Ladies and gentlemen, hipsters and normies - lend me your ears! I'm pleased to introduce the first edition of my new series: Absurd Names, Awesome Tunes!
Ever want to just listen to something unconventional? Something where the lyrics might not make a whole lot of sense, the title has nothing to do with the song, you have no idea what the hell that instrument is, and yet it just grabs you? Go beyond the pale, my friend. Turn off the top 40 radio station for a little bit and dive into the realm of indie. Indie music is fascinating - some of it might be a little obscure, but the talent is incredible. Be it Florence Welch's soul-shaking vocals with Florence + the Machine, Fleet Foxes' divine harmonies, or The Decemberists' lyrics that read like a Dickens novel, indie bands are home to incredible hidden artistry. But you know what else is incredible? A lot of these bands' names. Indie bands are notorious for having some really adventurous names, and honestly, I think that's what I love most. What's more fun than having someone ask you what you're listening to, and you get to reply, "Iwrestledabearonce." Yup, you read that right. Iwrestledabearonce. All one word.
This series of articles will take you on a tour of bands who probably just didn't give a shit on the day they decided their name. But ya know what? Who cares, they're damn good! Here are some of the bands with the most eccentric monikers and some of their best works.
1. Neutral Milk Hotel
No one knows where the name for this band came from. The band's founder, Jeff Mangum, said he does have a reason for the name, but he chooses to keep it private. Even if they had a fairly normal name, Neutral Milk Hotel would definitely still be out there. On their acclaimed album "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea," which has been ranked in the top 100 greatest albums of all time, they use instruments like the flugelhorn, a musical saw, and some strange thing called a zanzthithophone. Their lyrics are really something too. People have developed theories that "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" is about Anne Frank and her family's ordeal in the Netherlands during World War Two, but Jeff Mangum has neither confirmed or denied it. As bizarre as they are, Neutral Milk Hotel has made incredibly innovative work. The title track to "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" is above, but if you get the chance, listen to the whole album and imagine "The Diary of Anne Frank" - you'll find that it can be a profoundly sad and emotional journey.
2. Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is named after the title of a song by another strangely-named band, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band (sorry, I'm not even gonna try to figure out where THAT name came from). Death Cab has been active for 19 years and is arguably one of the most successful indie brands to break the mold. They are known for their smooth alt-rock style that can at times venture into the morose, deep, and existential. I can't even listen to their song "I Will Follow You Into the Dark," because I literally tear up every time.
3. Passion Pit
So, I might be the only one, but I always got the feeling Passion Pit is a euphemism for a part of female anatomy. Like I said, I might be the only one. Turns out it's actually an old slang term for drive-in movie theaters where people would go to make out and do the nasty. Guess I wasn't terribly far off. Passion Pit is has a very electric, synthesized feel to them, but in a really pleasant way. Songs like "Sleepyhead" feel like you're in some sort of psychedelic dream-land. This one however, "Take a Walk," is one of their top hits and one of my all-around favorite songs.
4. Someone Still Loves You, Boris Yeltsin
Okay, this one's got to be one of my favorite band names. Seriously, it just tickles me pink. Let me use some knowledge from a post-Soviet politics class I took once and I'll explain the name. So the band began writing and performing in the late '90s; this was about the time that the inept president of Russia, chronically drunk/pretty fun guy Boris Yeltsin, ended up resigning and letting that douche-frigate Vladimir Putin take over. Don't worry, Uncle Boris, I still love you.
5. STRFKR
It's missing the vowels, but yeah, the band's name is pronounced "Starf*cker." The name was initially just a joke that wasn't really expected to go far, but they just ended up running with it. I would expect nothing less from a band out of the heart of all things indie, Portland, Oregon. In appropriate Portland fashion, these guys are, well... weird. But weird is awesome, and so is Portland, so right on, STRFKR.
Check in next week for our next five silly-named bands!
