Regrettable Band Names

Sound Opinions

Society & Culture, Music, Arts

4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 June 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot talk with writer Kyle Ryan about his Substack, Band Name Bureau. They explore the overlap between good music and poorly named bands. A selection of examples are discussed and played.

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Featured Songs:

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, "GNT," King of Cowards, Rocket, 2018

The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967

Screeching Weasel, "Cool Kids," Bark Like A Dog, Fat Wreck Chords, 1996

OMBIIGIZI, "Connecting," Shame, Arts & Crafts, 2024

Winona Fighter, "I'm In The Market To Please No One," My Apologies to the Chef, Rise, 2025

Bikini Trill, "Pushing Daisies," (Single), Ineffable, 2024

Teen Jesus and the Jean Teasers, "I Used To Be Fun," I Love You, Domestic La La, 2023

Fartbarf, "Simple Planet," (Single), Sweatband, 2020

Ned's Atomic Dustbin, "Gray Cell Green," God Fodder, Columbia, 1991

Ass Ponys, "Kung Fu Reference," Lohio, Checkered Past, 2001

Butthole Surfers, "The Hurdy Gurdy Man," (Single), Rough Trade, 1990

Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs, "Glib Tongued," Death Hilarious, Missing Piece, 2025

Electronic, "Getting Away With It," (Single), Factory, 1989

Local H, "Bound For The Floor," As Good As Dead, Island, 1996

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, sound opinions listeners. If you support us on Patreon, you get to listen to our podcast, ad-free on Patreon. You're listening to Sound Opinions. I'm Jim D. Reganus.
0:29.0	And I'm Greg Cott. Today we're talking with Kyle Ryan about his substack band name bureau
0:34.1	and our favorite bands with weird names sound opinions is supported by
0:38.7	Goose Island since 1988 Goose Island's been brewing beers in the spirit of
0:43.6	Chicago you can find 312 weed ale big juicy beer hug and so many other
0:49.4	limited releases at either of Goose's locations in Chicago, Goose Island Beer Company, Chicago's
0:56.3	beer.
0:57.2	You know, Mr. Gott, a band's name is pretty much the first thing people learn about any musical
1:05.2	project, right?
1:06.1	But it's also chosen with almost no thought whatsoever.
1:10.1	That's the story that keeps getting told, Jim, over and over again.
1:13.2	We've listened to plenty of songs and albums that were, you know, painstakingly put together
1:17.3	by bands with ridiculous names.
1:19.5	Yeah, yeah.
1:20.3	You put all this time and effort into this music, but the name was kind of like an afterthought.
1:24.5	We got a gig.
1:25.3	We need a name. So music writer Kyle Rines
1:28.2	noticed the same phenomenon when he was at the AV club and where it became an annual tradition
1:33.2	to honor the most memorable band names each year starting in 2005. Now Kyle's doing the same thing
1:39.4	on Substack under the name Band Name Bureau, which recently celebrated its 100th installment.
1:46.7	When we talked with Kyle, we had to begin with our decades of attending South by Southwest
1:51.4	and the insane band names we saw there.
	...

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