Bands & Brands: What’s in a name? A lot.

So I’m starting a new band, and as many of my fellow Bulbs will attest, I’ve been trying to think of a good name for months. Thankfully, working with a group of such creative minds yields solid name suggestions daily, but I’ve yet to come across the one.
Still, despite my lack of success, the naming process has taught me a little something. Namely, it has made me realize that a good band name is a lot like a good brand name: they both have to be memorable, easy to say and spell, preferably short and — ideally — jive well with the product, or music, as the case may be.
In my experience, the best band names always seem to hint at the sound / style of the band. For instance, Old Crow Medicine Show sounds like a bluegrassy, folksy band; Slayer and Metallica sound like metal bands; the Clash sounds punky and the Rolling Stones is arguably the definitive rock-and-roll band name.
Brand names work similarly.
Swiffer®, Green Giant® and Google are all good examples of brand names that are easy to remember, easy to say and convey something about the product. In fact, I can barely type “Swiffer” without envisioning the plastic mop pad gliding across a tile floor, hearing the “swiffing” sound it makes while getting my kitchen Spic and Span®. Oh, wait…
Green Giant calls to mind beanstalks, vegetables and nature: the kind of imagery with which a frozen produce company should be associated. And Google (a misspelled version of the mathematical term, googol), hints at nerdy intelligence and enormity — two attributes that suit the search giant well.
But enough chit chat. The reason I’m here is because I want your help naming my new band.
First, a little background:
We’re a four-piece outfit (guitar, keys, bass & drums). We’re not too hard, not too soft. Our genre could be deemed indie-pop, and our influences range from R.E.M. and Radiohead to the Dire Straights and Ben Folds Five. Are we as talented as those groups? No. Not at all. But for the sake of providing a decent frame of reference, indulge me.
I’ve put together a survey HERE with a bunch of suggestions I’ve gotten over the past few months. I kindly ask you to choose your favorite name (or suggest one of your own). The top two vote-getters (and possibly a wild card suggestion) will be presented to my three obstinate, indecisive band mates in hopes of settling this debate once and for all.
I’d like to emphasize that this is a very, very serious matter, so please choose the name you think will best represent my band. I will report the results in my next blog.
Thanks for the help.