Third Eye Blind popped into my head this morning and I always thought their name was pretty clever. I started thinking about a few others I like and got stuck on "modified birth names"

City & Colour - stage name of Dallas Green

Corto Alto - stage name for Liam Shortall (Corto Alto means "short tall" in Spanish)

Dora Jar - stage name for Dorothy Jar (door ajar)

I don't love when artists pick names based on other artists, though. I love Chet Faker's music but wish he stuck with Nick Murphy.

Are there any that you really like?

[Edit] Please explain why you think a name is clever! I've looked up the origins of the unfamiliar names getting posted but I'm definitely missing what's clever about some of them

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[+] 15 points 2 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 14 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    They Might Be Giants - a reference to the George C. Scott movie of the same name, where this is his character's answer to why Don Quixote jousted with windmills

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago (8 children)

    Theres sooooo many. I'm really into bands.

    Can't think of a lot at the moment but Some I think are clever or interesting:

    • deftones ("tone deaf")
    • muse (short and to the point)
    • limp bizkit (yeah, I never knew the origin of this till a few years ago). Not a fan of the band myself.
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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (3 children)
  • Fair to Midland.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 months ago (7 children)

    The Who

    The Hu

    Propagandhi

    Minor Threat

    Ruskaja

    Circle Jerks

    The Slits

    Eagles of Death Metal

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    I'm on board with Propagandhi, Save Ferris, and EODM but I'm unfamiliar with the backstories on the rest. What makes them clever?

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago* (4 children)

    So The Who came around when all the band names seemed to be "The something", so The Who kinda poked fun at that trend.

    The Hu is a Mongolian metal band (Mongolian as in Hun), and their name is phonetically the same as world famous rock band The Who.

    Minor Threat has a double meaning: "Insignificant" Threat and "Youth" Threat. The song "Minor Threat - Minor Threat" really nails that point down.

    Ruskaja is just blending "Ruski" and "ska" together, you can probably guess their sound. Fun fact the first time I heard "Energia" I jokingly, accidently guessed their name.

    You're on the Internet so I assume you've heard the term "Circle Jerk", but a jerk is also a person, the asshole type, so "Circle Jerks" is just a play on words between those two meanings.

    The Slits is an all female punk band, and the name is a reference to that.

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  • [–] [S] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Funny how The [Name] is cyclical. Sum 41 had a music video where they jokingly changed their name to The Sums to ride the trend

    Jerk is also a play on "clerk" as in Soda Jerk. Circle Jerk referring to group hog cranking is from the 60s I think

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  • [–] 8 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    I don't know that it's clever but it always gives me a good chuckle, Steely Dan is named after a steam powered strap on.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Had no idea!

    Similarly, it was years before I learned where Arab Strap got their name....

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    It's one of my dad's favorite pieces of music trivia. Probably because it made us kids uncomfortable lol

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    The Beatles. It's a plural of people who can keep a beat.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    There is that joke from Peep Show "we were thinking of calling ourselves 'Various Artists' just to fuck with people with iPods"

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago*
    [–] 5 points 2 months ago* (1 child)
    • Glass Hammer - I like oxymorons [prog rock]
    • Blind Guardian - also kind of an oxymoron [power metal]
    • Animals as Leaders - political messaging at its finest? [prog rock/metal]
    • Carbon-based Lifeforms - that's us (and our surrounding) [ambient]
    • Envy of None - yeah... [not sure about genre]
    • Ayreon - sounds cool, is basically a play on words of the creator's name (Arjen Lucassen) [prog rock/metal]
    • NoFX - quite fitting for [punk rock]
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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Save Ferris

    Flogging Molly

    TV on the Radio

    Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats

    LCD Soundsystem

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago* (2 children)

    Dunno if they ever did it but my friend wanted his band to call themselves Free Beer. He figured they would get gigs as an opening act. This Friday at the Paramount - Boy Genius, with Free Beer!

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Some bands I like with names I think are clever:

    The Callous Daoboys

    Drop Dead, Gorgeous

    unpeople

    Bloodywood

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    Metalachi - It's a mariachi band that plays metal.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_5y5KrBoO8

    Barenaked Ladies - they wanted something that caught peoples attention when looking at random small town band posters.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC_q9KPczAg

    Bilmuri - he just was a big fan of Bill Murray
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGTsevoF23Y

    Fair to Midland - a play on fair to middling, they were also from Texas who has a town called Midland.. A band created and revolved around little quips and folksy sayings
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpTHbOkrSu0

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I received the Stunt CD on Christmas morning and I will never forget my joyful grandpa's smile drop as he turned to me and said "shame on you..."

