Thank you Seattle! We are ________!
November 4, 2005 10:07 AM   Subscribe

I'm going to start a rock band. Need a name.

This is what I've come up with so far:

Primordial Soup
Nagging Groin Injury
Butternut Squash
Shit Tickets

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated. The more creative the better. We'll mostly be doing covers of punk/ska stuff, but also some classic rock.
posted by Idiot Mittens to Media & Arts (107 answers total) 1 user marked this as a favorite
 
I think that "Idiot Mittens" has a nice ring to it for a punk/ska band.

Seriously.
posted by googly at 10:09 AM on November 4, 2005


Horny Mammoth
posted by mzurer at 10:14 AM on November 4, 2005


Sock Laundry
Werner Von Brawn and the Funk Rocketts (spelled intentionally)
The Square Root Poopies
posted by potch at 10:15 AM on November 4, 2005


the Pissraelites
posted by Chrischris at 10:16 AM on November 4, 2005


Best Band Name Ever
posted by junkbox at 10:16 AM on November 4, 2005


The Dickfor (or Dick Four)

Then when someone says "What's a dickfor?" You show them.
posted by deafweatherman at 10:17 AM on November 4, 2005


Parent Teacher Night
posted by xmutex at 10:17 AM on November 4, 2005


As a critic and music lover, I will say this -

please god do not pick any name with a "funny" word/concept in it. this includes monkeys, ninjas, kooky, crabs, brains, lobsters, dongs, chickens, spoons, cuties, and - yes, - groin, squash and mittens.

I suggest you pick something simple. Pick something that still sounds good after hearing/seeing it a hundred and fifty times. (If you still find any given name funny after seeing it 150 times, it is a sign you have bad judgment.)
posted by Marquis at 10:18 AM on November 4, 2005


Also, I still think Def Leper Messiahs (originally from this thread) would be a kick-ass band name.
posted by Chrischris at 10:19 AM on November 4, 2005


Well, I'll do this the Dave Barry way. Browsing recent questions submissions from Ask MeFi, I've found:

Revival Bungalow
Black Mold
Bigger Bed
Drive Platter
Dry Cycles
Divorce Aftermath
posted by rentalkarma at 10:22 AM on November 4, 2005


Banana Karenina
posted by fire&wings at 10:23 AM on November 4, 2005


please god do not pick any name with a "funny" word/concept in it. this includes monkeys, ninjas, kooky, crabs, brains, lobsters, dongs, chickens, spoons, cuties, and - yes, - groin, squash and mittens.

Its a punk/ska cover band.
posted by deafweatherman at 10:24 AM on November 4, 2005


THE POINT STANDS.

haha - actually, i guess that's a good point. if it's a band name no one is ever going to see more than once, and you don't care if a critic is ever going to have to decide to listen or not based on the name, you might as well make people smile when you introduce yourselves.
posted by Marquis at 10:27 AM on November 4, 2005


I second the Marquis. As a frequent show-goer and sporadic critic myself, I'm often turned off by "funny" or ridiculous names. You want something people won't feel dumb saying aloud, so the whole word-of-mouth campaign can be successful. Something simple, catchy and easy to remember is always the best plan, in my idea.

With that said, I'm horrible at thinking up names. I do enjoy one-word names, so maybe you could do just "Squash," or some shorter derivative of your suggested names. "Parent Teacher Night" has a nice ring to it, too, and doesn't take itself too seriously.
posted by Zosia Blue at 10:28 AM on November 4, 2005


And I second Marquis's last comment there, too.
posted by Zosia Blue at 10:28 AM on November 4, 2005


There were some in the blue earlier today.
posted by schustafa at 10:29 AM on November 4, 2005


teenage mustache
posted by spork at 10:32 AM on November 4, 2005


I used to have a guitar teacher who told me that, above all else, the name of a band had to make some connection with the kids. I pressed him for an example, but rather than giving one he asked me if I thought the name Lunch Money was good. He ended up using it.

So, by that logic, I guess xmutex's suggestion would be the best.
posted by danb at 10:32 AM on November 4, 2005


...maybe you could do just "Squash,"...

