Japanese band Shonen Knife have been going for over forty years now and whilst I have been a fan for almost that time I am amazed that I have never mentioned them on these pages before. Whilst Naoko Yamano is the only member to be present throughout (and some may say “Trigger’s broom“) their consistent brand of infectious punk influenced pop and rock, not to mention live appearances, has been a part of my life’s soundtrack.
They have recently released their twentieth studio album Our Best Place on Australian label Valve Records. It’s full of tunes influenced by The Ramones and 1960s bands such as The Beatles or The Monkees. All with their own distinctive take of course, especially on their songs about food! There is even a cover of Pilot’s 1974 hit Just A Smile. Standout tracks for me are Spicy Veggie Curry, Girls Rock and the post-punk pop explosion on opener MUJINTO Rock.
You can order the physical formats from here whilst the digital version is available at Bandcamp.
Records I Like 