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
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!
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Wow I didn’t know that!
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”)
I know, but to me thats a clever part of it if you read it that way
Also just https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/deft
Also not that
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.
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.
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
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!
- 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.
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)
Metalachi - It’s a mariachi band that plays metal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_5y5KrBoO8Barenaked Ladies - they wanted something that caught peoples attention when looking at random small town band posters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC_q9KPczAgBilmuri - he just was a big fan of Bill Murray
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTsevoF23YFair to Midland - a play on fair to middling, they were also from Texas who has a town called Midland… A band created and revolved around little quips and folksy sayings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpTHbOkrSu0I received the Stunt CD on Christmas morning and I will never forget my joyful grandpa’s smile drop as he turned to me and said “shame on you…”
He know it was an album… from a band making music people called “wuss rock”
People can call it what they want, it was catchy as hell and I think the writing was pretty great on lyrics and music. Can’t say the same for most albums past that one, and definitely after Page left. Stunt was lightning in a bottle for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I was just noting the genre because it makes it even further from pornography.
I got Maroon when it came out, too, and that was the end of my interest in the band…except for singing If I Had A Million Dollars and adding my own lyrics
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
Jack Off Jill
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
Beatallica, a mash-up band that combines the songs of the Beatles and Metallica.