Or, if you want to go the one-word route, how about just "Butternut"? It avoids the whole jokey-name dilemma while still being funny, and kind of dirty...
posted by Robot Johnny at 10:33 AM on November 4, 2005


A similar question has been asked before...
posted by amro at 10:36 AM on November 4, 2005


Lunch Money is a good one. You could make the "c" into the symbole for "cents".
posted by deafweatherman at 10:43 AM on November 4, 2005


deafweatherman - Funny you should say that. For his first album cover, my teacher was debating between that and putting a quarter in place of the "o." He opted for the latter.
posted by danb at 10:44 AM on November 4, 2005


Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
Ska Tissue
Gaussian Blur
posted by Scoo at 10:50 AM on November 4, 2005


Happy Go Sucky
posted by any major dude at 10:51 AM on November 4, 2005


Eminent Domain
posted by JanetLand at 10:53 AM on November 4, 2005



Surprised no one mentioned Recumbent Vagina yet.
posted by edgeways at 10:59 AM on November 4, 2005


please god do not pick any name with a "funny" word/concept in it. this includes monkeys, ninjas, kooky, crabs, brains, lobsters, dongs, chickens, spoons, cuties, and - yes, - groin, squash and mittens.

The Kooky Ninja MonkeyCrabs with Lobster Brains, Chicken Dongs, Cutie Spoons and Squash Mittens in their Groins, appearing Thursday night at the Fillmore with Special Guest.

How about 'Special Guest'?
posted by m@ at 11:00 AM on November 4, 2005


Mingle
posted by tristeza at 11:01 AM on November 4, 2005


How about 'Special Guest'?
Or you could call it, To Be Announced.
posted by deafweatherman at 11:02 AM on November 4, 2005


Aunt Bea's Nipples
posted by LordSludge at 11:05 AM on November 4, 2005


There's already a reasonably popular indie band called The Special Guests.
posted by solid-one-love at 11:07 AM on November 4, 2005


The Horror.
posted by nthdegx at 11:09 AM on November 4, 2005


The Cheesy Poofs?
posted by cribcage at 11:13 AM on November 4, 2005


Private Party
posted by Hlewagast at 11:15 AM on November 4, 2005


Yo Mama.
posted by sciurus at 11:15 AM on November 4, 2005


The Defenestration of Maude - Literary AND Indie
posted by cyphill at 11:16 AM on November 4, 2005


Intentionally Left Blank.
posted by ldenneau at 11:18 AM on November 4, 2005


I'm giving this to you for free. I know, I know, you'll want to pay me for it, but go ahead, I've no use for it:

Zombie Damn.

Then, when your guitarist and lead singer leave over creative differences, you can regroup as a folk trio, and call yourself:

Zombie Dam.
posted by muddgirl at 11:19 AM on November 4, 2005


Steal a popular blog name. If they object, assuming you ever find out, just tell them theirs is your favorite blog EVAR and you named your band after their blog as a tribute.
posted by kindall at 11:20 AM on November 4, 2005


Team Awesome
posted by johnsmith415 at 11:20 AM on November 4, 2005


also from yesterday, Jesus and the Funky Therapists.
posted by Vervain at 11:21 AM on November 4, 2005


My fav name was
FREE BEER
picked because it looked so good on the marquee
posted by cccorlew at 11:24 AM on November 4, 2005


Is Skavengers already taken?
posted by kimota at 11:24 AM on November 4, 2005


Whoever picked the name for that band TBA really knew what he was doing. I see them listed everywhere. Maybe you should ask him.
posted by ToasT at 11:25 AM on November 4, 2005


The Ringtones
posted by Mr T at 11:25 AM on November 4, 2005


Recumbent Vagina

Tastes Like Chicken

Smurfette's Crabs

Louis and Losertones

Buddy and Buffnuggets

Your Band Sucks!

Need more? Techno Is 'Tarded, Flip This Bird, Can o' Corn, Crunchy Fucks, Mudhumpin' Hillbillies, Dastardly Dinkwads, Dinkus Maximus.

