Thursday: Acronym Artists
Posted at 8:46 AM on August 4, 2011
by Steve Seel
(106 Comments)
Filed under: 9:30 Coffee Break
Today's 9:30 Coffee Break topic is suggested by trusty topic-provider Bob Hicks: bands or artists whose names are acronyms (or contain an acronym as part of their name). What's an acronym? A series of letters that stand for words (such as IBM, for "International Business Machines").
Update: We've now had it pointed out to us that "acronym" is not the proper word we want here, since an acronym is actually an abbreviation that forms a new word that you actually pronounce (such as "NATO," or "laser," or "sonar"). The word we want is "initialism," or simply abbreviation. Thanks, and we stand corrected. Now carry on.
Acronym
Abba (Anni-Frid, Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha) "Dancing Queen"
Initialisms
R.E.M. (Rapid Eye Movement)
P.O.S. (Pissed off Stef, Product of Society, Product of Stress, or Piece of S&*%)
O.M.D. (Orchestral Movements in the Dark)
E.L.O. (Electric Light Orchestra)
C.C.R. (Creedance Clearwater Revival)
Comments (106)
I might get tossed off the blog for this one, but the first group to come to mind is LMFAO.
R.E.M.? I'm personally partial to "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?"
E.L.O. - Mr. Blue Sky
OMC - How Bizarre
OMC = Otara Millionaires Club
ABBA - pretty much anything by them would be wonderfully awful!
MGMT
NKOTB
P.O.S. "Dear Boy" from the MN Beatles Project!
BRMC (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) - Rifles
MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
AC/DC - TNT (double the acronyms!)
CCR - Proud Mary
OMD - Anything at all
OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) - Enola Gay
Livin' Thing -- ELO [Electric Light Orchestra]
KMFDM!
KMFDM - Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid
N.E.R.D. - Rock Star
LFO - Summer Girls (inspired by Cathryn)
MC Rut - Middle class rut
song = new low
MGMT!!
MSI
Credence Clearwater Revival = CCR (maybe Fortunate Son?)
AC/DC
Red Hot Chili Peppers = RHCP (maybe Aeroplane?)
Electric Light Orchestra = ELO (perhaps Don't Bring me Down?)
B.T.O. - Taking Care of Business
BTO
NIN
N.W.A.
The JAMM - Justified Agents of Mu Mu
How about Death Cab For Cutie. No one wants to write that whole thing and it ends up getting shortened to DCFC. Or some AC/DC. Direct current/alternative current. Very real to Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla...
I was going to suggest R.E.M. too, but would like to hear "Drive."
Also, OAR (what that stands for, I've no idea) with "Shattered."
How about NIN with "Down in It"?
Or INXS (not so much an acronym, but a text msg. style shortening of In Excess) with "What You Need"?
And for fun, I'll request "Unbelievable" by EMF.
Of course, there's KMFDM "Kill Mother #$%&$$ Depeche Mode" but I really think you should play some BT "Brian Transeau" like The Emergency or The Light in Things. You guys don't play enough BT! :-)
BRMC (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club)
KMFDM (Kill Mother F*&cken Depeche Mode)
TKK (The Thrill Kill Kult)
Public Image Ltd. - Poptones
Knowing Me Knowing You -- ABBA [band members' first names]
Godzilla! - B.O.C.
John Wayne Was a Nazi - MDC Can't remember if it's radio-friendly...
Who'll Stop the Rain - CCR
How Bizarre - OMC
I think most of these are initialisms, not acronyms. Acronyms are actually words made up of the first letters of a bunch of words. So REM doesn't count, but ABBA does. Sorry to be like this -- I can't help it.
BTO! TCB! Did I just show my age?
LL Cool J (Ladies Love Cool James) - "Mamma Said Knock You Out"
P.O.S - anything
KMFDM - anything
I second POS! I'd love to hear "Savion Glover" this morning.
1) CCR - "Lodi"
2) Because, why not...LFO - "Summer Girls"
Wow, when you said acronym the first thing that registered in my head was palindrome. All I could think was, block of ABBA?
So of course I have to say TMBG, I Pallindrome I.
Orchesteral Maneuvers in the Dark (OMD)
MGMT - Electric Feel
R.E.M. - Shiny Happy People
O.A.R. - This Town
MIA - Paper Planes
I think REM is an acronym - I hear people talk about REM sleep all the time, using it as a word, not a collection of letters.
RATM (Rage Against the Machine) 'Renegades of Funk'
:)
JGB and
LRB (I dare you)
CCR - Bad Moon Rising
CSNY - Love the One Your With
OMD - If You Leave
GNR - Welcome to the Jungle
R.E.M. - Exhuming McCarthy
CSNY - Helpless, or Everybody I Love You
ummmm..
M.I.A - XXXO ?? Pretty sure her name isn't Mia.
P.O.S. - Goodbye.
I was just listening to N.W.A yesterday.
"Express Yourself"
DKM (dropkick murphys)
please? =) i'm a member hangin' out in Boston. would make my day!!
You are all fired for not saying LCD Soundsystem yet.
MIA
It took 3 minutes before the acronym/initialism post happened. Grammar nerds are a little slow this morning.
POS
UO- Positive Bleeding would be a great song for this morning!
CSNY- Teach your children or Ohio
RAA -Don't Haunt This Place
CCR-Fortunate Son
ELO
UB40 (UK's Unemployment Benefits [form] 40)
Another vote for BRMC - maybe, Love Burns.
Yes, for the love of all that is good, R.E.M. - Something vintage like "Radio Free Europe" would be nice.
And lets not forget E.L.O. You don't want to get the evil eye from Campbell later. "Do Ya" would be good to hear.
TEN - The Early November
T.U.G.G.
