Eldergays: Tell Me About Shonen Knife
A Japanese all-girl punk band who played Ramones songs, Japanese punk songs and songs with cutesy lyrics about ice cream and candy?
Kurt Cobain loved them and had them open for Nirvana.
And their most famous song is their cover of DL face Carpenters "Top Of The World"
Were they supposed to be camp? Cool? A little of both?
Were they well known outside of music nerds? Did they ever get radio play beyond the "alternative" stations of the 80s and 90s?
Were Madonna and Cher-loving eldergays even aware of their existence?
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 29 | April 13, 2021 8:23 PM
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They have a song called Redd Kross about the band Redd Kross that's pretty good. The band Redd Kross is good too
by Anonymous | reply 2 | April 13, 2021 12:28 AM
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They were great - saw them live once. They were pretty damn niche however - most people just wouldn’t get them.
by Anonymous | reply 3 | April 13, 2021 12:34 AM
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Loved them, as well as the 5-6-7-8s.
I've never heard either of them played at a gay bar. Ever.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 4 | April 13, 2021 1:47 AM
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They aren’t a band that would attract a lot of gay fans, and I wouldn’t expect many “eldergays” (eye roll) on DL to know about them.
by Anonymous | reply 5 | April 13, 2021 1:48 AM
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OP, the answer to all of your questions is No.
by Anonymous | reply 6 | April 13, 2021 3:24 AM
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A group of friends were obsessed with them in college. I can't count the number of times I played their Carpenters cover. As others have said, they weren't many people's cup of tea. Saw them live once and had a blast.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 7 | April 13, 2021 3:43 AM
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I loved them and was actually thinking of them recently. I wonder what they’re up to now?
by Anonymous | reply 8 | April 13, 2021 3:54 AM
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They're still going -- the put out an album and toured in the US ande Europe just pre-covid.
by Anonymous | reply 9 | April 13, 2021 3:59 AM
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Was really into them a long time ago, had their album "Let's Knife!"
by Anonymous | reply 11 | April 13, 2021 5:33 AM
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I only knew about them because their song was in The Broken Hearts Club movie.
by Anonymous | reply 12 | April 13, 2021 6:33 AM
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Super Junky Monkey are better. Foot-stomping hip-hop punkcore with attitude.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 14 | April 13, 2021 7:57 AM
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Your typical Top 40 hits of the 80s elder gay is probably oblivious to them but there are plenty of us more savvy music fans of the era who are aware of them and like them very much.
by Anonymous | reply 15 | April 13, 2021 8:05 AM
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Not elder but I did discover them recently when I heard Top of the world on a streaming site and sought out their music.
by Anonymous | reply 16 | April 13, 2021 8:26 AM
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I know them and haven’t thought of them in 25yrs. Tells you something.
by Anonymous | reply 17 | April 13, 2021 8:33 AM
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They still tour! I have tickets to see them in October in the UK, assuming things are still safe by then.
They are an oddity in that sometimes it seems like I am their only fan and yet other times it seems like they are everywhere. I would have anyone with a general understanding of underground music will probably have heard of them.
In addition to Top of the World, they also did a song for the Powerpuff Girls which many remember from Cartoon Network commercials.
Their songs Music Square, Tomato Head and Quavers are among my favorites.
by Anonymous | reply 18 | April 13, 2021 9:23 AM
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They were pretty great. Had their album, Let's Knife, on Vinyl. It rocked. My favorite song was Riding On The Rocket.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 19 | April 13, 2021 9:40 AM
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So cute. While audiences applaud them after each song, they'd shoot devil-horns with their hands — like they were metal gods.
by Anonymous | reply 20 | April 13, 2021 9:48 AM
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This thread wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Cibo Matto - extra sugar, extra salt, extra oil & MSG
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 22 | April 13, 2021 2:35 PM
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I love them. Just listened to their cover of “Blitzkrieg Pop” yesterday.
Their “Rock Animals” album is somewhere around here. I still sing those songs around the house, to this day. My cat knows the words to “Catnip Dream” by heart. It’s not on Spotify (why?!), but some of the genius little songs are on YouTube.
by Anonymous | reply 23 | April 13, 2021 2:46 PM
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There's a tribute album out there - somebody figure out they were a favorite of many bands in the 80's/90's.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 24 | April 13, 2021 2:57 PM
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Had them in heavy rotation, along with The Donnas, Slant 6, and The Rondelles. I was a nasty bitch, in 1996.
by Anonymous | reply 25 | April 13, 2021 3:07 PM
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Thank you all! This is great and will give me even more to listen to!
by Anonymous | reply 26 | April 13, 2021 3:18 PM
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Saw eX Girl when they opened for Siouxsie & The Banshees.
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 27 | April 13, 2021 3:46 PM
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If you like Shonen Knife, you'll love Otoboke Beaver.
Trust me.
(play it LOUD)
Offsite Linkby Anonymous | reply 28 | April 13, 2021 3:48 PM
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[quote]My favorite song was Riding On The Rocket.
Shaking her hip, blue-eyed cat does the mambo!
by Anonymous | reply 29 | April 13, 2021 8:23 PM
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