Why yes, I could go on all day.
posted by fenriq at 11:34 AM on November 4, 2005


Oops, thanks edgeways!
posted by fenriq at 11:35 AM on November 4, 2005


Candy Asses
The odor
Part Time Bureaucrats
Under Achievers
Bad Graces
Tone Deaf Tools
Monotonousness
Bench Warmers
posted by ewkpates at 11:36 AM on November 4, 2005


I've been slightly inexplicably fond of "Myoclonic Jerk" as a band name lately.
posted by occhiblu at 11:36 AM on November 4, 2005


Middle Initial
posted by clh at 11:41 AM on November 4, 2005


I would say go with Shit Tickets. That's money.
posted by bradn at 11:44 AM on November 4, 2005


Retentive

Madge's Soft Hands

East Penciltucky

Obi Wan-Ton

Slump

Six-For-Seven

Off-The-Woodwork (soccer reference = hit the post)

Second Booking (soccer reference = ejection)

WhoWhatWhen

Corpus Cacti

Dow Jones and the Inside Traders

Stewie Was Right

Mugshot on Vacation
posted by UncleHornHead at 11:44 AM on November 4, 2005


skatopia
posted by lester at 11:46 AM on November 4, 2005


Metakilter
Earth Skills
The Waldorks
Monkey C
Curmudgeon
Eye Robot
DKAP
Skank
The Drop Deads
The Accidental Formats
The Bad Clusters
The Sticky Keys
Berserker
HB
The GuyPods
Cheese Bait
The First Americans
Darkeology
The Mashups
Skat
Plunk
Pungkus
Being Cher
The Suicide Bombers
The Green Zone
Turd Blossom
The Toilet Ducks
Avon Calling
The Sockets
Sixth Sheik's Sick
Shock and Awe
Foetal Position
Storm und Drain
First Post
Blingcod
The Soccer Moms
The Papercuts
Five Hole
The Earworms
Gene and the Clones
The Fuck Me Boots


add umlauts were unnecessary
posted by Rumple at 11:47 AM on November 4, 2005


The Philistines

NOB (Non-Orthogonal Basis)

Spice Weasel

Gunther's Box
posted by ozomatli at 11:48 AM on November 4, 2005


Name it "Rock Band".
Number all your albums, e.g. "Album #1", "Album #2", etc.
Give your songs self-reflexive names like "Song about my cat", "Angsty song about love #34", "Rocking song about rocking out", etc.
Wear nondescript brown-paper colored clothes and label all your instruments in big stencil letters, "LEAD GUITAR", "BASS GUITAR", "DRUMS", and "KEYBOARD".
posted by ooga_booga at 11:54 AM on November 4, 2005


How about 'The Trophy Husbands.' Read this on a blog's comments section a couple of days back, as a potential band name.

If you decide to go with it, remember my 10%..!!
posted by sk381 at 11:56 AM on November 4, 2005


I like this one, too bad it's taken. Run with Shit Ticket.

Are you from Seattle? You could RCK CNDY-ize it and go by Sht Tckt. Then you could sell your cd in Walmart.
posted by Eothele at 12:21 PM on November 4, 2005


I've always wanted to call a band Presto Strangeo, but I don't know if that would suit ska/punk covers. I do like Idiot Mittens though.
posted by melissa at 12:23 PM on November 4, 2005


Marshall Will & Holly
Lockhead Martian
The Whocares
posted by melvix at 12:28 PM on November 4, 2005


Another one, Busted Rubbers.
posted by fenriq at 12:32 PM on November 4, 2005


punk/ska covers, eh?

