Favorite Band Names & Why

coelophysis

coelophysis

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This thread is not a reserved space for you to rattle off the names of your favorite bands, because, you see, that's not the point of this thread. I know this may be challenging for some of you, but hopefully we can make this a genuine thread.

What are some of your favorite band names or musicians monikers? And why?

One that always got me was Bright Eyes. And for a number of reasons. I've never found out exactly why Conor Oberst named his band that, or if he was the one to name it that (maybe it was Mogis) I also never dug too deep to really figure out why. But I have had my ideas on why.
First I though it could have been because of the Art Garfunkel song that was written for Watership Down. Very sad yet beautiful song. And although the song doesn't seem to be in Bright Eyes(the band) fashion , it still fits the bill of sadness and maybe that was why he chose it.

The other idea I had on it was that he named himself after the main character in Planet of the Apes. Heston in the first Apes movie, was referred to as "Bright Eyes" by the lead ape chick, her name slips my mind at the moment. So maybe Conor feels alone and different in a world where no one is like him anymore (or he isn't like anyone anymore). Perhaps it was homage to that.


Two Door Cinema Club has a fun name that began as an inside joke between the band members who confused people's meaning of going to the Tudor Cinema.


I'll be back with more, probably.
 
I almost don't want to say it, but I will: Neutral Milk Hotel.

When I was 14 or so, I joined my first forum, and because the only music I ever listened to were bands I heard on the radio, a bunch of snoody music jerks made fun of me. So one day I was like "I'll show them!" and got my dad's giant Allmusic book, back when they still used print. I literally opened to a random page and saw the name "Neutral Milk Hotel" and thought the name was so WTF that nobody would have heard of them. So then I earned the approval of the snoody music jerks, started my love affair with independent music, and discovered my all-time favorite band all in one fell swoop.

I don't generally think about what the name means, because I don't think it means anything. They seem like a meaningless combination of words and I think that's the point.
 
Bat for Lashes. At first I thought, hmmmm maybe Natasha's moniker was Lashes and she was abused as a kid. Apparently, she chose the name because it sounded odd. Which makes sense cause it does sound funny and weird. If were to have a band, I would have chosen a name like Refried Milk. People would probably think I was trying to rip off Neutral Milk Hotel's name. Which is actually kind of a cool name.

Oingo Boingo is another kind of cool name. Sounds like it could be a the name of some african tribe or a voodoo spell.
 
Bat for Lashes reminds me of a sexy chick luring me in with actual bats (the kind with sonar) for eye lashes. Getting the best of you with some kinda seductive witch spell.
 
not really a band name, but I thought The Dead Weather's Horehound was a perfect name for an album. I mean, just great. Eagles of Death Metal is a great band name, just for how it came around -- i wanna be the eagles of death metal! Same with Joy Division (the most rapey of all the german divisions?) such a clash of musical atmosphere and band name. there is a couple of bands that i know i'm leaving off, because i know i've said "man, this is a great band name" but i don't remember now.
 
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i've always liked wolves in the throne room. has a nice ring to it, and somehow really fits the atmospheric black metal they play.
steel pole bathtub. before i knew the story of how they got the name (from a true crime mag, murder weapon + scene) i always found it bizarrely alluring.
crippled black phoenix. for explanation see two lines above but replace black metal with post rock.
also i agree that neutral milk hotel and joy division are great bands with good names.
 
Godspeed You! Black Emperor! - i like the ring of it
Madlib - mad lib is like crazy words in a sense and that what he does kinda
Mogwai - sounds nice
 
Mysterie said:
Godspeed You! Black Emperor!

Mogwai
Click to expand...

Godspeed got it's name from a Japanese motorcycle documentary.

& Mogwai, like a lot of their song titles, are intended to be quirky and referenced from things in the media and society. I'd imagine they got their name from Gremlins. Though I'm not entirely sure on that one as I know for certain about Godspeed's name.
 
Well, it was more off the top of my head.

Be Your Own Pet - Because it reflects the lyrics perfectly, slightly schizo, slightly disconnected. It makes perfect sense and at the same time it doesn't.

Also, Necrophagist - The name originates from the Greek roots νεκρο- nekro- ("dead body")[2] and -φαγος -phagos ("eater of").[3] This literally translates to "eater of the dead". Its basically the coolest metal band name ever. Beyond growling..."SLAYER!!!"
 
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I merged your double post. And can you tell us a little bit of the reasonings behind why these are your favorite band names?
 
I've heard somewhere in an interview from Khan that Bat for Lashes refers to watching/playing Cricket instead of being whipped and there was some family story in there somewhere.
 
rapeman is another good one, and a name only steve albini would give to a band.
also mogwai is definitely from gremlins. i loved that movie when i was a kid.
 
High On Fire. The name seems really appropriate since Matt Pike's voice sounds like he regularly inhales fire.
 
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