Conversation so far:
What are the origins of the band Neutral Milk Hotel?
Jeff Mangum, along with high-school friends Will Cullen Hart and Bill Doss, formed The Olivia Tremor Control, with Mangum appearing on their first release, the California Demise 7.
What was the first release of Neutral Milk Hotel?
The first release under the Neutral Milk Hotel moniker was the 1994 EP Everything Is, a short collection of tracks featuring Mangum.

Question: Did they have a different name when they started?
Self-contained rewrite: Did Neutral Milk Hotel have a different name when they started?