Picking a Band Name
Playing music is one thing — to be a band, though, you need a name. Here are a few format possibilities to get you started.
[Your Name] and the [Somethings] (e.g., Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem)
This one is easy. All you have to do is decide on the Something ("Snails?" "Cloggers?"), and then fight over who gets top billing. Works best for classic-rock bands, country bands, funk bands, former solo projects. You can get creative, but be careful what you wish for: You know how angry Darius Rucker used to get when people called him "Hootie."
Literary Sentence Names (e.g., The Devil Wears Prada, As I Lay Dying )
"Chick lit" and classic literature genres are both rife with plunderable titles. Wolf in Chic Clothing and Catcher in the Rye are both available. Best suited to emo, metalcore and/or pop-punk bands.
Apocalyptic Names (e.g., Slayer, Destroyer, Apocalypse)
Try picking out words at random from the Book of Revelation. Best suited to thrash or death-metal bands, but indie rockers can make it work. Careful what you choose; this could also make you out to be a Christian metal band. Potential names: The Golden Censer, Seven-Headed Dragon, Throne of the Beast.
Plural Names (e.g., Cults, Swans, Death Grips)
Pick a word you like, add an "s" at the end. Actually not as easy as it sounds.
If you're really stuck, sites like www.bandmaker.com or the anagram generator at www.wordsmith.org do the work for you, as long as you don't mind people assuming your band was formed in 1997.
From Bandmaker: Giant Stroke, Bird of the Silenced Pyramid, Porcine Crush, Slim Ritual, Living Blasphemy
Choice anagrams for "Our Band Name": Boa Armed Nun, A Bad Omen Urn, Banned Amour (Hey, that one's actually pretty good!)
