And if you do, you're better off than me because, once again, current events have got me so flummoxed I can't for the life of me come up with a new version of the obligatory jokes about my Oriental manual catharsis supervisor Fah Lo Suee I used to do as intros to Weekend Listomania.
Oh well, I guess we'll have to move directly to business. To wit:
BEST OR WORST POST-ELVIS GROUP OR SOLO ARTISTS' NAME!!!
By which we mean, of course, made up names, although if you care to nominate somebody's cool real-life handle -- like, say, Ersel Hickey -- I'll cut you some slack, rule-wise. But let's be honest -- most bands and/or solo acts spend more time coming up with a smart-ass moniker than they do honing their initial songwriting and performance skills.
And my Totally Top of My Head Top Six is:
6. Teenage Jesus and the Jerks
The only band name I ever laughed out loud at the first time I read it. Don't care for their music, but I must admit to a sneaking affection for their splendidly-yclept lead screamer Lydia Lunch.
5. The Angry Samoans
Those guys were a rock critic's band, if memory serves (guitarist "Metal Mike" Saunders was a fanzine notable, right?). In any case, the name itself derives from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which makes it cool kind of by definition.
4. The Dead Kennedys
I always liked these guys, including their politics, and thought they were really funny, but that said I always found the name offensive.
3. The Butthole Surfers
See above, except I always found the name amusing.
2. The Floor Models
Oh come on -- you had to know I was gonna sneak those guys in there somewhere.
And the all-time coolest nom de rock of all time, it's not even a contest is...
1. The Rolling Stones
Seriously -- it's perfect. And I gotta say, had those guys named themselves after a different Chicago blues song -- as The Pretty Things, say -- I don't think they would have had remotely the same career they've actually had.
Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
[h/t Marshall Chapman for the title joke]
21 comments:
The Weasels. Describes them perfectly. Really perfectly. I mean really really really perfectly.
Captain Al
1/I always thought that Elvis Costello and the Imposters was a cool moniker - not only is his real name not Elvis, it is not Costello either - and those guys are not really imposters, they are the actual band
2/Utopia's "Deface the Music" had a cool title and concept, and I really like the back cover photo of them titled "outstanding in their field"
https://tinyurl.com/intheirfield
Great bands, terrible names:
The Swimming Pool Q’s
Art Bears
The Beatles
Heh.
Pansy Division
3 Teens Kill 4 No Motive. You couldn't walk five feet in the East Village in the early 80's without seeing their posters or stencils on lamp posts.
Oh god, I remember them. Hilarious.
Back in the staunch anti-commie days, Gang of Four was a bold name choice for a band.
When I was in Teaneck High School (Steve’s Alma mater too) in 1964 and everyone was forming their bands, there was a friend of mine there named Dan Drapp. I BEGGED him to start a band called “Dan Drapp and the Drips”. He said he would only if I agreed to be the head drip. I declined.
We started the Weasels instead.
Jai Guru Dave
…where I indeed became the head drip.
You wear it well, my friend.
In the late 1970s, there was a great bar covers band working the LA suburban area called Snotty Scotty and the Hankies. They did a great unhinged version of White Punks on Dope.
Love it!!!!
Weird Names:
$27 Snap on Face
Rubber Chicken Rebellion (From Peekskill, NY in the late 1960's)
Cody Jarrett
Ephemeral
You can tell I like the goofy names!
And Names I loved!
Jefferson Airplane
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Grateful Dead
(They were great at naming bands in San Francisco)
X
Buffalo Springfield (or as I nicknamed them to myself)
"Buffalo Beanbag"
Steve:
What was the name of the viking band that The Hounds played with: Cyd Arthur?
What was their name if I'm incorrect?
I may keep this up all day!
Captain Al
mojo nixon and the toad liquors
smegma
humphrey and the dumptrucks
10CC and Steely Dan ( sex references)
rs
Pigbag
British Punk-Funk-Brass band of the 80's
One of their hits: "Papa's Gotta Brand New Pigbag"
It's A Beautiful Day?
The Raspberries. That's a girl group.
The Band
Best of all? The Beatles. Who else? It's a triple pun.
Not only did the Dead Kennedys have a classic name (in a genre full of them, with Dayglo Abortions being probably my favorite), but they surely win for best 'best of' comp name in 'Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death'. And, given punk's aptitude for offensive/funny naming, the Angry Samoans' 'They Saved Hitler's Cock' is right up there in the funny song titles sweepstakes.
C in California
My band shared practice space with a group called Dog at Large. They were looking to rename. I had just watched King Kong and suggested they call themselves Faye Wraygun. A week later, they were Naked Raygun. Underground legends who famously inspired the young Dave Grohl.
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