In the last few days, English heavy metal rock band Judas Priest has announced a North American tour which will end in Texas in October. Their unusual name comes from Bob Dylan’s song “The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest.” When it comes to band names, however, there seems to be no limit to how odd they can be!
Some, like Bill Hayley and the Comets are quite obvious and others at least sound melodic such as The Shadows or Bon Jovi. Inspiration can come from all aspects of life.
Others come from places, instruments, or works of art. But others leave you wondering where on earth they came from. In general, the names of bands have become more obscure in recent times, perhaps because all of the obvious ones have been used up?
By utilizing various music business publications and blogs such as Rolling Stone, Spin, Pitchfork, and Clash Music, as well as a wide range of local and regional arts and culture sites, 24/7 Tempo has assembled a list of what might well be the 23 strangest band names you’ve ever heard, along with explanations — in some cases admittedly vague and/or fanciful — of where those names came from. (Here are 25 bands with food names.)
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- Founded: Sacramento, California, 1996
- Genre: Funk rock, dance
- Representative album: Wallop
- Origin of name: The way clicking sounds in the southern African Jul’hoan language
30 Odd Foot of Grunts
- Founded: Sydney, Australia, 1992
- Genre: Rock
- Representative album: Other Ways of Speaking
- Origin of name: The collective height of its members including Russel Crowe
Archers of Loaf
- Founded: Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 1991
- Genre: Alternative
- Representative album: White Trash Heroes
- Origin of name: An intentional mistranslation of a Russian phrase
Bowling for Soup
- Founded: Wichita Falls, Texas, 1994
- Genre: Alternative
- Representative album: A Hangover You Don’t Deserve
- Origin of name: Steve martin sketch
Chumbawamba
FRANCE - JANUARY 01: MIDEM Photo of CHUMBAWAMBA (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
- Founded: Burnley, England, 1982
- Genre: Alternative
- Representative album: Tubthumper
- Origin of name: African drummer chant or a dream
Dirty Projectors
- Founded: Brooklyn, New York, 2002
- Genre: Alternative
- Representative album: Bitte Orca
- Origin of name: No one can remember!
The Everybodyfields
- Founded: Johnson City, Tennessee, 2004
- Genre: Alt. country, roots rock
- Representative album: Halfway There: Electricity and the South
- Origin of name: Childhood nickname for backyard
Faster Pussycat
- Founded: Los Angeles, California, 1985
- Genre: Rock, glam metal
- Representative album: Wake Me When It’s Over
- Origin of name: Cult film about three go-go dancers on a killing spree
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
- Founded: Montreal, Quebec, 1994
- Genre: Experimental rock
- Representative album: Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
- Origin of name: 1976 documentary about a Japanese motorcycle gang
Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci
- Founded: Carmarthen, Wales, 1991
- Genre: Psychedelic Folk
- Representative album: Barafundle
- Origin of name: Mixture of Welsh school slang, a phonetic transcription, and a biology term
Hiss Golden Messenger
- Founded: Durham, North Carolina, 2007
- Genre: Alt.folk, alt.country
- Representative album: Lateness of Dancers
- Origin of name: From “a mysterious sort of universe” according to M.C. Taylor
Hoobastank
- Founded: Agoura Hills, California, 1994
- Genre: Alternative
- Representative album: The Greatest Hits: Don’t Touch My Moustache
- Origin of name: Mispronunciation of a German street name
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness
- Founded: Austin, Texas, 2003
- Genre: Post-punk
- Representative album: Dust
- Origin of name: Not revealed
Iwrestledabearonce
- Founded: Shreveport, Louisiana, 2007
- Genre: Metalcore, deathcore
- Representative album: Hail Mary
- Origin of name: Phrase used by football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
- Founded: Melbourne, Australia, 2010
- Genre: Acid rock, garage rock
- Representative album: Nonagon Infinity
- Origin of name: Mixture of Gizzard Gizzard and Lizard King
Mike Adams at His Honest Weight
- Founded: Bloomington, Indiana, 2011
- Genre: Alternative
- Representative album: Casino Drone
- Origin of name: Connected with “weight’ being the value of something”
Neutral Milk Hotel
- Founded: Ruston, Louisiana, 1989
- Genre: Alternative
- Representative album: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
- Origin of name: Not revealed
The Number Twelve Looks Like You
Electric guitar player on a stage with colorful blue and purple scenic illumination
- Founded: Bergen County, New Jersey, 2002
- Genre: Mathcore
- Representative album: Worse Than Alone
- Origin of name: 1964 episode of “The Twilight Zone”
Poi Dog Pondering
- Founded: Honolulu, Hawaii, 1984
- Genre: Alternative
- Representative album: Pomegranate
- Origin of name: Hawaiian slang for “mutt”
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
Guitar and blank grunge stage background with copy space for gig poster
- Founded: Melbourne, Australia, 2013
- Genre: Alternative, post-punk
- Representative album: Hope Downs
- Origin of name: Name of early song
Toad the Wet Sprocket
Group of young friends partying and celebrating at summer music festival. They are dancing in front of stage. Wearing casual clothing
- Founded: Santa Barbara, California, 1986
- Genre: Alternative
- Representative album: Dulcinea
- Origin of name: Monty Python fictional band
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza
- Founded: Murfreesboro, Tennessee, 2004
- Genre: Mathcore
- Representative album: Danza III: The Alpha — The Omega
- Origin of name: Danza’s early tap dancing career