Shonen Knife is an all-female Japanese pop-punk band which has been performing and recording music for 30 years. Shonen Knife was formed in Osaka, Japan in 1981 by Naoko Yamano, Atsuko Yamano, and Michie Nakatani. While they share similarities with and were influenced by other punk bands, especially The Ramones, Shonen Knife was different...More
Shonen Knife is an all-female Japanese pop-punk band which has been performing and recording music for 30 years. Shonen Knife was formed in Osaka, Japan in 1981 by Naoko Yamano, Atsuko Yamano, and Michie Nakatani. While they share similarities with and were influenced by other punk bands, especially The Ramones, Shonen Knife was different from their punk peers with their silly, lighthearted lyrics and coordinated outfits.
After a series of cassette-only releases in Japan, the band caught the attention of US audiences when they appeared on the Sub Pop 100 compilation in 1986 and again in 1989 when a compilation was released called Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them featuring bands like L7, Sonic Youth, Redd Kross, and Babes in Toyland covering Shonen Knife songs. During the early to mid-'90s the band maintained a busy touring schedule across the US and UK, which included opening for Nirvana and playing at the Lollapalooza and Reading festivals.
Shonen Knife has recorded 17 albums to date including their early cassette-only releases, 1993's Let's Knife (Capitol), and their latest, 2010's Free Time (Good Charamel Records). Although the lineup has changed over the years, Naoko Yamano, Ritsuko Taneda, and Emi Morimoto continue to make catchy, carefree, pop-punk with the same energetic approach Shonen Knife has used for the last 30 years.
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