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.
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!
The Beatles. It’s a plural of people who can keep a beat.
You know, I guess I don’t give them enough credit for that one
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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”)
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
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.
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
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.
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
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)
Jack Off Jill
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…
Sex Pistols
Whilst not clever, but the band name is interesting.
