Tag: Band names

Square Pig in a Round Hole-November 6, 2021

· 1 Comment ·
Cartoon image of a pink square pig in a round hold

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!

 

Square Pig in a Round Hole was launched upon the world on this very date in 2010! Read the first post here. This anniversary seems like an auspicious date to return to posting new material, after 84 consecutive weeks of retrospectives. The Seattle Times is not yet running nightlife listings, so I went foraging in The Stranger and found enough to work with. I also noticed one of the featured bands of that historic debut post, All Time Low, has a gig this week!

As ever, and especially if you’re going out to shows again, wash your hands, wear your mask, get your vaccine if you haven’t already, and if you are able, please buy these bands’ music and merch while we wait for even better days.

Image of the ferry Kalakala

Battlestar Kalakala
The pickings seemed slim, but then I saw this one and knew I had to forge ahead! This is a brilliant mashup of a sci-fi show I loved in my youth and a futuristic local icon of the past. It would make a beautiful spaceship.

Cedar Teeth
Locally sourced, durable and rot-resistant, repels moths from your mouth.

The High Seagrass
I like how it crosses from adventurous location to important marine habitat, with maybe a sly reference to an old nickname for something (now legal) to get us high.

Ice Cream Cult
I can think of worse things to worship. Ice cream makes everything better. (Also sometimes stylized as Icecreamcult.)

Left to Suffer
… right to stagnate, straight ahead to thrive.

Two last things before you go:

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

Square Pig in a Round Hole-October 30, 2021

· Leave a comment ·
Cartoon image of a pink square pig in a round hold

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 listings return, I am curating retrospective posts from past material. Dates indicate when the band was originally featured.)

SQUARE PIG IN A ROUND HOLE PANDEMIC EDITION #84

It’s Halloweeneen and I have one last batch of monster-themed band names to fill your treat sack. However you plan to celebrate, be safe out there. As ever, wash your hands, wear your mask, get your vaccine if you haven’t already, and if you are able, please buy these bands’ music and merch while we wait for a better day.

Sewer Troll 
(February 20, 2013) Urban trolls have it figured out. They never have to risk coming out in daylight. They can lurk in the sewers and only appear on the Internet.

Siegfried vs. the Giant
(December 11, 2010) Hooray for Norse mythology geeks! Siegfried is my favorite big dumb hero.

We Could Be Monsters
(August 10, 2019) Every little cute thing has this inspirational poster.

Wet Nightmare 
(May 7, 2011) This name conveys in two words all the wonder and horror of puberty.

Wounded Giant
(January 4, 2014) There’s a whole epic contained in these two words.

 

Two last things before you go:

  1. I am admin for 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 eleven issues and subscribe here for future issues. The October 2021 issue is out now! (Or just follow the blog for your weekly dose of band names.)

Square Pig in a Round Hole-October 23, 2021

· Leave a comment ·
Cartoon image of a pink square pig in a round hold

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 listings return, I am curating retrospective posts from past material. Dates indicate when the band was originally featured.)

SQUARE PIG IN A ROUND HOLE PANDEMIC EDITION #83

Are you ready for the bomb cyclone? So far, it is amounting to no more than breeze and drizzle at Square Pig HQ, but there is lots of time for it to build up to something bigger. We cleared our downspouts and secured everything that might blow around, just in case. Meanwhile, even if there’s no monster storm, I have another set of monster-themed band names for your reading (and listening) pleasure. For the second time in as many weeks, I include a new one! Thanks to the Facebook friend (different from last week) who made the suggestion. As ever, wash your hands, wear your mask, get your vaccine if you haven’t already, and if you are able, please buy these bands’ music and merch while we wait for a better day.

Mega Bog
(February 3, 2018) Super-powered swamp creature rises from the undrained morass to save us from the real monsters.

Monster Magnet
(November 23, 2013) That is one rough dating scene.

Of Monsters and Men
(New!) This would have fit just as well with the literary theme I did some months back. I like how it extends the group whose plans fall through or go astray to mythical creatures, especially those we fear. We’re not so different, after all.

Saliva Giant
(January 24, 2015) Disgusting on a hilariously grand scale. Have to respect that. Do not get in a spitting contest with this one.

