Third Eye Blind popped into my head this morning and I always thought their name was pretty clever. I started thinking about a few others I like and got stuck on “modified birth names”
City & Colour - stage name of Dallas Green
Corto Alto - stage name for Liam Shortall (Corto Alto means “short tall” in Spanish)
Dora Jar - stage name for Dorothy Jar (door ajar)
I don’t love when artists pick names based on other artists, though. I love Chet Faker’s music but wish he stuck with Nick Murphy.
Are there any that you really like?
[Edit] Please explain why you think a name is clever! I’ve looked up the origins of the unfamiliar names getting posted but I’m definitely missing what’s clever about some of them
There’s a group that does live band karaoke events in my city. (For those unfamiliar, in live band karaoke instead of a recording you go up on stage with real musicians and you sing the song.)
The name of this band is the Nakatomi 5. There are four band members, but the 5 in their name is because when you go up and sing with them you’re the 5th member.
There is that joke from Peep Show “we were thinking of calling ourselves ‘Various Artists’ just to fuck with people with iPods”
I’ve been listening to an artist who goes by [untitled] and I’m really hoping he changes that
[Titled]
Fair to Midland.
Dunno if they ever did it but my friend wanted his band to call themselves Free Beer. He figured they would get gigs as an opening act. This Friday at the Paramount - Boy Genius, with Free Beer!
How do you think Barenaked Ladies got their name?
Case in point!
They Might Be Giants - a reference to the George C. Scott movie of the same name, where this is his character’s answer to why Don Quixote jousted with windmills
Good one, I knew it was a movie but not the Don Quixote context!
The Beatles. It’s a plural of people who can keep a beat.
Like the Oneders?
The lads actually just really hated a bloke called Les.
But seriously, it was also an homage to Buddy Holly and the Crickets.
You know, I guess I don’t give them enough credit for that one
Gorillaz - A subtle nod to the fact that Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett were both born in 1968, the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese Zodiac.
Wow I didn’t know that!
- Glass Hammer - I like oxymorons [prog rock]
- Blind Guardian - also kind of an oxymoron [power metal]
- Animals as Leaders - political messaging at its finest? [prog rock/metal]
- Carbon-based Lifeforms - that’s us (and our surrounding) [ambient]
- Envy of None - yeah… [not sure about genre]
- Ayreon - sounds cool, is basically a play on words of the creator’s name (Arjen Lucassen) [prog rock/metal]
- NoFX - quite fitting for [punk rock]
I’ve always loved the name Animals As Leaders. Humans ain’t cutting it so fuck it, the dogs are in charge now.
Theres sooooo many. I’m really into bands.
Can’t think of a lot at the moment but Some I think are clever or interesting:
- deftones (“tone deaf”)
- muse (short and to the point)
- limp bizkit (yeah, I never knew the origin of this till a few years ago). Not a fan of the band myself.
deftones (“tone deaf”)
Also just https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/deft
Also not that
I know, but to me thats a clever part of it if you read it that way
So did you like Wham!
Bowling for Soup- 1985
“She rocked out to Wham!, not a big Limp Bizkit fan”
Yes I did hahha good one
Lol I agree with you on Deftones but I’m not sure I’d consider Limp Bizkit a “clever” name. For sure funny, though
Yeah its more silly than clever.
Cease
Was an excellent local drone band.
I always thought the name was curious and succinct.
Did they…Cease to be?
Re-evolved I’m pretty sure.
Save Ferris
Flogging Molly
TV on the Radio
Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats
LCD Soundsystem
If I recall correctly, Flogging Molly got their name because they started playing in a bar called Molly’s so when they played there they were Flogging Molly (or something like that)
One that sprang to mind I haven’t seen mentioned is Gogol Bordello.
Also, while I’ve always thought Rainbow Kitten Surprise was a funny name, I didn’t realize how clever it was until the “surprise” happened. Obviously it wasn’t planned that way, but it’s still cool
Holy shit I had the same moment. Devil Like Me is what got me (and most people) into them and if you listen to the lyrics…
The 13th Floor Elevators, based on the fact that many buildings don’t have a “13th floor” because of superstition, so they named themselves after something that doesn’t exist.
Leftöver Crack, same deal! There ain’t no such thing as leftover crack!
based on the fact that many buildings don’t have a “13th floor” because of superstition
Literally me right now on the “14th” floor
Some bands I like with names I think are clever:
The Callous Daoboys
Drop Dead, Gorgeous
unpeople
Bloodywood
Excellent picks. Exactly what I meant by clever!
Unpeople reminded me of Unflirt on the opposite end of the music spectrum
