Blackout Party doesn't need the lights on.

Among the 3600 or so San Diego band names we’ve chronicled over the years, certain key phrases seem most popular. Some are understandable, like 19 with “west” in their names (look at our locale) and 41 with “blue” (in a city full of blues performers and clubs).

But it’s anyone’s guess why the sunniest city in California has had at least 22 bands with the word “black” in their name, including Back 2 Black, Band in Black, Black Ambulance, Black Belt Jones Band, Blackfeet Braves, Black Heart Procession, Blackheart Warriors Hi-Fi, Black Hondo, Black Mamba, Black Market III, Black Mikey, Blackout Party, Black Patterns, Black Resume, Black Sands, Black Swans, Blacktop Royalty, DJ Black Truth & Ethik, Eve White Eve Black, Jason Blackmore, Poetic Black, and Return of Mr. Blackshirt.

Diana Death makes death look pretty damn good!

Twenty-four sport “dead” or “death” in their names: Dead Animal Mod, Dead as Dillinger, Deadbolt, Dead City Outbreak, Dead Engines, Dead Feather Moon, Dead Ghosts, Deadly Birds, Dead Man's Party, Dead Record, Dead Rock West, Dead Serial Killers, Left4Dead, Little Deadman, Wanted Dead, Death Crisis, Death from a Distance, Death of Desire, Death Valley Pizza, Diana Death, Get Your Death On, Love Sex Death, Pony Death Ride, and Revenge Death Ball.

Sixteen bands claim to be “big”: Big Bad Buffalo, Bigfellas, BigFins, Big Mountain, Big Provider, Big Rig Deluxe, Big Thank You, Big Time Operator, Big Toe, Coronado Big Band, Ira B. Liss Big Band Jazz Machine, Jazz Project Big Band, Mirage Big Band Orchestra, Nick Bone and the Big Scene, Sensational Big M.R. and His All-Bitchin' All-Stud All-Stars, and Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver.

Judging from those lightbulbs over their heads, Red Not Chili Peppers just had a good idea.

Fourteen local groups would rather be “red”: Etched in Red, Lead Burns Red, Mama Red, Red Circle Underground, Red Fish Blue Fish, Red Flag, Red Fox Tails, Red Headed Stranger, Red Llama Dog, Red Lotus Review, Red Not Chili Peppers, Red Pony Clock, Red Wizard, and Ruby & the Red Hots.

Twelve think they’re “hot”: Hot Club of Cowtown, Hot Like a Robot, Hot Moon, Hot Nerds, Hot Rod Harris, Hot Rod Lincoln, Hot Snakes, Hott Mess, Raggle Taggle’s Le Jazz Hot, Ruby & the Red Hots, Tori Roze & the Hot Mess, and Yale Strom and Hot P’Stromi.

Ten others are getting “mad”: Mad Cow Disease, Madd Joker, Mad for Mary, Mad Habit, Mad Juana, Madman, Mad Martigan, Mad Mummues, Mad Traffic, and Midget Madness.

Nine others brag of being “young”: San Diego Young Artists Symphony, Young Gee, Young Goodman, Young Jawz, Young Lyxx, Young Mass, Young Massacre, Young N' Dangerous, and Young Sicc.

Finally, eight local bands feel “dirty”: Dirtbag Surfers, Dirtee Khemicals, Dirty Birdz & the Horn Starz, Dirty Drums, Dirty Gold, Dirty Modelo, Dirty Sirens, and Dirty Sweet.

So, do you know or have a band that you’d like to see included in the Local Music Database? To add or edit a page, begin at Band Page Edits.