The Batlord

As a fan of metal, where band names are often unsubtle to the point of brainlessness (Possessed, Slayer, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Anthrax, Burn the Priest, Mayhem, Death, etc), a lot of the more esoteric band names strike me as silly to the point of absurdity. I realize that there is likely some artistic reason for these names, but my numbskull mind sill rebels, even if such names are still fun.

I invite people to give examples of such weird names that confuse them, amuse them, impress them, etc. You can just list them, you can explain them (either your examples or those of others), you can mock them, you can condemn entire genres for their naming pretensions, or whatever.

Here a few that I can't help but feel are just arbitrary for the sake of being arbitrary (most of them are probably indie bands):

Andrew Jackson Jihad
Animal Collective
Cage the Elephant
Portugal. The Man
Neutral Milk Hotel
Death Cab for Cutie
Yo La Tengo
Gay for Johnny Depp

And it may not be a band name, but Stereolab's Emperor Tomato Ketchup is too stupid not to be stupid.

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Frownland

I Wrote Haikus About Cannibalism In Your Yearbook

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

Black Francis

Wilco: reminds me of Costco for some reason.

U2: Me too? is that what their name means?

Yo la tengo: Means 'I have it' in spanish, Good band but i always found their name a little weird. it's a good kinda weird though

Taking back Sunday: Who took it??

And you will know us by the trail of the dead: it sounds cool but it's definitely a mouthful.

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"Hey Kids you got to meet the MIGHTY PIXIES!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbRbCtIgW3A

Janszoon

I always assumed it was a reference to the word used by people communicating by radio meaning "will comply".

It's a reference to a type of American spy plane that was shot down by the Soviets in the 60s, leading to an international incident.

It's apparently a reference to a funny baseball anecdote.

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A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man

Time & Place

25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die

last.fm

Pet_Sounds

Sounds like something Briks would do.

Half Man Half Biscuit always confused me.

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Everybody's dying just to get the disease

Janszoon

I think they have a fairly literal name actually. Rather than being an actual band, I think they consider themselves more a collective of solo musicians. And a lot of them have stage names involving animals. Hence they're an "animal collective".

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A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man

Time & Place

25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die

last.fm

Mondo Bungle

User:Jnestorius/List of Bands whose names form complete sentences - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Frownland

Christianity?

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Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.

Pet_Sounds

Jefferson Airplane is a bit unusual as well.

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Everybody's dying just to get the disease

Psy-Fi

Here's the Mother lode of bad/weird band names...

Weird Band Names

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She's a Brick House