Tag: the magic beans

Square Pig in a Round Hole-October 16, 2021

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 (Sadly, it appears they are no longer active and have disappeared from the internet.)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-May 6, 2017

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!

Right on schedule, it’s May and Seattle has already had a foretaste of summer in the form of two warm days and a thunderstorm. Didn’t even have to go out to hear some noise! And there’s no shortage of noise of the band variety, either. Here are the names that came to my attention this week:

All Them Witches

A rustic locution serving to downplay their spooky power. So many witches.

Cashmere Cat

As if they weren’t soft enough already.

Left on Tenth

Mundane phrases make reliably good band names. Also, I cross 10th on my drive to work. The street doesn’t go through, so if I turned left, I’d wind up in the park.

The Magic Beans

. . . and the next thing you know, you’ve got giants falling from the sky. Might be worth it, though.

Marble

Actual warning label on a bag of marbles: “Toy contains a marble.” If it didn’t, you’d want your money back.