Animals in band names. Spare a thought, it seemed easy when we started it:
A Alien Ant Farm Covered Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal. Badly.
B Buffalo Springfield Actually named after a tractor but never let the facts get in the way of a well-intentioned article
C Camel Underrated prog giants. One hump or two?
D Deerhoof An animal part, extra points, surely!? Noise-pop innovators, more influencial than commercially successful.
E Crazy Elephant Bubblegum pop behemoths, sadly famous for just one song, Gimme Gimme Good Lovin’
F Halo of Flies Aggressive rock band featuring Tom Hazelmyer and released on his own label, Amphetamine Reptile
G Gorilla Biscuits Late 80s New York hardcore punk band, just about still going. A yellow vinyl issue of their debut album sold for £4500 last year.
H Crazy Horse Another Neil Young connection – the man’s obsessed!
I Tame Impala The second nomination to feature both animal and temperament
J Jellyfish They were nearly the next big thing in the 90s.
K King Krab The first sign this wasn’t going to be a five minute article.
L King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard Lots of z’s
M Gov’t Mule Mid-90s Southern Rock band who remain very much a going concern in America
N Newt Order Forgive us
O Blue Öyster Cult Their name is based on a poem their manager wrote about a shadowy cabal of aliens ruling the world
P Porcupine Tree Porcupines are huge. They’re more horse than hedgehog
Q Quaildogs Tenuous? Us?
R Ratt Though they’re forever linked to 80’s hair metal, their roots span back to 1973
S Slim Loris Swedish Scandicana masterminds. A mishearing of “Slow Loris”
T Tortoise Similarly slow, ponderous titans of lo-fi math rock
U U-Men Before everyone else piled over there in the 90s, the U-Men were kings of the underground scene in Seattle
V Viper Brazilian metallers. Cliche warning – BIG IN JAPAN
W Wartoad 60’s and 70’s steeped punk pondcore
X X-Ray Dog Stop complaining, it was difficult
Y Yak – Wolverhampton indie rockers signed to both Fat Possum (boom!) and Octopus Electrical (ka-pow!)
Z Zebra – American rockers once signed to Atlantic, they continue to play some 40-odd years into their career and with no hit records!
Check out birds in bands here: My Dad Rocks