Shonen Knife
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Shonen Knife | ||
|---|---|---|
| Background information | ||
| Origin | Japan | |
| Genre(s) | J-Rock / Punk | |
| Years active | 1981–Present | |
| Members | ||
| Naoko Yamano (vocals and electric guitar) Atsuko Yamano (bass) Etsuko Nakanishi (drums) |
||
| Former members | ||
| Michie Nakatani & Mana Nishiura | ||
The all-female musical band Shonen Knife (少年ナイフ, Shōnen Naifu; lit. "Boy knife") is a Japanese alternative rock trio that has found some success in the United States, counting among their fans Sonic Youth, Nirvana, and Redd Kross. They cite as their main influences 1960s girl groups and punk rock such as The Ramones. They have also performed as a Ramones tribute band under the name The Osaka Ramones.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
Theoretically, any band that writes songs with lyrics such as "Banana chips for you!/Banana chips for me!/ In the afternoon, banana chips and tea" should have a life span no longer than that of a grasshopper. But something oddly spellbinding occurs when deceivingly silly lyrics are sandwiched between a buoyant guitar and a rapid-fire, pop-punk drum kit. Which perhaps explains why the Japanese female rock duo Shonen Knife is still singing songs about cookies, sushi, jelly beans, and, of course, banana chips, nearly 25 years after its inception. - The Boston Globe[1]
Shonen Knife formed in December 1981 with sisters Naoko Yamano (vocals and guitar) and Atsuko Yamano (drums) and their friend Michie Nakatani (vocals and bass). Michie Nakatani left the band in December 1999, with Atsuko Yamano moving to bass. Mana Nishiura joined to take over on drums. Nishiura played her first live show with the band in May 2001; she left in 2004. She was killed in a New Jersey highway accident November 4, 2005 while touring the U.S. with DMBQ.[2][3]
The group has subsequently used a series of temporary drummers, most recently Etsuko "Ettchan" Nakanishi (who has now been named as the official, permanent drummer). On July 8, 2006 bassist Atsuko has announced that, due to her marriage and subsequent move to Los Angeles, she has retired from Shonen Knife and the band will be looking to replace her, on bass. [2][4]
Many alternative rock groups have cited Shonen Knife as a favorite of theirs, and the resulting word-of-mouth gained significant exposure for the band. They were also featured on CNN's This Week in Japan. In 1989, Gasatanka Records released a double-album tribute entitled Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them, which featured renditions of the group's songs by a number of contributing bands, including Redd Kross, Sonic Youth, L7, The Mr. T Experience, and Babes in Toyland (the last two on non-CD formats only). The tribute album's success led to Shonen Knife's first American tour in 1990, and group later signed with Virgin Records in 1992.
The group had a song called "Buttercup (I'm a Supergirl)" that appeared on a Powerpuff Girls soundtrack. A Shonen Knife cover of the Carpenters' hit "Top of the World" was used in the 1998 remake of "The Parent Trap", a US television commercial and as the ending song for the movie "The Last Supper".
[edit] Trivia
Kurt Cobain often spoke of his admiration for Shonen Knife. The band opened for Nirvana at six concerts in December 1993.
[edit] Discography
- Early material
- (1983) Burning Farm - mostly rerecorded on Let's Knife
- (1984) Yama-no Attchan - mostly rerecorded on Let's Knife
- (1986) Pretty Little Baka Guy — half were rereleased on Let's Knife
- (1990) Shonen Knife - compilation of the two 1980s album
- Main albums
| # | Cover | Information |
|---|---|---|
| 1st / Debut Album |
 |
712
|
| 2nd |
 |
Let's Knife
|
| 3rd |
 |
Rock Animals
|
| 4th |
 |
Brand New Knife
|
| 5th |
 |
Happy Hour
|
| 6th |
 |
Strawberry Sound
|
| 7th |
 |
Heavy Songs
|
| 8th |
 |
Candy Rock
|
| 9th |
 |
Genki Shock!
|
- Other
- (1987) Cycling is Fun - Compilation on Flipside Fanzine vol. 3
- (1991) We Are Very Happy You Came - live mini-album
- (1994) Knife Collectors - fanclub-only CD single packed with fanzine and button
- (1996) The Birds & The B-Sides - collection of B-sides and variants
- (1999) All I Want For Christmas - 3-track Christmas mini-album
- (1999) Ultra Mix - compilation of remixes
- (2000) Millennium Edition - compilation of material from 1996-1999 plus three unreleased versions of songs from Strawberry Sound
- (2006) Live In Osaka - The first completely live album by Shonen Knife
- (2006) Universal Hits-Golden Beat - Two-disk compilation
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2005/03/09/shonen_knife_makes_its_point_with_positive_punk/[] "Shonen Knife makes its point with positive punk" by Christopher Muther, ;;Boston Globe, March 9, 2005
- ^ a b
- ^ [1] Punk News
- ^ [2] Shonen Knife Site
[edit] External links
- Official Japanese Site
- ShonenKnife.net/e/ Official English Site
- Shonen Knife at "Keepin' It Peel
- ShonenKnife.com Shonen Knife Nexus (fansite)
- A profile of Shonen Knife at Nippop
- Discography of Shonen Knife at AMG
- Products @ At A Glance
| Shonen Knife |
|---|
| Members: Naoko Yamano | Atsuko Yamano | Etsuko Nakanishi |
| Former members: Mana Nishiura | Michie Nakatani |
| Record Label: Zero Communications | Gasatanka | Glue Factory | Virgin Records | Big Deal Records | Burning Farm Records |
| Discography |
| Albums: 712 | Let's Knife | Rock Animals | Brand New Knife | Happy Hour | Strawberry Sound | Heavy Songs | Candy Rock | Genki Shock! |
| Early Material: Burning Farm | Yama-no Attchan | Pretty Little Baka Guy | Shonen Knife |
| Other: We Are Very Happy You Came | Knife Collectors | The Birds & The B-Sides | All I Want For Christmas | Ultra Mix | Millennium Edition | Live In Osaka | Universal Hits-Golden Beat |
