Pitchfork

Since the events of September 11th, some incredibly important aspects of our world have changed. In addition, the extent of the transformation was such that some incredibly inconsequential items have been affected as well. Hollywood has struggled to decide whether to cut the twin towers from its shots of New York, comedians of all stripes wonder if audiences will appreciate irony, and geometry teachers everywhere grapple with the Pentagon lesson. Add to this list a sudden rethinking of that most irrelevant of topics: indie rock band names. The Kindercore group I Am the World Trade Center were the most obviously affected, and have responded quickly in changing their name, at least for the time being, to "I Am the World." Theirs was a clear-cut example of a name that has an entirely different meaning now.

Another band whose name has been newly contextualized, albeit less obviously, is J. Robbins's post-punk band, Burning Airlines. On tour on the west coast when the attacks occurred, the band immediately felt the newfound sensitivity to a name that now evokes the horrifying deaths of thousands. Certain marquees displayed only "B. Airlines," and posters with the band's full name often prompted disbelieving looks. Robbins recounts the experiences of this tour on the band's website, disclosing that he is "still mulling over a name change, but I don't know if the rest of Burning Airlines are at all... I loved this band name when we came up with it, but whatever it's worth to me, it's worth a lot more to show some respect for the gravity of what happened."