I’m intrigued by the process that bands use to name themselves. Sometimes a band takes an obvious name. Three guitarists from California chose the moniker California Guitar Trio.
Some bands look to media for inspiration. For example, Duran Duran was named after the bad guy in the movie Barbarella and Veruca Salt is from the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Other bands get inspiration in more obscure places. Foo Fighters got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War II, which were known collectively as foo fighters.
Since there is no standard protocol for choosing a name, I’ve decided to let the Internet select my band’s name, album title and album art. My instructions are simple:
- Go to Wikipedia and select ‘Random Article.’ The first random article on is my band name.
- Go to The Quotations Page. select ‘Random Quotes,’ and scroll down to the last quote. The last part of the quote my album title.
- Go to Flickr and click ‘Explore.’ The photo that comes up is my album art.
After completing the process, I’m pleased to present my new band: Screening Cultures. Our debut album is called Lack of Character. Look for it on iTunes (one day).
Peace & Blessings
Question: What is the weirdest band name that you’ve heard?