Tag: neither bears nor forest

Square Pig in a Round Hole-September 25, 2021

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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 #79

Image shows Mt. Rainier against a clear blue sky with rocky trail in foreground.
Mt. Rainier from Pinnacle Saddle

The outdoorsy theme continues with a second collection of six band names–yes, a bonus name! I’m feeling generous because we did get to take our planned hike last Monday, in spite of a stormy weekend and some minor car trouble. (Minor in that it did not keep us from getting to our trailhead and did not keep us from getting home. It did cost money to fix, but not as much as we feared.) We should have a few more of these sunny fall days, so get out and enjoy them while you can!

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.

Coho Mountain String Ticklers
(January 13, 2013) “Tickle” is the perfect verb for how bluegrass players get sound out of their instruments, and also how this name affected me.

Dead Leaf Echo
(September 26, 2015) Perfect for autumn. If a leaf falls in the forest, does it make a sound, and does the sound have reverb? (A quick listen answers “yes.”)

Neither Bears nor Forest
(June 22, 2019) Weirdly poetic turn of phrase for something that isn’t what it purports to be.

Night Hikes
(January 12, 2019) Probably not a popular winter activity, though it gets dark so early, you could have your walk in the woods and get back to town before the first band finishes sound check.

Nonchalant Avalanche
(April 16, 2016) Slides down the mountain without a care in the world, elegant in n and ch sounds.

Pebble n the Crick
(July 29, 2017) Charming variation on classic X and the Y structure, made more so by the folksy phonetic spelling of creek. If that weren’t enough, the name implies frontperson and backing band but it’s a duo, my favorite size combo.

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.)

Square Pig in a Round Hole-June 22, 2019

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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!

20190621_043055
Me at 4:30 am on June 21, at wordcount zero of an eventual 5,213

Summer is here! I know, because it’s kind of warm and the sky is gray. Also because I spent yesterday, the summer solstice, participating in The Longest Day to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research and support. I was part of a team, Writing Against the Darkness, that pledged to write from dawn till dusk. In Seattle, that’s like 17 hours; a long day, indeed. Even with a 6-hour break to go to work, I wrote 5,213 words (a lot for me; I am a slow writer) and raised over $1300. The team produced a total 55,469 words and raised over $5000. An exhausting day but well worth it! It is not too late to donate to this worthy cause if you feel so moved. My donation page is here.

During a couple of my breaks, I took time to pick a stellar crop of band names:

Minivan Morrison

Carpool parent singing along with classic rock.

Neither Bears nor Forest

Weirdly poetic turn of phrase for something that isn’t what it purports to be.

Sidewalks and Skeletons

More like trick-or-treat than end-of-school. Then again, no matter the time of year, everyone on the sidewalk has inside them a spooky, scary skeleton. (Happy coincidence: S and S is from Bradford, UK, the birthplace of my spouse’s grandfather.)

The Pietasters

My dream job. I’ll need another sample of the rhubarb, please.

Time Pieces

Clocks and watches, minutes and seconds, measures and beats.

 

One last thing before you go: 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, and other goodies. Click the link to check it out and subscribe here for future issues–the next one is out in July and will be full of exciting news.  (Or just follow the blog for your weekly dose of band names.)