MIA "Sunshowers"
OFWGKTA "Orange Juice"
I also second BRMC (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club).
I would love to hear some ELP (Emerson, Lake & Palmer) but for the love of all music gods do not play Lucky Man - that's a Greg Lake song.
Other contenders:
ELO (Electric Light Orchestra)
N.E.R.D. (a word made into an acronym)
ABBA (really an acronym, but made into a word)
LCD Soundsystem (does this one count?)
ACDC
DMB (Dave Matthews Band)
TLC
MJ (Michael Jackson :)
P.I.L
NIN - Nine Inch Nails
STP - Stone Temple Pilots
I don't think it counts if you initialize a band that doesn't really have an acronym in its name. Like, could you play something from TB (The Beatles) or AF (Arcade Fire)?
MIA as well!
MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
BAD - Big Audio Dynamite
KMFDM (Kein Mehrheit Für Die Mitleid) - Juke Joint Jezebel
N.E.R.D. (No one Ever Really Dies) - Lapdance
B.A.D. - Rush
GBV! GBV! GBV!
MGMT is an abbreviation -- neither initialism or acronym!
R.E.M.-Exhuming McCarthy (or anything else off Document is fine too)
Please do NOT play LCD Sound System. They are overrated and you would ruin my day
What about that awesome cover Barb Abney played yesterday by KMFDM, "These Boots are Made for Walking?" Or maybe NWA? How's that for the gammit??
Yes, UB40 ! - I Got You Babe w/ Chrissie Hynde
KISS would qualify (Knights In Satan's Service). Please don't play them, though.
Our local boy, P.O.S. - with several different "meanings" behind the moniker, he suits your topic to a "T" (Savion Glover is my personal fave)
I second wellst's AWESOME suggestion:
"Godzilla" -- Blue Oyster Cult (BOC)
And a couple more:
"United Forces" -- Stormtroopers of Death (SOD)
"Welcome to the Jungle" -- Guns N' Roses (GN'R)
PUSA -- Presidents of the United States of America -- "Cleveland Rocks"
Beastie Boys (Boys Entering Anarchistic States Towards Internal Excellence). How about Sabotage.
O.A.R.
perhaps for this, perhaps another coffeebreak: number names--L7, B52s, MC5, UB40, etc.
NWA!
Thanks for THS!!!
HALO
ELO
AC/DC
KISS and we can all make up whatever we want it to stand for
UB40. I think its an unemployment form UN the UK
dcfc death cab for cutie. id enjoy WHAT SARAH SAID.
If you want to try a bit of jazz NRBQ or if you really want to have fun because of fringe weekend pull up (NPH) Neil Patrick Harris.doing something from a show. He recently did an orchestral version of Company with the NY Philharmonic that should be easy to find.
U.N.K.L.E.
Not sure what it stands for, but who cares?
esp. the Burn My Shadow with ian astbury.
W.A.S.P. you asked for it. that's definitely an acronym.
ABBA! A true acronym, and what better excuse will there ever be to play ABBA on the Current?
LL Cool J! Cmmoonnnnnnnnnn. Do it.
Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All-->OFWGKLA-->Odd Future
So, I guess the acronym was too long. Nevermind,.
DON'T FORGET STP (STONE TEMPLE PILOTS) AND CTA BETTER KNOWN AS CHICAGO
You guys copped out. You had plenty of acronyms to pick from, according to your original topic.
ELO- Electric Light Orchestra
"Don't Bring Me Down"
How about S.P.O.C.K.?
I like the UNKLE idea. I'm not smart enough to know if that is a correct answer though.
Beatles proof!!!!!!!
If you play BOC. You have to play "Black Blade"
AN ACTUAL ACRONYM--INTERPOL
BNL - Bare Naked Ladies
DMB - Dave Mattews Band
How about band names that are initials but not necessarily abbreviations?
X?
XTC?
My girlfriend is from Spain and she told me that she and her friends pronounce R.E.M phonetically.
So they say rem (as in rapid eye movement) and not R.E.M. This leads me to think that in Spain R.E.M is not an abbreviation but actually an acronym.
Unless, of course, the Spanish word for rem is translated differently.
I blame Public Radio for making me think about any of this.
-- JT.
Takin Care of Business -- BTO
or, what about a song that fits like O.N.E by Yeasayer, one's not enough.
"Red Light Special"-- TLC
You've got to play O.S.I. ! Office of Strategic Influence, never heard them on the Current, I con't know why. They're sort of dark guitar rock, very unique, but great sound. Album "Free" & song Free are one of the best
I know this is late, but I've been on hold on the current's phone for 30 min in the car & just got to a computer!
"Dreaming" by OMD
"Strange Magic"- ELO
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin is often SSLYBY in print. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, CYHSY.
O.S.I., Office of Strategic Influence
I've never heard them here, but they are a great guitar rock band that should be popular, but rarely gets played.
OK, I looked up acronym and I see what you mean. I thought you meant groups with initials that stand for something other than the abbreviation of the group's name. REM, MIA, AC/DC, etc. It seems that is the direction you're going. Thank you for helping me understand the English language just a little better.
Excellent choice of an R.E.M. song.
W.A.S.P. too funny, "Blind in Texas"
E.L.O- "Telephone Line"
Don't get too hung up on the Initialism/acronym debate. Language is fluid and things sometimes shift from category to category as usage changes. R.E.M. is definitely an initialism when pronounced letter by letter, but people use it as a word - in phrases like 'rem sleep' - which is use as an acronym. Similarly, some people treat ASAP as an initialism for 'as soon as possible,' while other people pronounce it as a word - "Ay-sap." For now, it exists in both categories, and only time will tell if it ends up being considered a word, the way 'laser' and 'jeep' are.
MC5!!!! Kick out the jams!
Woohoo! Thanks for the shot of CCR!
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