We got the F-bomb
Decider’s guide to “fuck” band names
The F-bomb: Once the word was so taboo, slipping it into song lyrics was controversial and even dangerous. But in 2009 the music world is far more tolerant (or simply desensitized). Today there’s a whole generation of music acts brazenly adopting the big F in their names. In honor of Fucked Up's show tonight at The Borg Ward, Decider wraps up some of the more notable groups whose fucking names just might offend your grandparents… a little bit, anyway.
Band: Fuck
Launched from: Oakland, Calif.
Years active: 1993-present
Beyond the bomb: Being the first sizeable band to stake a claim on the ultimate four-letter band name, you’d expect Fuck to be a bunch of metalheads or punks. Think again. Fuck’s more interested in playing melodic, melancholy indie rock than in sticking it to the man—despite the inherent commercial suicide of having such an FCC-unfriendly name.
Fucking fun fact: Legend has it the band members met in a holding cell after being collared at a particularly rowdy party.
Launched from: Oakland, Calif.
Years active: 1993-present
Beyond the bomb: Being the first sizeable band to stake a claim on the ultimate four-letter band name, you’d expect Fuck to be a bunch of metalheads or punks. Think again. Fuck’s more interested in playing melodic, melancholy indie rock than in sticking it to the man—despite the inherent commercial suicide of having such an FCC-unfriendly name.
Fucking fun fact: Legend has it the band members met in a holding cell after being collared at a particularly rowdy party.
Band: Fucked Up
Launched from: Toronto, Ontario
Years active: 2001-present
Beyond the bomb: Wielding everything from strings to electronics, Fucked Up is out do more than offend. The group’s most recent album, last year’s The Chemistry Of Common Life, is loud enough to justify the naughty name, but Fucked Up is restless and intelligent enough to prove that progressive hardcore didn’t die out with The Refused.
Fucking fun fact: The members of the group have fucked up MTV Canada’s studios on two occasions: first destroying a sound stage, later performing in the men’s room.
Launched from: Toronto, Ontario
Years active: 2001-present
Beyond the bomb: Wielding everything from strings to electronics, Fucked Up is out do more than offend. The group’s most recent album, last year’s The Chemistry Of Common Life, is loud enough to justify the naughty name, but Fucked Up is restless and intelligent enough to prove that progressive hardcore didn’t die out with The Refused.
Fucking fun fact: The members of the group have fucked up MTV Canada’s studios on two occasions: first destroying a sound stage, later performing in the men’s room.
Band: Hate Fuck Trio
Launched from: Denver, Colo.
Years active: 1995-2002
Beyond the bomb: Colorado’s misnamed Hate Fuck Trio was interested in booze, pot, and skate-punk’s snotty humor, not carnal violence. With a catalog that bounced between the lighter side of black-market organ sales and obscenity-laden covers of Frank Sinatra songs, the Trio channeled the snotty spirit of NOFX while reveling in sloppy sonic nihilism.
Fucking fun fact: In an effort to top the Trio’s cringe-worthy name, singer-bassist Jon DeStefano dubbed his latest act Chewbacca Bukkake. Mission accomplished.
Launched from: Denver, Colo.
Years active: 1995-2002
Beyond the bomb: Colorado’s misnamed Hate Fuck Trio was interested in booze, pot, and skate-punk’s snotty humor, not carnal violence. With a catalog that bounced between the lighter side of black-market organ sales and obscenity-laden covers of Frank Sinatra songs, the Trio channeled the snotty spirit of NOFX while reveling in sloppy sonic nihilism.
Fucking fun fact: In an effort to top the Trio’s cringe-worthy name, singer-bassist Jon DeStefano dubbed his latest act Chewbacca Bukkake. Mission accomplished.
Band: Holy Fuck
Launched from: Toronto, Ontario
Years active: 2004-present
Beyond the bomb: Rather than using cutting-edge technology, Holy Fuck salvages vintage equipment to craft its music—a mix of nostalgic synth-pop and lo-fi indie-rock. It’s not, however, spectacular enough to elicit an actual shout of “Holy fuck”—maybe more like, “Hey, I suppose this is pretty okay.”
Fucking fun fact: For reasons still hard to understand, celebrity chef Rachael Ray hosted a party at last year’s South By Southwest music festival. Even stranger, she personally invited Holy Fuck to play at it—a move that managed to piss off music fans and stay-at-home moms alike.
