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Post by gunnythewildheart on May 15, 2014 17:52:58 GMT -5
Just been on Twitter and 'Demon Media' did this interview at Handmade Festival the other week. I quite like this one, as Naoko seems chirpy answering some of the questions. [Maybe we should all bombard Paul McCartney to get Shonen Knife to open for him ) www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG1fdiVS_ZcMany interviews are pretty awkward to watch with SK. Partly because of the language barrier, and partly because since their tour with Nirvana, every interviewer for the last 20 years wants to ask about them! It's a bit late for me to go scouring now (but I probably will tomorrow), if people want to post video interviews (or written ones), maybe we could all post on one thread? Try to only post/good interesting ones, obviously. There've already been some good ones posted here in the past, I might repost the links from those here tomorrow.
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Post by gunnythewildheart on May 19, 2014 4:17:46 GMT -5
This one's a pretty good recent written interview. noisey.vice.com/en_au/blog/shonen-knife-write-sick-songs-about-cats-cookies-and-cakesTo me, it seems that the interview was done in Japanese and transcribed back into English. It certainly doesn't seem clumsy at all. The interviewer is Daniel Robson, who writes gaming and music articles for various magazines in and outside of Japan. I recommend checking out his monthly music podcast: itcamefromjapan.co.uk/He hosts alongside Japanese model, Asuku Eiki, and they play all sorts of new Japanese music, talk about the culture, music festivals, live shows, and just in general have some really good banter going on. Shonen Knife were played on the most recent edition as well This one's probably done the rounds many times before, but I like the more full explanation of the band name origin: www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_ncNDe7Dc0
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on May 19, 2014 19:58:27 GMT -5
Hey, this is a good idea, all the interviews on one thread- I will see about finding the old interviews and putting them all together
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Post by thegl0r on May 22, 2014 1:51:45 GMT -5
Yeh, this definitely needed doing. I was hunting through my chaotic mess of bookmarks while desperately trying to find something else completely different and found this one again that I'd completely forgotten about. It's an oldie from years ago that has been archived here, archive.today/Ohevf There is mention of Michie's retirement from the band.
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Post by gunnythewildheart on May 22, 2014 5:28:10 GMT -5
Yeh, this definitely needed doing. I was hunting through my chaotic mess of bookmarks while desperately trying to find something else completely different and found this one again that I'd completely forgotten about. It's an oldie from years ago that has been archived here, archive.today/Ohevf There is mention of Michie's retirement from the band. Ooooo, thanks for that! A very interesting read indeed. I would now love to find this video of PAPAPAPA-Puffy, as they were my intro into J-music I've seen many episodes before, but not with Shonen Knife EDIT: Hmmm.. it seems the video WAS on youtube about 4 years ago (I found a blog where the video still is still present), but it's obviously been taken down...
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Post by lazybone712 on Oct 18, 2014 13:15:15 GMT -5
Good article and interview with Naoko with the Denver Thread;
“Just the idea of a trio of Ramones worshiping Japanese girls roaming the earth playing their own brand of J-Rock, J-Pop, Pop/Punk Fun Time Soup, was good enough for us,” recalled local musician Arlo White, of Denver’s Sparkle Jetts. “When we finally heard them it was exactly like what it sounded like in our heads: Pure Innocence, Straight forward Rock and Roll Fun!”
It’s a pretty perfect way to describe Shonen Knife, one of the ’80s and ’90s more obscure, but most delicious, Japanese exports. You may think that bands like Guitar Wolf hold the J-Punk torch (and they do, handily – but not completely), but it’s Shonen Knife that made the first real stab (pun fully intended) of Ramones-powered pop from Japan into America. Shonen Knife – and particularly Naoko Yamano – have enjoyed 32+ years of existence, and haven’t wavered once from their original happy, poppy, cat-, food- and youth-loving brand of punk rock. And they’re not about to slow down.
The latest incarnation of the trio, featuring Yamano on guitar and vocals, Ritsuko Taneda on bass and Emi Morimoto on drums, is touring in support of the band’s 20th release, “Overdrive,” and they’re appearing at the Oriental Theater in North Denver this Thursday night. Not a show you want find out too late that you missed! Tickets.
