4 Weird Album Names From the 2000s (And What They Actually Mean)

Weird album names aren’t exactly rare, and they’re actually pretty smart when you think about it. What better way to draw attention to your music than to give it a very odd name? These four albums from the 2000s, in particular, were very admirable works that just happened to have very weird names. Let’s break down these albums and what those bizarre titles actually mean! Though, it’s worth noting that the meanings behind a few of these records are up to interpretation.

1. ‘Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots’ by The Flaming Lips (2002)

This fan-favorite 2002 album from The Flaming Lips paints a pretty clear picture of a concept album. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots is not technically a concept album, though, according to the band. However, the first few tracks of the record do tell the story of a Japanese warrior called Yoshimi who does, in fact, battle pink robots.

This title is actually a metaphor for the dangers that one must face (especially as a young woman) in the digital age.

2. ‘He Poos Clouds’ by Final Fantasy (2006)

A solid album with a pretty comical name, He Poos Clouds by Final Fantasy a.k.a. talented multi-instrumentalist Owen Pallett is an excellent piece of work in baroque pop. This concept album features songs named after various types of magic schools in the famed role-playing tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons.

But, what about this particular example of weird album names? What does it mean? It’s not abundantly clear what “He Poos Clouds” means, though it appears that it could be a reference to the very theme of the album: Fantasy stories and “illusions”.

3. ‘Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?’ by Of Montreal (2007)

Indie pop outfit Of Montreal have never been strangers to oddities and surreal spectacles, and the title of this 2007 album is an example of that. Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? is a fascinating name for a fascinating album, complete with Kevin Barnes’ David Bowie-esque alter-ego Georgie Fruit. 

There’s no direct explanation for the title that we know of. However, if you pick apart each word’s meaning, it’s a pretty clear reference to dangerous animals (fauna). That reference could have a deeper meaning related to Barnes’ relationship issues at the time of the album’s production.

4. ‘Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fungus’ by Omar Rodríguez-López (2008)

There are a few pretty weird album names on this list, but Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fungus is quite the fun play on words. This 2008 alt-rock album from guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López (best known for The Mars Volta) is a real treat, but its title’s true meaning and origin is still quite a mystery.

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