Let's face it, thinking of a cool band name can be as hard as writing a hit tune. Harder even, since all the band members have their own favorite and it is almost impossible to get everyone to agree. You could always fall back on that old favorite Free Beer because nothing looks better on a marquee than Free Beer here tonite! But that's old and tired, and your band should be young and wired.

I can remember my first band... a folk group called The Spaz Lads. Hey, gimme a break, you gotta remember this was back when the Beatles were still together and Lennon hadn't even found out he was the Walrus yet. But later on we changed to a more rocking music style so a heavier name was necessary. You know the trend, look for a yin-yang, heavy-soft moniker. Like Featherstone, Iron Butterfly or Led Zeppelin... I think we were Tin Blimp for a week or two, then Paper Castles. I guess Glass Houses was already taken, I can't remember.

So where do you start? It's not any different than writing a song. Get a notebook and carry it around with you all the time. Jot down ideas, phrases, even just words with an appealing sound.

You are carrying a notebook with you all the time, aren't you? I bought one of the digital recorders for $20 that holds up to 90 seconds of recorded sound. It's not much bigger than a credit card and I keep it in my pocket at all times. When I get an idea or hear a catchy phrase, I just whip it out and whisper into the mike. Sure, you end up with 85 seconds of stupidity but the remaining 5 seconds might contain a gem. Besides, now I never forget what I want from the store on my way home!

The result is that I now have many more good band names than I will ever have a use for. Remember, a bad pun or stupid name that is clever or catchy can keep you from being lost in the shuffle along with The Thudpuckers.