- Skatagories
- Veal Skaloppini
- Brass Knuckleball
- Skant Evidence
posted by me3dia at 12:37 PM on November 4, 2005


The John Cougar Concentration Camp
posted by Makebusy7 at 12:44 PM on November 4, 2005


REO Speed Dealer
posted by Makebusy7 at 12:45 PM on November 4, 2005


ReggaeDeath
posted by cardboard at 12:54 PM on November 4, 2005


Squirrel Jam
posted by me3dia at 1:02 PM on November 4, 2005


Response by poster: Thanks guys! Lots of great ideas. I'm still checking so keep them coming. And I have to say, so far, Team Awesome is my fav.
posted by Idiot Mittens at 1:04 PM on November 4, 2005


Hey! Careful with Team Awesome. Unless you want to knife it out with "Awesome."
posted by Skot at 1:13 PM on November 4, 2005


Aye for Anais?
I, Foreign Eye?
The Ska B.S.?
The Put Recents?
Empty Stage?
posted by Kickstart70 at 1:14 PM on November 4, 2005


The Delegation.
posted by Finder at 1:17 PM on November 4, 2005


Oui Suck
posted by found missing at 1:22 PM on November 4, 2005


A good friend and I do this to kill time:

B-Movie Heavies
Waif Defendants
Value-Subtracted
Go Down On A Fat Lady
Killing At Dusk
Treacherous Linkage
Deadpan Penchant
Vigorous BJ
Fetishist Context
Aged Fiery Fishermen
Solemn Leak
Proprietary Player
Proverbial Foxes
Coked Up Zombies
Photoshop Ubiquity
Phallic Appendage
Distinctive Swell
The Sleaze Trifecta
Chewing Chewing and the Undiluted Urinators
Nineteen Odiferous Melons
Lascivious Gigs
The Unanesthetized
La Combinacion Sexy!
Ennui Battalion
posted by BigLankyBastard at 1:22 PM on November 4, 2005


Has anybody ever used "Ska-tology"?
posted by alumshubby at 1:22 PM on November 4, 2005


The Fallujah Philharmonic
Gorge Cloney
Phyllis and the Dillers
Here to Have a Good Time
Doug
posted by kyleg at 1:25 PM on November 4, 2005


Warren G. and the Hardings
posted by .kobayashi. at 1:32 PM on November 4, 2005


Good: Anal chinook
Better: The Assless Chaps
Best: DJ Anal Chinook and the Assless Chaps.
posted by docgonzo at 1:38 PM on November 4, 2005


Closed For Renovations
posted by rocket88 at 1:39 PM on November 4, 2005


Slouch.
posted by ulotrichous at 1:40 PM on November 4, 2005


How about something completely off?

Like, Solar Calculator, Taco Taco Taco, Effin A., Five Fruitflies Fucking for Freddy.

Two Bongs and No Light.

Damn, I've gotta go and get some work done.
posted by fenriq at 1:58 PM on November 4, 2005


More Cowbell
posted by Crosius at 1:59 PM on November 4, 2005


Ritual Skaification

Skaborough Fair

The Siege of Skalingrad

Skacaphony

Skatch on the Rocks.
posted by Divine_Wino at 2:04 PM on November 4, 2005


Oh, if you are in Brooklyn, Skabble Hill.
posted by Divine_Wino at 2:05 PM on November 4, 2005


Both of these are/were already bands:

The John Cougar Concentration Camp
posted by Makebusy7 at 12:44 PM PST on November 4 [!]

REO Speed Dealer
posted by Makebusy7 at 12:45 PM PST on November 4 [!]
posted by drobot at 2:06 PM on November 4, 2005


Schmoops
posted by brokekid at 2:41 PM on November 4, 2005


If you want to be a proper band you've got to have a "The" at the beginning (apart, obviously, from all the proper bands that don't).

Basically, take one of the words from any of the suggestions above, add "-s" or "-ers" to the end and you've got a great name:

The Dividers
The Speedsers
The 1492-ers (I quite like that for some weird reason)
The Hardings
The Defenestrators
The Teenagers
The Minglers
posted by patricio at 2:43 PM on November 4, 2005


Pressed Melons
A Chicken for Garcia
Homeless Loops
Lazy-Ass Barclay
Souvenirs de l'Avenir
posted by megatherium at 2:43 PM on November 4, 2005


and A Pause for Concern
posted by megatherium at 2:46 PM on November 4, 2005


The Snapdragons

Golden Lab

Lace

The Ankle Biters

Kitten Mittens

The Schadenfreudes

The Puggles

Hat tip to jonson on that last one
posted by y2karl at 3:23 PM on November 4, 2005


