Band Names: Long Overdue

music: Jimi Hendrix: All Along the Watchtower

We meant to write about this a couple of weeks ago, but then got busy.

Music plays a very special part of the naming business. It's rumored that some naming firms REQUIRE their employees to listen to Mozart while naming. We're not so rigid here at MessagingLab, so while the day's music may include classical, it's just as likely to include classic rock, heavy metal, electro, ambient, industrial, minimal, latin grooves, Brazilian, salsa and punk.

We took a quick office poll and decided to give some awards to bands with names that fit.

BEST NEW PUNK BAND NAME: Pretty Girls Make Graves. Originally a Smiths song, the Seattle-based, female-lead band appropriated the name and ran with it. I (KS) haven't listened critically yet, but what I'm hearing is an Exene Cervenka-Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill era) vocal style with a sound that re-invents punk the way that punk constantly re-invents itself. Great name.

INTERESTING SPANISH BAND NAME: La Oreja de Van Gogh translates to "Van Gogh's Ear. Unless you're into Rock en EspaÒol, you might never know that LOVG is HUGE, as in hugely popular in the Spanish-speaking world. The sound is a little saccharine (a sappy Stereolab, KA comments, but not as inventive). The name is evocative and profound. (KA tells me what when teaching Van Gogh to elementary school students, they all want to know, "What did he do with his ear?"> Runner-up: Aterciopelados (which means, "velvet" or "velvety")

BEST BREAKOUT BAND NAME: Bloc Party. The English have a profound respect for the guitar band, a respect that waxes and wanes Stateside (currently waxing!). Bloc Party takes elements of Echo and the Bunnymen's sound which takes elements of Joy Division's sounds and adds 20 years of modern rock to create a sound that is catchy and uniquely their own. The bass and drum section of this band are an example in what a rhythm section can accomplish when they sync in a big way. In terms of the name, it sounds like a good time, and evokes the unification of Europe. You'll be hearing this all over the place in the next few months. RUNNER UP: The Killers (Question? Did they name themselves after the fictious band in the New Order "Crystal" video? First right answer gets a tattoo.

METAL BAND NAME THAT SEEMS MORE APPROPRIATE EVERY DAY: Slipknot We're sorry they didn't beat Motorhead in the Grammys, (Motorhead won for a Metallica cover!), but SLIPKNOT is layered with meaning. Add those costumes to that dense sound and is it a surprise they were featured in the "Resident Evil" soundtrack?

ULTIMATE BAND RESOURCE: The ultimate band list, which was renamed Artist Direct, a boring name to say the least, but a useful resource.

Karl on 03.17.05 @ 02:47 PM EST [link] [No Comments]