Shonen Knife
Shonen Knife is a Japanese pop-punk band formed in Osaka in 1981. Influenced by 1960s girl groups, pop bands, the Beach Boys, and early punk rock bands such as the Ramones, the band crafts stripped-down songs with simple yet unconventional lyrics sung both in Japanese and English.
Shonen Knife 少年ナイフ | |
|---|---|
Members of Shonen Knife pictured in 2008 (L-R: Atsuko Yamano, Naoko Yamano, Etsuko Nakanishi) | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Osaka, Japan |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1981–present |
| Labels | |
| Members | Naoko Yamano Atsuko Yamano Risa Kawano |
| Past members | Michie Nakatani Mana Nishiura Etsuko Nakanishi Naru Ishizuka Emi Morimoto Ritsuko Taneda |
| Website | www |
The band has been credited with making "the international pop underground more international" by "opening it up to bands from Japan". They have also performed as a Ramones tribute band under the name the Osaka Ramones. Guitarist/singer Naoko Yamano is the only member to have remained with the band for its entire history; her sister Atsuko Yamano was a founding member and, after a long hiatus, returned to the band in 2016. They have released 22 studio albums; their most recent album Our Best Place was released in February 2023.
In the words of the Boston Globe, "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 alternative rock/pop punk trio Shonen Knife is still singing songs about cookies, sushi, jelly beans, and, of course, banana chips."