    He know it was an album.... from a band making music people called "wuss rock"

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    People can call it what they want, it was catchy as hell and I think the writing was pretty great on lyrics and music. Can't say the same for most albums past that one, and definitely after Page left. Stunt was lightning in a bottle for me.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 2 months ago

    Don't get me wrong, I was just noting the genre because it makes it even further from pornography.

    I got Maroon when it came out, too, and that was the end of my interest in the band...except for singing If I Had A Million Dollars and adding my own lyrics

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    The 13th Floor Elevators, based on the fact that many buildings don't have a "13th floor" because of superstition, so they named themselves after something that doesn't exist.

    Leftöver Crack, same deal! There ain't no such thing as leftover crack!

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago

    Jack Off Jill

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago*

    Yo La Tengo - after a hapless baseball Mets fielding incident

    Green Day - Named after something that should be cool and celebrated worldwide, but turned out kinda lame.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago*

    There's a group that does live band karaoke events in my city. (For those unfamiliar, in live band karaoke instead of a recording you go up on stage with real musicians and you sing the song.)

    The name of this band is the Nakatomi 5. There are four band members, but the 5 in their name is because when you go up and sing with them you're the 5th member.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    Sex Pistols

    Whilst not clever, but the band name is interesting.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 child)

    There used to be a Christian band in Tassie called 'The Fish That John West Rejects'. (A reference to an ad campaign running at the time)

    Also another aussie band that'd play bluegrass covers of rock classics called 'The Fargone Beauties'

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    Cease

    Was an excellent local drone band.

    I always thought the name was curious and succinct.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    Beatallica, a mash-up band that combines the songs of the Beatles and Metallica.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago (1 child)

    Boiled in Lead

    Very good band.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 months ago
    [–] 1 point 2 months ago* (1 child)

    One that sprang to mind I haven't seen mentioned is Gogol Bordello.

    Also, while I've always thought Rainbow Kitten Surprise was a funny name, I didn't realize how clever it was until the "surprise" happened. Obviously it wasn't planned that way, but it's still cool

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  • [+] -12 points 2 months ago (12 children)

    could vary on the intents of the musicians involved. and whether they care. i never tried to hear Third Eye Blind until I read your post, and it's not my thing, and it's boring. But if that is your thing, go with something poetic. look up some goofy puns and riddles.

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  • [–] [S] 12 points 2 months ago (11 children)

    What was going through your head when you decided to write this word vomit?

    No one asked for a review of Third Eye Blind nor is anyone choosing between band names and other forms of writing. Look up some guides on how to have a conversation.

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  • [–] -3 points 2 months ago* (2 children)

    You said

    Third Eye Blind popped into my head this morning and I always thought their name was pretty clever.

    I agree, it is a good name for a band

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  • [+] -7 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    I fully support the urge to remind the world that Third Eye Blind sucks ass whenever they are mentioned in any context

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  • [–] [S] 8 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I've found that people who go out of their way to talk shit about artists generally have pretty bad taste. Not everything is made for you, not liking it doesn't mean it sucks. Music is clearly not a hobby for you

    How much of your personality is based of things you don't like?

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  • [–] -2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Being afraid to state one’s opinion of a band because it might offend someone who disagrees only leads to incredibly boring discussions of music. Nobody’s take is objective, because that’s how opinions inherently work, and pointing out that “not everything is made for you” is a pretty silly thing to say in a discussion forum. Have the courage to state your likes and dislikes openly - otherwise why bother talking at all?

    You’re right about one thing - music is not a hobby for me. It’s a career. Maybe that’s why I’m comfortable taking it seriously and not hedging what I think in case someone feels differently. That passion is positive as often as it is negative, just not when the subject is a particularly annoying third-rate corporate alt-rock band.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 2 months ago

    This is a post is about clever names.

    Someone comes in and says "I looked up the band you mentioned and I don't like it." They don't comment on the name nor provide any of their own.

    And then you drop in with the same vague opinion and equal amount of clever names in tow.

    So what have you done here besides give yourself a little hit or dopamine from saying something mean? You've added nothing but negatively to the post. Congratulations on saving music discourse.

    Hilarious that you think "they suck ass" is taking it seriously. With takes like that, something tells me your music isn't anything like Guthrie.

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