The search for the perfect band name

The search for the perfect band name - chicagotribune.com

I am not alone! In my journal I keep a running list of band names that spring into my head, and though it does put me in a unique class of nerdiness (ooh, right that one down) I am clearly validated in my interest. I think that for anyone who has ever had a band, finding a name is one of the most difficult things you can do. Obviously the name brings a certain sense of identity and often times associates the performers with a genre.

The days of one name are over, at least one preexisting word. New words or odd compound words are not only acceptable they are almost encouraged. When I was growing up in southern california there was a strong third wave Ska movement and bands were always looking for ways to put the words "ska" or "tones" into their names. Bob Marley's original backing band the "Skatalites" were icons in our minds and Boston based "The Mighty Mighty Bosstones" were also legends. Other similar names included the Skeletones, Skankin' Pickle, Skandel and on and on. We even used to have a song called "Surfin' Skafari" ... I know, we we're awesome!

My latest creation of a compound word turns out to be a real term already which totally kills the allure. I combined the brand name Xerox with graphic to form the compound word
"Xerographic" and of course that term already exists and refers to Electrophotography which doesn't sound sexy at all. Before I realized it was an existing word I worked on variations of it such as; Xerographical, National Xerographic or the Xerographics. Oh well.

These days strings of words or even a phrase is more common. I'll skip the existing names because I know you're really interested in what I came up with... My two front runners are "Larry is on to something". Since Larry is my father in law I'd rather not go down the road of "onto" rather than "on to". Another idea was "Exercise Induced" which could have albums or tour names like Exercise induced... asthma, bliss, exhaustion or my favorite "funkiness". I can just picture those retro looking cartoon type drawing of some guy with a sweat band, 70's shorts, tank top and high tube socks on something like an elliptical machine with smelly squiggles coming from his armpits.

The ultra nerdy band name that I've been hung up on lately is "Daniel Sitteth" which is a reference to an obscure memory device for formal English diction. The rule is that when "ew" follows D, N, L, S, T and H that it is pronounced (in formal settings) as a diphthong: EE-OO. Side note: "the Diphthongs" is already a band name. I actually would advocate that it should be "Daniel Sippeth" because if you did not apply this rule to the word "pew", people will think your diction really stinks! Unfortunately "sippeth" is no longer a recognized word in our language so there goes my hope for this variation gaining any acceptance.

I'm not sure where this will take bands in the future. Perhaps they will spend all of their creative energy working on their names and not have much left over for writing music or maybe this will only spur the creativity and we will reach new heights of artistic expression. I'm pretty sure that as long as teenage girls think that guys playing guitar is cool there will be new bands and new band names.