Your Text Here

;)
posted by rc55 at 3:25 PM on November 4, 2005


On the punkier and ska tip:

Feline Leukemia

Skankalicious

Skankalites

Skanktones

The I Mons

I & The I's

Good Manners

Beats Me
posted by y2karl at 3:28 PM on November 4, 2005


Something with a deliberate misspelling is good in todays world, because it's searchable.
posted by StickyCarpet at 3:47 PM on November 4, 2005


Vancouver Mellencamp
posted by billysumday at 4:08 PM on November 4, 2005


Dunkin' Methadonuts
posted by scody at 4:44 PM on November 4, 2005


I'm only going to say it once:

Rhubarb Smorgasbord
posted by aubilenon at 4:57 PM on November 4, 2005


A few names I came up with in response to a post on my brother's LiveJournal:

Testiculicious
Power Hungry Toddlers
Snarfin' Placenta
Whoppin' Wombats
Wookie Ass Crack
Rampaging Ass Spiders
2000 Tongues
Mother Theresa's Love Child
Atomic Mutant Zombie Kittens
Don't Cry, It Won't Help
Reaching for the Last Slice
Salad Tossers from Outer Space
Farther Away from Perfect
Junkie Republicans from Hell
Don't Leave Home Without It
posted by jzb at 5:04 PM on November 4, 2005


Trucker Sex.
posted by yerfatma at 6:32 PM on November 4, 2005


The Skabs
posted by hobbes103 at 7:18 PM on November 4, 2005


Metafilter: Almost any of jzb's band names.
posted by Eothele at 7:25 PM on November 4, 2005


Skaface
posted by lukemeister at 7:28 PM on November 4, 2005


The frog's dilemma
posted by dhruva at 7:57 PM on November 4, 2005


Parking Lot Goat
posted by brent at 8:13 PM on November 4, 2005


Half-a-Llama
posted by greasepig at 12:50 AM on November 5, 2005


Tertiary Adjunct Six
Incindiary Cindy and the Volatile Voltaires
Our Name In Lights
Skalped (so people can go get Skalped tickets)
Arbitrary Logic
Straw Man Argument
Hobbit Your Way
Dean and the Koontz
My Other Brother Darrell
Cerebral Cortex
j00r 4 n00b
Not As Think as You Drunk
Incomplete Sentence. (with punctuation)
Farfromscorin'
Open Wide
Skatcha Last
Bert Nernie and the Letters for the Day
Counting Fire Engines
Wesley Crusher Must Die
Platypus
The Singularity
Felonious Funk
Hop Skatch
Skarf
The Rutherford Haze
Saki To Me
Not A Toomah
Spooge McDuck
LOLcopter
The Kilkenny OMGs


As for the other suggestions, I vote:
Team Awesome
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot
posted by vanoakenfold at 1:08 AM on November 5, 2005


The Humanity
The Fix Is In

(playing off vanoakenfold) The ROFLcopters
posted by Alt F4 at 2:41 AM on November 5, 2005


Oh. And ... Coming from the ska/punk scene, I'd encourage you to avoid "ska" pun names. They reek of "late '90s amateurish high school ska band." Having played with a different band called Free Beer, I'd encourage you to avoid the cutesy "riff off a marquee" names. They reek of "no-talent hacks with no potential beyond the local Tuesday-night local talent showcase."
posted by Alt F4 at 2:45 AM on November 5, 2005


From a GCSE biology lesson:

"Thank you, Seattle. We are THE CAUSATIVE AGENTS OF DISEASE!"

I always thought that would be an awesome name for a band; it's the title I use for any 'untitled' projects that I work on. I used to manage a band called "about:blank" until they broke up, so that name is also available.
posted by alby at 3:41 AM on November 5, 2005


Your Ad Here
Ionic Bonds
Ska Leer
The PunSkas
Stew Meat
WhaddaFun
Stewed Prudes
The Fun Runs
Whatever Works
posted by dbiedny at 6:07 AM on November 5, 2005


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