Name That Band... How?

[NewWaveBasser]

Maybe it has been discussed before, but me seez no topic, so...

I have the guys in place: 2 guitarists, drummer, and me at bass (and voice!)

So, now we need a name. I have suggested from a list of 10-12 potential names. However, I do not want to impose my will on the guys.

So, I'm looking at feedback from various sources. So far:

This guitarist friend says: "Make it short and catchy. No long sentences"

A pro rock singer says: "The music and sound itself will make the name surface automatically"

From observation: "Take title of a song from your fave band... or a phrase" Ex.: naming a band "Komakino" because Joy Division had a song by that name...

...or use a TV reference...

I can't remember the rest, but I'd like to see your suggestions and stories on band naming.

Short? Long? Smartass? Obscure reference? Random dictionary search? Market research?

[Joe P]

My band rejected my favorite name, so you may have it.

The name is: Moonmobile. Also, it appeared that the web domain "moonmobile.com" was available.

So there ya go - handed to you on a silver platter.

You're welcome.

I'm in a band with a dorky name, because I was out-voted - that would be "The Mole Patrol". They thought The Mole Patrol was cooler than Moonmobile - can you believe it?

Joe

[DaftCat]

Or maybe the MoonMole or the MolePatrol!

Both can have a pretty crazy lookin' mascot on the album art.

[Eli M.]

I like the idea of a random dictionary/thesaurus search. I've done that to come up with titles for pieces I've composed, although not for a band name. "Propelled Fantasy" and "Indispensable Interruptions" are some of the titles I've come up with that way (the first was a woodwind quintet and the second is a string quartet). In my case it's really thesaurus-based word associations, after thinking of what the piece sounded like. My sixth grade teacher drilled it into us that "the thesaurus is our best friend" and she was right.

For band names, here are three of my experiences.

In my senior year of high school, my drama group was supposed to do Brecht's The Good Woman of Setzuan but our director had to change the show at the last minute to Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth. My friend was upset because she was cast as the lead in the original play but had a somewhat downgraded role in the new one...
The director wanted a band to play musical interludes between acts, so he chose good musicians from the program - vocals, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass (me), and drums. My friend Russ, the rhythm guitarist, and I decided to name the band. After coming up with a couple of things, I said, "The Good People of Setzuan!" because I thought we should somehow honor the old play in some way, and also it made my friend laugh, despite her downgraded role. ("Guess what the name of the band is going to be..."

The point is that a good name will pop out when you least expect it.

I agree that the name should be short and catchy.

This one probably won't help you, but I play in a folk/comedy duo with my friend Russ (the same Russ from the above story). We decided to name our duo "Russ & Eli."

Also, I have a solo recording project called "The Five Elis," which is me singing five-part a cappella arrangements. But that's really a joke name for a joke group.

[IvanMike]

here ya go- the band name generator
tons of fun

click here

[The Nanny]

Are you a cover band? If you are, try this. Goto the website of a local sports and social group (if you are near a major city, there will be tonnes). Check out the names of the sports teams. Steal one.

[Brat]

I always like oxymorons for band names like

A Fine Mess
Anarchy Rules!
Anti-Missile Missile
baby giant
born dead
clearly misunderstood
Droning Silence
extremely average
Forgotten memories
PREVENTABLE DEATH

9I have no idea if those are bands or not)

[the_vza1]

inside joke with ur band

or some random line from an old song


or ask ur grandma what her name is

[Thedeadking]

Here is what my band did. We all decided a bunch of words that we liked and mixed matched them. Well no matter what I had to say didnt come liked and compatible with what the others but we some how aggreed upon the liking of our name now" Return to Zombie camp" wich is cool cause it fits our horror-Glam-Disco-funk-Grunge sound. We made sure their wasnt a movie named after it before we copyrigthed it.

[Joe P]

Originally Posted by the_vza1

inside joke with ur band

or some random line from an old song

or ask ur grandma what her name is

When our band was trying to think of a name, my Mom even chimed-in to help. She said "the other day your Father was leaving to go to Farm and Fleet (a sort of building supply-farming-outdoorsman-lawncare-auto parts department store), and he said to me 'I'm going to Fart and Fleem'. You could name your band Fart and Fleem".

Joe

(edit) I think that would be a better name than Mole Patrol - the one we ended up with by the democratic majority vote of our three-peice band.

[FUNKonthewall]

My band is named "The Round Table" because of our writing method. There is no leader and all ideas are considered. I've come up with guitar parts to some of our songs. Our drummer's even written some of the lyrics. Our name just kind of evolved out of that.