Q: What's more awkward than showing up to a party in costume and finding out when you get there that its not a costume party?
A: Going home to change, coming back and finding out that it is a costume party.
Oh well. I had fun in spite of the misunderstanding.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
A Band By Any Other Name
I was listening to New Order the other day when I came upon the notion that they had chosen the very best name possible for their band. In addition to being a “new order” for them personally and professionally, their refinement of Joy Division’s more chaotic (or divisive if you like) tendencies and movement toward dance music created a “new order” for music in general. I began to think of other bands that had chosen the absolutely perfect name and others who had not chosen so wisely.
The Best
Radiohead: In addition to being a semi-obscure reference to The Talking Heads (whose career trajectory Thom Yorke and company have taken a page or two from), it’s a name that combines aspects of humanity and technology – a subject that has dominated their music since the beginning. Plus, could you imagine eagerly anticipating the new On A Friday record?
Sonic Youth: Evoking their DIY-inspired beginnings and their ability to stay musically evergreen Sonic Youth’s choice in name is typical of the band’s way with words (Goo excepted).
Queen: Elegant, powerful, pompous and feminine – yep that’s Queen.
Crystal Castles: Whether or not it is a reference to She-Ra’s castle (as the band claims) or the classic arcade game (as is widely assumed), their name perfectly reflects the retro 8-bit sounds of their music.
Yo La Tengo: “I have it” in Spanish. Perfect for heady, abstract indie-rock band fronted by a former music critic.
The Bad Seeds: Seriously, these guys are not good for you.
Self: We’ll Matt Mahaffey did do it all by his lonesome.
Wire: Thin, spare, and metallic are adjectives that perfectly compliment their music.
Broken Social Scene: Literally.
The Worst
Abe Vigoda: Seriously? That’s the best you guys could come up with?
The Smashing Pumpkins: The name conjures imagery of Halloween pranks and youthful indiscretion, which is appropriate for some of the more wistful Pumpkins songs but completely wrong for the majority of their catalog.
!!!: No. Just no.
Spoon: They are one of my favorite bands, but seriously, Spoon? That’s just silly.
Vampire Weekend: I prefer Werewolf Vacation.
Pavement: Pavement is heavy, gray, and under the best circumstances you just forget that it’s there altogether.
Oasis: An oasis is rare, refreshing, and can save your life. Oasis is commonplace, dispiriting, and will rot your soul.
Archers of Loaf: This band should have been bigger than they were. Granted they had a small hit with “Web In Front” and Eric Bachmann has gone on to success with Crooked Fingers, but still they had way too much talent to be alt-rock also rans. I can’t state that it had everything to do with their name, but it certainly didn’t help. Good nonsensical names can conjure absurdist imagery or provoke interesting connections. Bad ones sit there like a dead pig. This is a very bad one.
The Best
Radiohead: In addition to being a semi-obscure reference to The Talking Heads (whose career trajectory Thom Yorke and company have taken a page or two from), it’s a name that combines aspects of humanity and technology – a subject that has dominated their music since the beginning. Plus, could you imagine eagerly anticipating the new On A Friday record?
Sonic Youth: Evoking their DIY-inspired beginnings and their ability to stay musically evergreen Sonic Youth’s choice in name is typical of the band’s way with words (Goo excepted).
Queen: Elegant, powerful, pompous and feminine – yep that’s Queen.
Crystal Castles: Whether or not it is a reference to She-Ra’s castle (as the band claims) or the classic arcade game (as is widely assumed), their name perfectly reflects the retro 8-bit sounds of their music.
Yo La Tengo: “I have it” in Spanish. Perfect for heady, abstract indie-rock band fronted by a former music critic.
The Bad Seeds: Seriously, these guys are not good for you.
Self: We’ll Matt Mahaffey did do it all by his lonesome.
Wire: Thin, spare, and metallic are adjectives that perfectly compliment their music.
Broken Social Scene: Literally.
The Worst
Abe Vigoda: Seriously? That’s the best you guys could come up with?
The Smashing Pumpkins: The name conjures imagery of Halloween pranks and youthful indiscretion, which is appropriate for some of the more wistful Pumpkins songs but completely wrong for the majority of their catalog.
!!!: No. Just no.
Spoon: They are one of my favorite bands, but seriously, Spoon? That’s just silly.
Vampire Weekend: I prefer Werewolf Vacation.
Pavement: Pavement is heavy, gray, and under the best circumstances you just forget that it’s there altogether.
Oasis: An oasis is rare, refreshing, and can save your life. Oasis is commonplace, dispiriting, and will rot your soul.
Archers of Loaf: This band should have been bigger than they were. Granted they had a small hit with “Web In Front” and Eric Bachmann has gone on to success with Crooked Fingers, but still they had way too much talent to be alt-rock also rans. I can’t state that it had everything to do with their name, but it certainly didn’t help. Good nonsensical names can conjure absurdist imagery or provoke interesting connections. Bad ones sit there like a dead pig. This is a very bad one.
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