She Likes to Watch

The Barenaked Ladies have a pretty cool song called “It’s All Been Done,” and I have to agree with its premise. After all, nothing is original. Chord progressions, book plots, movie characters — you name it, it’s been done.

And I guess that goes for the band names I came up with during my last blog entry. Here I thought I’d come up with these great monikers, only to discover that, well, I guess I’m not the only genius here. As it turns out, with a gazillion people in the world, it really is hard to come up with a unique idea.

I’m sticking with my advice, though — idioms, clichés and song titles make for great names. Not necessarily original ones. But good ones.

Here’s what I discovered after researching the names from my Top Ten Band Names That Don’t Suck:

1.) Mobb Rule. This was my great hip-hop name. But it turns out there are lots of variations of this, the most popular being a mullet-wearing German metal band that has opened for the Scorpions and Dio. The band recently crossed the Atlantic and toured the U.S. for the first time.

2.) Occam’s Razor. Well, I thought there might be some geeks out there who would have considered this philosophical band name. But I was disappointed to hear a really, really bad thrash metal band from Troy, Ohio, had the same idea. Demonic screaming? Not my thing.

3.) Goofy Foot. Since it’s a surfer term, I figured it was great for a surf band. So what is a folk rock band from landlocked Missouri doing with it?

4.) Pillow Talk. The most interesting band with this name describes itself as an a cappella/Christian/death metal band that started out playing jazz versions of film and rock songs. Interestingly, they have four drummers and three bassists.

5.) Chin Music. It’s a U.K. rock band with a song called “Circle the Drain.” (See No. 9).

6.) Alter Ego. Well, I guess we all want to take on another personality. Because there are tons of Alter Egos around the world. Features writer Sarah Linn suggested Alter Eagle for a band name, which pretty much trumped my entire list in one swoop.

7.) Big Fish. Unbeknownst to me, there’s a rather popular ska band called The Reel Big Fish, which originates from Orange County. (That’s their photo at the top.) Previously signed by Jive Records, their MySpace page had close to 7 million hits.

8.) General Malaise. Now here’s one I figured no one would have thought of. But some band from Tempe, Ariz., actually reeled it in first. They even one-upped me, calling themselves General Malaise and the Major Disappointments, which is pretty good, really. The singer had a gravelly Tom Waits-type voice, which wasn’t too bad. But they only had 36 profile views on MySpace and no gigs listed. So if you want this one, I think it’s yours.

9.) Circle the Drain. I can see why this Tampa, Fla., band used to be called Animosity. They are currently seeking a new lead singer, having lost the last two — one over “creative differences” and the other over “personal challenges.” So while the band name is taken, you can still be in Circle the Drain if you can sing, are a passive person and are willing to relocate.

10.) Lindbergh Babies. Good news — Lindbergh Babies is alive and well! True, some guys from the U.K. did have the same idea I did. But these power chord rockers disbanded, and the bandleader changed the name of his next project – foolishly, if you ask me — to Concrete Dogs.

By the way, Sarah also trumped me on this one, suggesting Little It — a nickname given to the Lindbergh baby – as a band name.

I checked, and Little It is available, though I might suggest a more rapper-like Lil’ It.

— Pat P.