All I want for Christmas

Thurston Moore wrote a Christmas song with Shonen Knife. How fucking cool is that? <3!

Shonen Knife > All I Want For Christmas

It's a beautiful cookie day!

Thanks to Jim, I ran into this Shonen Knife interview the other day over at J-pop World. The girls are still going strong and they have a new bass player, Ritsuko. I've professed my love for Shonen Knife in the past, so I'll spare you the gushing. My favorite part of the interview (I'm guessing it was conducted by email) was where the guy asks Ritsuko, "What does playing music mean to you?" Kind of a standard question, but her reply was most amusing; "I can't realize. Playing music is an exciting thing like eating a giant cake during my whole life."

Although Ritsuko is a new member of Shonen Knife, her response, in my mind, kinda sums up the entire existence of the band. These girls are having fun and eating a giant choco cake while they do it, and it shows. And they want you to be happy and have fun with them. Awesome. I suspect they're gonna keep going until they absolutely cannot do it anymore. We need more bands like them, more power to Shonen Knife.

They have just released a new album, Super Group, in Japan. Hopefully it finds its way into my greedy little paws. In the meantime, listen to choice tracks here, and check out Cookie Day from their 1998 classic, Happy Hour.

Shonen Knife > Cookie Day

No one can stop me

I found this album in Amoeba's clearance bin for $2.99. It's called The Powerpuff Girls: Heroes & Villains. A bunch of bands handpicked by the show's creator to sing songs about the Powerpuff Girls. Some of the bigger names include Devo, The Apples in Stereo, Frank Black, Dressy Bessy and Cornelius.

I love this Shonen Knife track, Buttercup (I'm A Super Girl). The guitars sorta sound like a riff off The Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop, and the song is topped off with a bit of 80s style keyboards. It's pretty fun stuff and, for a few bucks, the album is an absolute steal.

Shonen Knife > Buttercup (I'm A Super Girl)

Oh, what can it mean?

How cute is this? I love Shonen Knife; they're so unassuming when they play live, they always do fun covers and they sing it like they mean it. Awesome.

I'm waiting for Santa Claus, he's riding on a bison sleigh

One of my favorite bands. I finally got to see them live a few years ago, and again last year when they came through town. They're so fun, charming, and unassuming and very much worth your time. I love this track, it's great, goofy fun and doesn't feel like tacky sentimental crap. They're just a band out to have a good time and they want you to have a good time as well.

Listen:
Shonen Knife > Space Christmas