As a fun experiment, my good friend Melissa asked her elementary school students to come up with some band names. They listened to some tracks, and then got into groups and brainstormed ideas. The results are awesome. I was impressed with the creativity and intelligence of 1st and 2nd graders. I laughed, I cried, and I’m pretty sure my brain exploded once or twice. Here they are in all their glory:

1st Grade:
The Bear Wolf
The Rock Brothers Band Rocks
Rock in Roll
Rocky
Rockstar
Rockin Peanuts
Fresh Beat Band
Rockin Hansen
Trouble Ones
One Man Band
Roadrunner
Cool Loud Band
Rolling Pins
Sharp Men
Hurricane Men
The Christophers
Sound Band
Soft Band
Chocolate Band
BandAid Band
Superstar
Rockin Cheetahs
Monkeypo
Band Man
Bad Boys
Rockin Cobras
Rock Around The World
Triangle Band
Rockin Ninja
Beat Band
Rockstar Band
Bandit Band
Hamburgers
Rockin Cookies

2nd grade
Rock band
The rising dead
Rock n roll band
the hard rockers
The big bad men
Rock on
The white cells
Bulldogs
Big bad band
Rock and boom band
The New Yorkers
Melody
Rock and roll together
Rock and roll friends
The crushers
Alone on the streets (dark, I like it)
The rocks
Earth shakers
The battle
Firework company
Rock n roll joy
Rock n roll hounds
The monsters
The trashers
The pain
Fire band
Star band
Hard metal
War pigs

I’m playing this Friday (May 11) with the mighty Fountains Of Wayne in Huntington, NY at a place called The Paramount. Buy tickets here!

I first heard Fountains Of Wayne in high school. My first girlfriend listened to horrible, horrible music. I mean, the worst music in the universe. But she had this CD of this band Fountains Of Wayne. Her friend was a fan of them, or knew them, or something. She said, “yeah, there’s only one good song on here” and so I knew for sure the album would be awesome. We broke up and I “accidentally left her CD in my car.”

The album was the self-titled Fountains Of Wayne, and I was immediately floored. I heard great and clever melodies, funny lyrics, and sad storytelling all in one colorful universe. FOW soon became one of my favorite bands ever, and their second record, Utopia Parkway, was even better. It was darker, more intelligent, mature. It remains one of my top ten records ever.

Their new album Sky Full Of Holes is a masterpiece. Fountains’ best songs yet. Here are some of my favorite Fountains Of Wayne tracks: Cemetery Guns / Hey Julie / Leave The Biker / A Fine Day For A Parade / Denise / Senator’s Daughter / I 95 / Summer Place

Well, I’m back in Band Name Limbo, which is an enormous, dark, confusing place. I’ve been busy starting a new and extremely exciting job in the big city (Upperville, VA……wait, I mean, New York City, NY). The band has 25 songs partially recorded, as well as Scheherazade, which has been demo’ed by the band. It’s all…….well, really, really damn good music, and I feel like we’re finally making waves, and poised for some breaks. However, I feel like starting something fresh and tight, something marketable….plus, this is definitely a band lately…. The creative process involves everyone.

As a fun experiment, my good friend Melissa asked her elementary school students to come up with some band names. They listened to some tracks, and then got into groups and brainstormed ideas. The results are awesome. I was impressed with the creativity and intelligence of these 1st and 2nd graders. I laughed, I cried, and I’m pretty sure my brain exploded once or twice. Here they are in all their glory:

Kid’s Band Name Ideas – Day 1

1st Grade:
Baby Pie
The Fast Speed
Thunderstorm Eyes
Starry Nights Rule
Banana Sword
Hot Tree
The Princesses
The Hot Chicken Band
Werewolf Fire
Running Blood
Pizza Tree
Black and White
The Meatballs
Bald Eagles
The Black Pandas
Tears of Blood
The Hot Boy Band
The Amber Band
Werewolves of the Hot Fire
Pizza Panda
New York City is Awesome
Carebear Band
Race Dragon
The Mr. Sandman Band
Black Band
The Mosquitos
I am a Tree
Fire Rock
The Outlaws
Brake

2nd grade:
Beatbox
The Big Bad Band
Bulldogs
Fire crier
The Fire Band
Buttkick Rock
New Boys
Rockstar Baby Attack
Baby on the Roof
The Funky Monkey
You Go I’ll Go
The Bad Girls
The Lord of Gods
This is How We Roll
The Vampires
Learn How to Rock
Mario Rock
Rally rock
Say it Out Loud
Smoke Dash
I Go Where You Go
The Mini Muffins
The Awesome Rock Band
Doin the Duggy
The Jerk
Where to Go
Let it Shine
Doin the Boogie
Four the Sequences
Rock Box
Mario World Rock
Baby at the Door
The Purring Pandas
Singing Rock Music
Dark Rock
New York Rock
The Walkers
The Bad Boys
The Four Werewolves
It’s All About Me and You
I Love You
Texas Rock House
Monster Party
The Rocking Turtles
Baby Rock
Mustang
Cash Stache
Fire Skull
Texas Rangers
Snake Hole
The Adorable Dolphins