After attending a musical show in East Nashville last week featuring my friends in the punk/folk-rock outfit Wildcard Family Revival, my mind wandered to the clever, creative names of bands in country music.
Musical collectives through the years have chosen to be defined by their leader singer (think Bon Jovi). Others seemingly come from the most random ideas (think Rascal Flatts). We have an open question tonight: What’s your favorite name of a country music band? The group/band can either be a major-level touring act or the supporting musical cast for a country music star.
And also, what would you name your band if you were to heed the Brad Paisley and Keith Urban advice to start one of your own?
Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, of course! I also really like Cherryholmes’ name; I think that’s really clever.
I’m going to decline to comment on the second part, mostly because I already think about that question on a regular basis and still don’t have a good answer, ha.
One Flew South got their name out of the fact that one member, Eddie Bush, lives in Charleston, SC and was always leaving the other two in Nashville to go visit his wife at home. They also had to choose a name quickly as they had placed a song on the Disney “Fox And The Hound 2” soudntrack before they even had a ‘regular’ record deal. They had “Dusters,” “Bush, Roberts & Reed,” and “Parachute Adams” was one they went by for a while.
As for my own band, I kinda like the title of a Jeff Black album called “Tin Lily.” Don’t know why but it sounds like a cool band name.
I really love “Lady Antebellum” and “Little Big Town” :)
I always figured One Flew South derived their name from the rhyme:
“One flew east, One flew west,
One flew over the cuckoo’s nest”
(where the movie got it’s title)
I do like their name tho as it does stand apart.
Whiskey Falls. I’m not sure if Falls is supposed to be a noun or verb, but I like it either way, and I hope radio eventually gives them some airplay.
Whiskey Falls record label has closed up shop as a full-service label (becoming a promo arm of sorts), after Adam Gregory went to Big Machine and Emerson Drive partnered with Valory Music Co. Looks as if Whiskey Falls’ members will return themselves to the corporate gigs they had (which were probably much more lucrative).
My favorites are definitely Lady Antebellum (kinda random but it works!!) and Sugarland (again random but…it works!). It just so happens those are two of my favorite artists too!! ;)
I’ll put in a second vote for Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives. It’s the “His” that really gets me.
The Lost Trailers is a very clever name because they lost some trailers, so they called themselves The Lost Trailers. Since I just ate a bowl of cereal, I would have to call my band Ate a Bowl of Cereal.
In that case, you’re looking at the leader of the new band Went Home For Lunch.
And I’m the frontman for Selling Coffee Table Books In A Tight Economic Market.
I make band names up all the time. I’m even willing to risk losing the one I’m about to share cos I think it could be a huge hit, country or otherwise…RIGHTY TIGHTY
I always wanted a band called “Self Titled” or “Self titled Debut”. I think the name alone would pique enough interest to get me a listen.
As for existing groups, I think “the notorious cherry bombs” is a pretty solid name.
I’ve now changed my band’s name to Listened To A 1974 Pink Floyd Bootleg, although I’m concerned that people will think it’s a tribute band.
Band name? FUBAR
Of course led by that impeccable master entertainer Tinky Bogum. Stage name non de plume. Backed on rythym by none other than his twin sis Stinky. Tinky & Stinky Bogum are set to take over the world!
And of course their songs are not novelty! :-o
And y’all thought Nilsson’s “The Point” was strange. You ain’t seen nuthin’ ’til you’ve been inside my head! Ruh-Roh!
An interesting sidebar about a great country-rock outfit from the 1970s: Poco.
Formed by ex-Buffalo Springfield members Richie Furay and Jim Messina in 1968, the band was initially called Pogo, after the character of the Walt Kelly comic. But when Kelly took umbrage at their utilization of the name, they merely changed the “g” to a “c” and became Poco (Spanish for “little”). Poco was always overshadowed by the Eagles, but they were nevertheless quite influential. In fact, I’d match them up against any Nashville band on the radio today (Rascal Flatts and Lonestar, in particular).
Erik,
I think that One Flew South would be up to that challenge.
I loved The Point. Still do, too
OMG! Another “Point” fan! I had a dog named Oblio once. Looked just like the Oblio in “The Point”. Heh!
I still have that on VHS. It came out for about 15 minutes once when my kids were little so I grabbed it.
Here ya’ go Peter:
When I read this post, the first group that came to mind is Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Pretty clever name.
Sugarland is a very stylish name.
Lady Antebellum is clever too but it kinda got ruined for me when I found out there are men in it. Antebellum is a neat word though.
As for my own, I have no idea. It would take me ages to think of one.
Oh yeah, I absolutely love the name Carter’s Chord. What an incredibly creative word (“chord”) to describe a group with 3 people in it (because “chord” is made up of 3 notes played/sung together).
They weren’t the main name of the act, but Doug Supernaw’s backing band was named the Possum Eatin’ Cowboys.
Hi, I’ve read these blogs for quite some time, but never posted until now. My wide variety of musical tastes, mainly Americana/Roots music has lead me to encounter some strange and cleaver names. I have dozens of examples, but I’ll only list a few for now. I also encourage everyone to check out these artists for some great music. imo. The Mother Truckers, Deadstring Brothers, Two Tons of Steel, Eleven Hundred Sings, Highspeed Hayride. Thanks for reading this, and to whomever checks out these bands, Thanks!
oops! typo. That should be Eleven Hundred Springs! But hey? While I’m here, I’ll add a couple more. The Way-Goners, and Two Dollar Pistols.
hey JHD – my brother burnt me a DVD of it not long ago – the original TV special with Ringo Starr as narrator
singing “This is the town and these are the people…”
Well, I’ll add ome more I guess just for the heck of it. Some more bands I listen to are…The Vulgar Boatmen and, Southern Culture on The Skids.
I always thought Sugarland was a generic name.
Gotta love Marty’s Fabulous Superlatives.
My band name would be Baggage.
No one checks out new music here? That’s strange. this time I will add…
Slim Chance and The Convicts
Hot Club of Cowtown
Note…these are real bands, and this is the music I listen to.
My next two…
Donna The Buffalo
Missy Gossip and the Secret Keepers