They've talked about this for a while. And now's the time.

From The Family's blog:

Hi Everybody,

This is big news for us, as well as being a little scary. We are ready to bite the bullet and change our band name completely. Starting all over again. Unheard of for many reasons, especially since we have fans going way back, but we need to do it for so many more reasons.

We’ve been bantering about ideas for months but thought it would be a cool idea to open it up to all of you! Have you got any thoughts or do you have that perfect band name you’ve been coveting? Time to tell the world? Come on, share share!

We’re thinking along the lines of a cool old french film… Hollywood’s classic film noir! You guys can probably tell from the music and pictures we’ve been posting what direction we’re leaning in.

We’re serious. We mean, really really serious. Please submit suggestions that we can consider. Who knows….maybe one of you out there will name this band! Think of the glory, and the album credits oh my!

E-mail is your band name suggestion to family2point0[at]gmail.com

All our love,
"The ?"
Paul, Susannah, Eric, Jellybean
Los Angeles, CA

i hope this didn't come as a result of paul's conversation with "an old mentor".

i don't like the idea of them having to change their whole brand/identity, though if it saves them legal hassle, i guess it doesn't really matter. the fans will follow them even if they're called "aunt bertha's pannyhose".

ernestsewell said:

"The ?" is Perfect because it adds a certain buzz and poses the question WTF? I think that works it sounds gimmickish I know but its so crazy It'll work

Anxiety said:

It didn't. It came from a long while back when the band got back together and started working on music. Prince was contacted, and he refused to let them use the name. That's why they've temporarily used The Family 2.0 through the recording process. But even on the live Q&A cam chats, they said they were going to eventually have to consider a new name.

IAintTheOne said:

They won't do that. It certainly doesn't lend to the film noir look they've been using in their recent photographs from Steve Parke and Doyle Bramhall.

La Famille - "The Family" in French.

There you have it!

Better yet! - they should call themselves "Mutiny" because they are taking over!

mu·ti·ny (mytn-)
n. pl. mu·ti·nies
Open rebellion against constituted authority, especially against superior officers and PRINCE!
intr.v. mu·ti·nied, mu·ti·ny·ing, mu·ti·nies

tricky2 said:

I like that.

Noir, huh...?

Anxiety said:

This is probably a part of what Jellybeen was talking about the SPIN magazine interview calling Prince a punk ass about his continued control issues

I think the group are wise to change their name. To be honest I never really liked the name of the the band, I mean, none of them are related to each other, so they are not 'The Family'. I just don't think that it was the best name 4 them. For example, The Time, Vanity 6 and Apollonia 6, were great names that really caught your attention. I going to have to rack my brains to think of a new and cool name.

"aunt bertha's pannyhose"

I like it!

lets make it so! people!

lipstick said:

No one in Charles Manson's "Family" were related either.

squirrelgrease said:

or Sly's band?

Genesia said:

Not Nephilia either it's copyrighted

I see it fitting and fair that Prince keep, “Vanity Six“, “Madhouse“, “The Family“, “The Time” and all his other creations to himself, and not have them contaminated by something outside his influence.
Good luck to The Family, whatever name the choose, I will pick up a copy and give them a listen.

ernestsewell said:

Ugot2shakesumthin said:

yeah- then he can contaminate them himself.

Zannaloaf said:

Exactly!
For all intents and purposes, all those acts were an extension of his own art.
If he does not want his signature product used by them, and they want to go ahead anyway and create their own art, let them sign it with their own name.
Both names will have more meaning; to us , and to them
[Edited 7/12/09 14:26pm]

tricky2 said:

There was another funk band called mutiny

squirrelgrease said:

None of the Doobie Brothers were brothers, nor did any of them have "Doobie" for a last name.

Fact!

RodeoSchro said:

And the Doobie Brothers original name was going to be Pud. Also a fact.

purplemansionFL said:

YEP.....FEATURING PARLAIMENT DRUMMER JEROME BRAILEY, AFTER HE LEFT P-FUNK!!!

ALL BULLSH*T ASIDE.....
THERE WAS A ROCK BAND IN THE 60'S CALLED "FAMILY" B4 SONNY T.'S BAND THAT P "JERKED" THE NAME FROM!!!!!
I SAY.....CALL THE BAND "SUSANNAH'S PAJAMAS"!!!!!

.....OR "WE ARE FAMILY"!!!!!

OR:
1)L.P.A.
2)NAPOLEON COMPLEXXX
3)ALL THE WAY VOGUE
4)HI-FASHION

woogiebear said:

Why recycle some old ass song lyric????? Yeesh.

ernestsewell said:

agreed.

i like the idea of going with a classic french film/art deco kind of vibe for their new name. it goes with the vibe and the persona of their first album, which - who knows - may be closer to what they're about than the name "the family".

Magnolia