“Overdrive” is solid, just like it sounds, focusing on ’70s rock a la Kiss, Deep Purple or Thin Lizzy, but with the same naive, happy charm that the Knife has always been known for. Kittens, noodles, green tea win out over heartbreak, overdose, alcohol or endless groupie groping on this record – but the charm we’ve all come to love far outshines the gritty, grimy shortcomings (after all, we get plenty of ’70s lubed-up glam porn from all the Kimye crap, don’t we?).
We had a chance to reach out and touch Yamano while she was on the road, between nearly 7-day-a-week gigging, to ask her a few questions. She was kind enough to reply – and we love her and the band all that much more for it. Read on:
DenverThread: Wow – nearly 33 years, and 20 albums, all amped full of consistently catchy, unavoidably addictive Ramones-y power punk. Any end in sight? Do you plan to retire, or keep kicking ass until you just can’t anymore?
Naoko: Keep kicking ass is ROCK! But if there will be no Shonen Knife fans, I have to retire.
DT: Many of your dates on this US tour are back-to-back. Is it exhausting – just how you like to roll?
Naoko: Actually, long drive makes me exhausted but once I see our fans at our show, I get power.
DT: Since the happy, positive power behind your output hasn’t, how has your world view changed over the past 30+ years?
Naoko: My world view hasn’t changed. I just get well experienced.
DT: So much rock n’ roll is heavy, emotional, overbearing (especially in the US), yet you are constantly able to maintain a light, carefree feeling in the subject matter and feel behind your songs. Do you think that comes from your own personal outlook, or your upbringing in Japanese culture?
Naoko: It comes from my personal character. Many bands are singing about love in Japan and US and sometimes about social problems in US. I don’t want to be the same with others. I like to make one and only unique music.
DT: There are so many to choose from – and they’re all great – do you each have favorite Shonen Knife songs/albums?
Naoko: I always prefer the latest album. Thus “Overdrive” is the best so far. I especially like “Black Crow”, “Shopping”, “Like a Cat” and “Jet Shot”.
DT: Your songs often have a food focus – and the USA spreads a giant table of wonderful, tasty – and sometime just plain weird – food choices. Anything in your travels that fits in the “weird,” “super-weird” or “just plain crazy” category?
Naoko: “Weird” — “chicken cutlet waffles and hazelnut chocolate cream on the side”. I like the taste of both chicken cutlet and waffles but the combination is a little odd. Waffles should be separated from chicken. “Super-weird” — too colorful artificial colored sweets and cakes.
DT: Is there any American food you just couldn’t do without?
Naoko: I don’t have any particular food but American Rock.
DT: You seem to be cat lovers – why is that? Are they more preferable than other animals in your opinion? More preferable pets than dogs? (Full disclosure: I love both, but prefer cats).
Naoko: I love both two but for dogs, I have to take them outside for walk. Cats are more free and independent.
DT: Your sister Atsuko used to design and make all of your costumes – does she still influence the onstage costumes?
Naoko: She made our new costumes. Her design and sewing is the best!
DT: Did you know any of the opening bands for the Denver show – Sparkle Jetts, Sonic Archers 0r 9 Volt Fatale – before hearing they were opening for you?
Naoko: I don’t know them but I’m looking forward to play with them.
DT: Do you often find bands on tour that you end up really liking, or following? Any that stick out from other sites on this tour?
Naoko: I like [The] Mallard that they opened up for our US tour in 2012 in the west coast.
Don’t miss this one, presented by local promoter Girl Wreck Presents, at one of Denver’s classic, beautiful venues – the historic Oriental Theater. Besides the headliners, there will be an impressive collection of Denver local bands warming up"
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Post by jaicee on Oct 18, 2014 16:11:44 GMT -5
"Naoko: Keep kicking ass is ROCK! But if there will be no Shonen Knife fans, I have to retire." Well, we'll all make sure it never comes to that! Great interview!
