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The Most Ridiculous Band Names

Posted Tue Aug 11, 2009 3:47pm PDT by David Marchese in The Spin Blog

God love it, but rock ‘n' roll could stand to be funnier. Given his name, I suspect Jay Reatard agrees. Next week, the Memphis snotball will release Watch Me Fall, his second album for the esteemed indie label Matador. Just like last year's Matador Singles '08 compilation, the new album is a bratty, grin-inducing gem. Over jittery guitars and whip-crack drums, Reatard sings about keeping tabs on romantic miscreants, fakers, and self-loathing in an insolent and inexplicably British accent. If Dennis the Menace grew up, gorged on the Buzzcocks, and started a band, it would sound like this.

To mark the release of Reatard's new disc, I've listed my picks for the ten most ridiculous band names in rock. If you've got any good ones that I missed, share 'em in the comments section.

1. Rainbow Butt Monkeys: This Canadian band used to put out mildly entertaining quirky hard rock. Then they changed their name to the mundane Finger 11 and became really, really boring.

2. Butthole Surfers: Given their penchant for sonic vulgarity, it wouldn't have been right if Gibby Haynes had christened his psychedelic noise jesters with a more polite handle.

3. The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza: C-list celebrity, a rhyme, tapdancing--this Tennesee metal band came up with a name that has it all.

4. Phil and the Osophers: Your kindly pun-loving English teacher would love this band.

5. Flying Burrito Brothers: The groundbreaking '60s country-rock act are easily the most artistically successful band on this list. Why they came up with a name that sounds like a faux-Mexican highwire act is anyone's guess.

6. Infectious Grooves: There's a cream you can get for that.

7. Hindu Love Gods: Maybe the name itself isn't that funny, but when you picture the band (which included the members of R.E.M. that aren't Michael Stipe, plus the late Warren Zevon), the joke becomes clear.

8. Six Organs Of Admittance: Ben Chasny is an amazing acoustic guitar player--but the name of his droney psychedelic folk project sounds like it belongs to a porn film about randy hospital docs.

9. Test Icicles: It's one of the golden rules of comedy: Genitals are funny.

10. The Cherry Poppin' Daddies: Don't let your daughters go near this swing revival act.

See more at www.spin.com

SPIN's 20 Best Albums of 2009 http://www.spin.com/gallery/20-best-albums-2009-so-far

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270 Comments

1. __A_YAHOO_USER__ -
Iwrestledabearonce....Yes, that is an actual band name...

2. Yahoo! Music User -
Madonna.......Prince.....Miley Cyrus.....Oh!!!....I thought you said crappy musicians....NEVERMIND!!!

3. pReCiOuS -
R.I.P WeEh LuV YoOh aNd mIsS yOoH...sOrRy jAcKsOnS fAmIlY fOr yO lOsT!!!!!!!
3701.......
LiL pReCiOuS

4. MsSchadenfreude -
Ad bots, people with the most stupid band names, and people who can't read titles, god, Yahoo can be hilarious at times.

hmm, well, the most recent new band I seen was " AssJack"

lol of course there's others, but that was the one that made me LOL.

5. gordon -
My band: Little Johnny One-Hand and the Blasting Caps

6. Harrison -
DJ RAPEKIT

7. RobL -
WTF. My band in 2001 was called the Tony Danza Extravaganza. Thieves!

8. meki-chan -
Butthole Surfers is really funny, perhaps they should change their name. Like Butthole Diggers, LOL.

9. Yahoo! Music User -
The "Flaming Cool Arrows" beats all these

10. Yahoo! Music User -
how bout "the devil wears prada"!!! thats the worst name i've ever heard for a guy band!!!

11. Jay -
WHIP CREAM! Put it all over your body!

12. Yahoo! Music User -
This list is sorely missing PINKY TUSCADERO'S WHITE-KNUCKLE ASS [profane]. Now there's a name! (and yes, they are real)

13. Hal -
The Test Eagles

14. Johnny -
infectious grooves - infectofibian thang (, maaaan)
great band!!!

15. Yahoo! Music User -
The Gaza Strippers

GTFO!

16. Cremona -
mass debate ... that's another funny band name :)

emotioned.com

17. Yahoo! Music User -
of course the original --- the Sex Pistols... doh

18. Josh -
Black Moth Super Rainbow

19. Nathan I -
Hey, what about these:

GENTLE GIANT
LUCIFERON
CRADLE OF FILTH
GWAR
SPOOKY TOOTH
SLIPKNOT

20. Yahoo! Music User -
Genital Giant would be even funnier.
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