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

SQUARE PIG IN A ROUND HOLE PANDEMIC EDITION #73

Another heat wave, smoky air, and Friday the 13th fell on a Friday this month. On the good side, live music is creeping back and my baby is 25 years old today. I had hoped to be finished with these retrospective posts by now, but they may have to continue a bit longer. Today, I finish my food and beverage theme with a bonus sixth band name. Come back next week for something new, and 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.

Fruit and Vegetable
Sour Scream and Salsa
(February 9, 2013) These two really should have been on the same bill. Not just food and allusions to food, but the classic Noun and Noun band name structure. Yet they are also opposites: while both chose foods that are commonly spoken of together, one pairs staples of a balanced diet; the other, yelling condiments . . . into which the healthful foods could be dipped! I also like that Fruit and Vegetable are singular, as if this is a duo of (interchangeable) Veggie Tales characters. Sour Scream and Salsa provides abundant sibilance, and I gotta say, mariachi metal is an intriguing new genre.

Stiff Spirit
(October 10, 2015) A strong drink . . . or what happens when the ghost suffers rigor mortis, too.

Whiskey Syndicate
(December 15, 2012) I literally met these guys on the street as they were packing their gear for a show in Winthrop. They are celebrating their first anniversary as a band, so congratulations! I’ve noticed there are a lot of bands in town with whiskey in their name. I like this one because it sounds like a formal organization (though the band seems really laid back).

Yogurt Brain
(November 11, 2017) Insult, or enhanced intelligence from eating the latest superfood?

The Yolks
(August 5, 2012) I’ve always liked the word yolk. It looks kind of funny, and it sounds almost like joke, but also kind of thick, like what it is.

 

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. (Or just follow the blog for your weekly dose of band names.)