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North American fans of internationally renowned cult pop/punk band Shonen Knife will be happy to learn that starting Feb. 28 the band is launching its “Gokigen” (feeling good) tour of the U.S. and Canada. Over the years Shonen Knife have probably played more overseas gigs than just about any other Japanese act you can name, starting with a show in Los Angeles in 1989, which they followed up with a full-scale tour of the U.S. in 1991. They were Nirvana’s opening act on that band’s 1992 European tour (at the insistence of Kurt Cobain) and also played at the UK's famed Reading Festival the same year. Since then, Shonen Knife have played all over the world, and toured the U.S. a total of eight times, most recently in 2003.
The group was formed in Osaka in 1981, when three "office ladies" - sisters Naoko and Atsuko Yamano and their friend Michie Nakatani - decided they wanted to form their own band. Soon after getting together, they began recording for tiny local indie label Zero Records and playing live regularly. Shonen Knife’s ascent into super-cult stardom began soon after, with the band quickly picking up an international following by word of mouth and coverage in fanzines like Flipside.
After being anointed by such indie icons as John Peel, Sonic Youth, and L.A. DJ/scenemeister Rodney Bingenheimer (who has introduced them on stage, featured them on his show and offered to marry all of them), and having their music released by hip indie labels such as Sub Pop, K and Creation, Shonen Knife eventually signed with Virgin Records, on which they released their fifth album, Rock Animals, in 1994. At that time it was so unusual for Japanese bands to sign international deals that the news was featured on MTV and CNN.
Shonen Knife have traveled all over the world, sharing the stage with Joey Ramone, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Motorhead's Lemmy, and their music has been featured in movies, advertisements and TV shows. In 1996 their version of “Top of the World,” taken from If I Were a Carpenter, the brilliant Carpenters tribute album, was used in a worldwide Microsoft TV ad and as the closing theme in the movie The Last Supper.Over the years, Shonen Knife have also had their ups and downs with major labels. They recently parted ways with Warner Music Japan, which chose to focus on Japan and did not do an overseas release of their most recent album, Candy Rock, despite the band's international appeal.
Shonen Knife are now in the final stages of recording a new, self-produced and as yet-untitled album and hope to release it in Japan and the rest of the world this fall. In the meantime, U.S. indie label Oglio Records has reissued the band’s first four albums. Of those four albums, Burning Farm, originally released in Japan in 1983, was released on cassette in the U.S. by K Records in 1995. Yama No Attchan, originally released in 1984, was never released in the States. Pretty Little Baka Guy, originally released in 1986, was released in a somewhat different version on the now defunct Subversive Records in the same year. In 1990, Gasatanaka Records, which later changed its name to Giant and then Rockville (and which in 1989 released a Shonen Knife tribute album, Every Band Has a Shonen Knife Who Loves Them), released Shonen Knife, which combined tracks from Burning Farm and Yama No Attchan, plus some other early material. In 1991 Gasatanka also released a slightly different version of the album 712. All of these records have long been out of print, although they contain much of the band's most highly regarded material.
On their upcoming tour, Shonen Knife will be playing songs from throughout their career, as well as a few numbers from their new album, hopefully including “Anime Phenomenon” and “Spam”, which they have been playing live in Japan. The playful tour poster was created by acclaimed Portland, Ore., artist Tara McPherson, adding to a list of Shonen Knife visual collaborators that includes Nara Yoshimoto, Chip Wass and Frank Kozik.
Shonen Knife, by the way, has been a duo since original bassist Michie Nakatani retired from the band in March 1999, after which Atsuko moved from drums to bass, and began using female “support” drummers.
Nippop recently had a chance to catch up with Shonen Knife singer/guitarist Naoko Yamano. Here are some highlights of our conversation with her:
Nippop: You're famous for writing songs about food and animals. Do you enjoy cooking or have a pet?
Naoko: Yes, I enjoy cooking. I sometimes upload the photos of food which I cooked. I can cook very quickly. I don’t have a pet. No pets are allowed in my apartment, and since I travel a lot I can't take care of them anyway.
Nippop: How do you write songs? Mostly on guitar? Lyrics first or music?
Naoko: I use a computer and software when I write songs. Sometimes lyrics first and sometimes music first. But neither are complete when I start writing one song. I adjust both.
Nippop: You first toured North America in 1989, and have been back quite a few times since. Do you have any favorite cities?
Naoko: It’s hard to choose one. Every city has good part.
Nippop: You have a song called “My Favorite Town Osaka”. Besides being your hometown why do you like it so much?
Naoko: It’s easy to live in Osaka, especially around my neighbors. I like big cities, but Tokyo is too huge. Osaka is a good size for me. In Osaka there are many good friends, people are friendly, public transportation is good, prices are cheaper than Tokyo. One more reason... I have a poor sense of direction, so I need to live in a place I'm used to.
Nippop: Shonen Knife's tour is going to last over a month. Is there any Japanese food you're likely to miss during this long trip overseas?
Naoko: Takoyaki! (fried octopus balls)
Nippop: What is the most recent CD you've purchased?
Naoko: Earth, Wind & Fire's greatest hits album The Eternal Dance
Shonen Knife’s “Gokigen” tour kicks off February 28 at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago. The band will also appear on the 400th show of the Chicago based children’s TV show Chica-gogo.
2005 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
02/28 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
03/01 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre
03/02 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
03/03 - Rochester, NY - NY Bug Jar
03/04 - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
03/05 - New York, NY - Knitting Factory
03/07 - Washington, D.C. - Black Cat
03/08 - Philadelphia, PA - North Star
03/09 - Boston, MA - Middle East Upstairs
03/10 - Montreal, QUE - Petite Campus
03/11 - Ottawa, ONT - Babylon
03/12 - Toronto, ONT - Lee’s Palace
03/13 - Hamilton, ONT - Cork Town Tavern
03/16 - Fort Worth, TX - Wreck Room
03/17 - Dallas, TX - Granada
03/18 - Austin, TX - Elysium (SXSW)
03/19 - Oklahoma City, OK - Green Door
03/21 - Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad
03/22 - Tucson, AZ - Plush Club
03/23 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
03/24 - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Theatre
03/25 - Los Angeles, CA - Spaceland
03/26 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
03/27 - San Jose, CA - Blank Club
04/01 - Vancouver, BC - Brickyard
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