are all deserving of applause. Watch for these in the future:

Bigfoot Formula

Like super-soldier serum but instead of turning you into Captain America, it turns you into Sasquatch. Better in a lot of ways.

Cold Soda

We had a couple of days this week where this would have been a legitimate choice. Less so today, but summer’s coming!

Head Band

Fashion accessory or boss ensemble of all ensembles? I suspect that would be harder than herding cats.

Sincere Engineer

The rhyme and the earnestness won me over. They look you in the eye and share the good news of thermodynamics and materials.

Teddy Bear Orchestra

The name evokes something that’s maybe TOO cute. Then you find out this is a band of robot teddy bears rocking out. Years ago I invented a robot singing group for a science fiction story, so there was no question of whether to include them.

 

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 and will be available for pre-order soon. 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-April 21, 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!

This morning was filled with errands and gardening. Happily, we seem to have transitioned to the warm-if-not-dry part of spring, so it was actually pleasant to work outside. But it’s been the sort of week where we went out Thursday night and now take that as permission to hole up in our cave the rest of the weekend. Give my regards to the bands.

Future Usses

Bill and Ted after they learned to play. Also, I love the spelling.

How Are You, Fine, Thank You

I’m making an exception to my 5-band limit to include this threefer because I was willing to believe it was one band. All on one bill, their names form an entire small-talk conversation. (The Times listed them slightly out of order as Thank you, How Are You, Fine, which adds to the humor.)

Martian Cult

As a writer of speculative fiction, I’m always partial to a band name with a sci-fi vibe. Is this Earthlings following a charismatic leader from Mars, or Martians following an Earthling?

ScienceFiction

Speaking of sci-fi vibes … Searching old posts revealed how often I’ve used the term (17) even when not referencing this specific band. Even better–they’re on the same bill with:

Secret Superpower

Almost like someone put this bill together with the Square Pig in mind! (Props to Substation for finding 4 bands/performers whose names begin with S, too.) The protagonist of my garage-rock fairy tale The Gospel According to St Rage develops superpowers, which she can’t keep secret from her bandmates, but “The first rule of superpowers is parents can’t know about superpowers.” They won’t find out till the sequel.

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 and will be available for pre-order soon. 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-April 14, 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!

Movies always show mourners gathered in the cemetery under umbrellas in the rain. Until today I had never experienced that in real life. Unlike in the movies, the umbrellas weren’t black. In April in Seattle, even a rainy day is colorful, though more appropriate for indoor activities than out. Go hole up in a bar and hear a well-named band!

Bag of Hammers

Not to be taken internally.

I Don’t Know How but They Found Me

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m a sucker for a too-long name full of overwrought drama.

Outer Spaces

The plural form makes it seem to be about something smaller.

The Scruffs

Implies an unkempt appearance, but my mind goes to the carrying handle on cats, those most kempt of creatures.

Timeflies

You can’t; they move too quickly. (An old joke not original with me, but I couldn’t resist.)

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-April 7, 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!

In a major plot twist, last week’s mild head cold (which I thought would be over by now) revealed its true nature as a nasty chest cold. It’s bad enough that my list only goes to four instead of five. I don’t have it in me to look for a replacement for a choice that turned out to be an album title, not a band name. If you’re sick, too, please stay in and get lots of rest. Whiskey seems to help. If you’re not, by all means get out there but stay away from anyone with an ugly cough. I hope all members of these bands are in good health:

Aloha Mars

It’s fun to imagine a day when the Red Planet is just another travel destination.

Always Naked

Anyone else hearing the voice of Sam the Eagle? “Even the birds, under their fine feathers, are all …”

Medusa Stare

Don’t look now, but … Oops, too late. Turned to stone again. I hate when that happens.

Wolcott’s Instant Pain Annihilator

When you can’t lay your hands on an old-time remedy containing alcohol, opium, and cannabis, try music! Relieves the misery without the side effects. Might still be habit-forming.

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 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.

 

 

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.