Launched from: Toronto, Ontario
Years active: 2004-present
Beyond the bomb: Rather than using cutting-edge technology, Holy Fuck salvages vintage equipment to craft its music—a mix of nostalgic synth-pop and lo-fi indie-rock. It’s not, however, spectacular enough to elicit an actual shout of “Holy fuck”—maybe more like, “Hey, I suppose this is pretty okay.”
Fucking fun fact: For reasons still hard to understand, celebrity chef Rachael Ray hosted a party at last year’s South By Southwest music festival. Even stranger, she personally invited Holy Fuck to play at it—a move that managed to piss off music fans and stay-at-home moms alike.
Band: The Scumfucs
Launched from: Somewhere in the sewers of New England
Years active: 1982-1985
Beyond the bomb: Thanks to the wonders of technology, the world is only a few mouse clicks away from soul-scarring smut. Before the Internet, though, people had to go to a GG Allin concert. The late punk frontman wasn’t known for his music as much as for his antics, like getting naked and crapping on stage. If audiences were lucky, he ate it; if not, he threw it at them. The Scumfucs were one of Allin’s early backing bands, helping him to squeeze out 1984’s notorious Eat My Fuck.
Fucking fun fact: A rare sense of propriety might have led Allin to retitle the Scumfucs’ album E.M.F. and credit it to his name only when it was reissued.
Launched from: Somewhere in the sewers of New England
Years active: 1982-1985
Beyond the bomb: Thanks to the wonders of technology, the world is only a few mouse clicks away from soul-scarring smut. Before the Internet, though, people had to go to a GG Allin concert. The late punk frontman wasn’t known for his music as much as for his antics, like getting naked and crapping on stage. If audiences were lucky, he ate it; if not, he threw it at them. The Scumfucs were one of Allin’s early backing bands, helping him to squeeze out 1984’s notorious Eat My Fuck.
Fucking fun fact: A rare sense of propriety might have led Allin to retitle the Scumfucs’ album E.M.F. and credit it to his name only when it was reissued.
Band: The Fucking Champs
Launched from: San Francisco, Calif.
Years active: 1995-present
Beyond the bomb: When indie-rockers want to indulge their love of heavy metal, it’s usually from behind a shield of irony. But with The Fucking Champs, cool kids don’t have to pretend. The band’s virtuosity is enough to make a guitar-shop clerk weep with envy, while its epic riffs could out-muscle Megadeth and Metallica combined. And The Champs do it without sounding the least bit moronic.
Fucking fun fact: The group’s mastermind, Tim Green, was once a member of Washington, D.C.’s legendary screamo prototype Nation Of Ulysses.
Launched from: San Francisco, Calif.
Years active: 1995-present
Beyond the bomb: When indie-rockers want to indulge their love of heavy metal, it’s usually from behind a shield of irony. But with The Fucking Champs, cool kids don’t have to pretend. The band’s virtuosity is enough to make a guitar-shop clerk weep with envy, while its epic riffs could out-muscle Megadeth and Metallica combined. And The Champs do it without sounding the least bit moronic.
Fucking fun fact: The group’s mastermind, Tim Green, was once a member of Washington, D.C.’s legendary screamo prototype Nation Of Ulysses.
Band: Fuckemos
Launched from: Austin, Texas
Years active: 1992-2000
Beyond the bomb: Fuckemos frontman Russell Porter employs a pitch-shifter to drop his vocals down so many octaves, he sounds like a robot overdosing on Valium. The result is a one-way ticket into a noisy, psychedelic metal carnival.
Fucking fun fact: No, Fuckemos didn’t name itself after those guyliner-wearing, tight-pantsed kids. The moniker was inspired by a fight one night with bouncers at the famed Emo’s nightclub in Austin.
Launched from: Austin, Texas
Years active: 1992-2000
Beyond the bomb: Fuckemos frontman Russell Porter employs a pitch-shifter to drop his vocals down so many octaves, he sounds like a robot overdosing on Valium. The result is a one-way ticket into a noisy, psychedelic metal carnival.
Fucking fun fact: No, Fuckemos didn’t name itself after those guyliner-wearing, tight-pantsed kids. The moniker was inspired by a fight one night with bouncers at the famed Emo’s nightclub in Austin.
