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troperville

"...take a really cool word but then spell it all wrong. You know like... "Lazor", or "Bigg Nife", or something like "Taranchula", or maybe like "Limozeen"..."

—Strong Bad in sbemail #16, "band names"

Sometimes musicians like to make their band's name oddly spelled for one main reason: It's cool.

A combination of Xtreme Kool Letterz, often Funetik Aksent and My Nayme Is, and bonus points if they have a Heävy Mëtal Ümlaut. This type of band name is usually associated with music movements like Glam Metal and the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, but can be used with any type of rock music (and probably any kind of music at all).

Subtrope of Xtreme Kool Letterz and My Nayme Is when applied to music.

Examples:

Music

The Beatles, playing with "beat", is probably the Ur Example.
- John Lennon would irreverently explain the band's name thusly:
Lennon: One day a man on a flaming pie came down and said to us "From now on you are Beatles with an 'a'". We said "Thank you, Mr. Man."
The Byrds
Led Zeppelin, probably the Trope Maker and/or Codifier. Originally meant so that "thick Americans" wouldn't mispronounce "lead".
Def Leppard
Stryper
Megadeth
The Monkees (a pop rock example)
- And Gorillaz got their name from the Monkees.
Mötley Crüe
Lynyrd Skynyrd. Leonard Skinner was a gym teacher at the band members' high school who informed them that they would never amount to anything.
- Suthrn Cuzn, a Clubbo Records parody of Lynyrd Skynyrd
Limp Bizkit
KoRn
Polysics (named after their first keyboard, misspelled to avoid copyright)
The Dukes of Stratosphear (XTC's psychedelic alter-egos)
Scaterd Few
Linkin Park
The animated band Prozzäk.
Caramell, the band responsible for the song behind a certain animation meme. The Swedish word is properly spelled "karamell".
Rammstein: the German city with the air base's name is spelled with only one M.
Split Enz: They originally averted the trope (as Split Ends), but later changed the spelling to honor their home country of New Zealand.
Gorillaz
Green Jellÿ, with an umlaut over the Y. Originally they were "Green Jellö", but had to change it for trademark reasons; they claim a Y with an umlaut is pronounced like an O.
The Kovenant: They were called Covenant at first until sued by another band with the same name.
Hurriganes
The Cyrkle ("Red Rubber Ball"). John Lennon gave them the suggestion to spell their name that way.
Jackyl
Basement Jaxx
brokeNCYDE
Eazy-E
The Insyderz (Christian rock/ska example)
Kutless (another Christian Rock example - derived from "cut less", not the naval sword)
German example: the band Böhse Onkelz's name should be spelled "Böse Onkels."
Relient K (based on a slogan for the K Car one of the band members drove, making this another example of Writing Around Trademarks)
Bon Iver ("bon hiver" is French for "good winter")
Gotye (a phonetic spelling of "Gauthier", the French equivalent of the singer's given name, "Wouter", which is the Dutch equivalent of "Walter")
Templeton Pek. Exactly.
Red Sparowes. The spelling seems like a parody of The Black Crowes, a more well-known rock/blues band.
Phish: Though they've given other origin stories, the most commonly accepted one is that it's just a misspelled variation on a nickname for their drummer, Jon Fishman.
Hanzel und Gretyl
Redd Kross originally averted this, but had to change when the real Red Cross objected.

Film

Wyld Stallyns (*air guitar*) from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.
The Oneders/Wonders from That Thing You Do.
Mark from Empire Records wants to call his band... Marc.
Dethdestro from Star Wreck 5: Lost Contact.

Literature

In the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Rodrick plays in a band called Löded Diper.
- Greg points out that, even though everyone assumes Roderick spelled it that way to make it look cool, it's highly possible that he just doesn't know the real spelling.
InKline Plain, Stuart Kline's band, in War for the Oaks. Eddi, the protagonist is a member at the beginning of the novel. It's described as "the most misspelled band in Minneapolis".
In the Wolves Of Mercy Falls Series, narrator Cole St. Clair is a member of NARKOTIKA. wordofgod states that it's in all caps, because "IT'S LOUDER THAT WAY."

Live-Action TV

Mystery Science Theater 3000 had "Spydor" (in Earth vs. The Spider), "Hee-La" (in The Giant Gila Monster) and "Santa Claws" (in Santa Claus).

Video Games

Brutal Legend had the Kabbage Boy. And Ironheade, though it was less of a band and more of a band-styled army.

Web Animation

Limozeen, Taranchula, etc. from Homestar Runner.

Webcomics

Djörk from PvP.

Western Animation

Love Händel, the Fake Band from Phineas And Ferb.
Mystik Spiral from Daria.
Trent: Would it help if we spelled "mystik" with two y's?
Daria: (thinking) And I'll spell my name D-A-R-Y-A, and be crowned Miss America.
Daria: (aloud) It might.
Dethklok from Metalocalypse.