Amidst the bustling chaos of 6th Street at South-By-Southwest, some bands will do anything to stand out from the thousands of other self-proclaimed “quirky” acts vying for the attention of audiophiles, free taco aficionados, and music journalists. And since no one has time to go through every single bandcamp page of the festival’s official artists, sometimes a messed up name can do all the attention grabbing for you. After surveying this year’s SXSW roster, we’ve selected the most WTF band names performing in Austin this year -- because nothing screams fun like telling your grandmother you're off to Saxon Pub to see Grandpa Death Experience.
Guantanamo Baywatch
Considering the politically incorrect humor of their name, retro-surf isn’t what you’d expect from a band called Guantanamo Baywatch. The Portland, Oregon, band dabbles in the art of controversy (see: their topless dino-woman logo and album released via Suicide Squeeze Records) but keep their sound classic. The beach bums’ interests sum up their tunes the best: “Babez hunkz bikez oldiez Hawaii.”
See them: Hotel Vegas Annex, March 18, midnight