Screature
(October 8, 2017) Horror-movie two-fer: monster and sound track both.

 

Two last things before you go:

  1. I am admin for 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 eleven issues and subscribe here for future issues. The October 2021 issue is out now! (Or just follow the blog for your weekly dose of band names.)

Square Pig in a Round Hole-October 16, 2021

· Leave a comment ·
Cartoon image of a pink square pig in a round hold

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 listings return, I am curating retrospective posts from past material. Dates indicate when the band was originally featured.)

SQUARE PIG IN A ROUND HOLE PANDEMIC EDITION #82

The rain has returned, the leaves are turning bright colors, and I’m on vacation! That must mean it’s mid-October, when I’ve taken time off every year since my honeymoon in 1986. A few months ago, we thought we’d actually go somewhere for this one, but we have postponed once more out of abundance of caution and tentative hope for spring.

BUT I still have lots of monster-themed band names for your treat sack! This week’s batch even includes a new one, the first fresh material in 19 months. Thanks to the Facebook friend whose timely post about going to a show caught my attention as I was planning this theme. As ever, wash your hands, wear your mask, get your vaccine if you haven’t already, and if you are able, please buy these bands’ music and merch while we wait for a better day.

Godzillian
(May 26, 2013) Just how many is a Godzillian, and can it be applied to anything or just giant rubbery monsters? (Sadly, it appears they are no longer active and have disappeared from the internet.)

Here Come the Mummies
(NEW!) I’m not detecting a lot of terror or even surprise here. We’ve been expecting them, there was a delay, but they’ll arrive soon. Then the Halloween party can begin.

hedgehag
(October 3, 2015) I’ve seen references to both “hedge witch” and “hag” in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld books, but I never put  together the resemblance, when combined, to the name of the cute spiny critter. Good for October, though more homey charm than scares, and a fine name for an all-girl bluegrass outfit.

Kung Fu Vampire
(May 26, 2013) B-movie vibe doesn’t get much better than this.

The Magic Beans
(May 6, 2017) . . . and the next thing you know, you’ve got giants falling from the sky. Might be worth it, though.

 

Two last things before you go:

  1. I am admin for 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 eleven issues and subscribe here for future issues. The October 2021 issue is out now! (Or just follow the blog for your weekly dose of band names.)

Square Pig in a Round Hole-September 18, 2021

· Leave a comment ·
Cartoon image of a pink square pig in a round hold

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 listings return, I am curating retrospective posts from past material. Dates indicate when the band was originally featured.)

SQUARE PIG IN A ROUND HOLE PANDEMIC EDITION #78

It is raining in Seattle! This shouldn’t be news, but here we are. I welcome the rain this weekend, though I hope the forecast of a dry Monday comes true because we want to go hiking. In that spirit, the band-name theme for the next two weeks revolves around the great outdoors. Once again, I have 12 candidates, so there will be a bonus band each week. You’re welcome.

As ever, wash your hands, wear your mask again, get your vaccine if you haven’t already, and if you are able, please buy these bands’ music and merch while we wait for a better day.

Be Forest
(March 23, 2019) A gentle command to be one with nature, this also sounds like a superlative preposition denoting a point earlier than which one cannot go.

Bears and Other Carnivores
(October 17, 2015) Apparently I’m not the only one to notice that titles of field guides make great band names. (I would love to see a band called Squirrels of the West.) There’s something a little (endearingly) off about using a name that evokes the outdoors, nature, and wilderness for a group that’s probably going to mostly play in dingy urban bars.

Bigger Than Mountains
(March 3, 2018) Oceans. Planets. The sky.

The Bitter Roots
(November 27, 2010) Whether the mountain range or the wild plant, this name evokes a distinct corner of the planet that means a lot to me, so it makes the list.

The Brook & the Bluff
(March 16, 2019) Scenic natural features reminding us that outdoors is a thing and it might be warm enough to go there. Don’t fall in and don’t fall off.

Cedar Sap
(November 2, 2019) Sibilance and local flavor, sticky and resinous.

Two last things before you go:

  1. I am admin for 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 ten issues and subscribe here for future issues. The July 2021 issue includes an excerpt from Barbara and the Rage Brigade. Who knows what might turn up in the October issue! (Or just follow the blog for your weekly dose of band names.)