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Post by lazybone712 on Oct 19, 2014 15:40:26 GMT -5
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Oct 24, 2014 14:19:36 GMT -5
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Post by tangerinesun on Nov 23, 2014 0:22:16 GMT -5
“Female music is more free.” Q&A with King Baby Duck of the Boston Bastard Brigade via telephone, the day after SK played Cambridge MA. 2014 September 22. MP3, 21:00. www.bostonbastardbrigade.com/2014/09/one-on-one-naoko-yamano-of-shonen-knife/Laundry, food, fun, Judas Priest, tennis, a private jet, and the Osaka advantage. A good-natured Naoko plays softball with an otaku journalist. 20 minutes you could spend in worse ways… or better ways.
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Post by tangerinesun on Nov 24, 2014 13:35:01 GMT -5
"Shonen Knife on longevity, rock and roll, and tennis" Q&A with Kirk Hiner of Technology Tell from the basement of Beachland, just before the group’s 999th live in Cleveland OH. 2014 September 16. 480p, 09:04. Three rockstars in regalia squirm on a sofa. Naoko gives the standard answers. The direction of the next album? Death metal, disco, pop ballads, or hip-hop. SK is cute regardless. Sound quality: what the hell did they do to this recording, it sounds like 8kHz voice over IP.
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Post by tangerinesun on Nov 24, 2014 14:00:44 GMT -5
I don't mean to trample on the request to hold this to worthwhile interviews, but I do think that even a lame interview can have interest.
So, I'm trying out a star rating system. You decide if you should click on something!
★ Even I couldn't finish it ★★ Not worthless ★★★ Worthwhile ★★★★ Check it out! ★★★★★ View or die
STAR SYSTEM BELAYED ON ADVICE FROM SUPERIORS SMILES ARE NOW IN EFFECT!!
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Post by thegl0r on Nov 24, 2014 18:00:44 GMT -5
I don't mean to trample on the request to hold this to worthwhile interviews, but I do think that even a lame interview can have interest. So, I'm trying out a star rating system. You decide if you should click on something! ★ Even I couldn't finish it ★★ Not worthless
★★★ Worthwhile ★★★★ Check it out! ★★★★★ View or die Ah, the perennial question as to what is or isn't a worthwhile interview. Always a difficult decision that, because one person's essential is someone else’s worthless. Most of the interviews seem to go over the same old stuff, and get the same old, well rehearsed reply. But sometimes a gem of a question or sparkling answer sneaks into an otherwise worthless interview. I always read interviews in the hope of something good or slightly different - even just one decent sentence is worth hunting for. And there's often pics to look at and sometimes they're new pics. But surely any video or audio interview with Shonen Knife talking is essential listening. I just wish there were a few longer length ones with good quality audio. Listening to Naoko smiling and uttering a tuneful "Mmmmmmmmm!" before answering a question always makes me go week at the knees. As for what deserves to be posted in this thread, dunno. I'm almost tempted to suggest everything, reproduced in full for the sake of posterity, in-case the original web-page disappears. But that's probably going a bit too far.
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Post by mikado-AKA-Shoknifeman on Nov 25, 2014 2:52:40 GMT -5
I don't mean to trample on the request to hold this to worthwhile interviews, but I do think that even a lame interview can have interest. So, I'm trying out a star rating system. You decide if you should click on something! ★ Even I couldn't finish it ★★ Not worthless
★★★ Worthwhile ★★★★ Check it out! ★★★★★ View or die Ah, the perennial question as to what is or isn't a worthwhile interview. Always a difficult decision that, because one person's essential is someone else’s worthless. Most of the interviews seem to go over the same old stuff, and get the same old, well rehearsed reply. But sometimes a gem of a question or sparkling answer sneaks into an otherwise worthless interview. I always read interviews in the hope of something good or slightly different - even just one decent sentence is worth hunting for. And there's often pics to look at and sometimes they're new pics. But surely any video or audio interview with Shonen Knife talking is essential listening. I just wish there were a few longer length ones with good quality audio. Listening to Naoko smiling and uttering a tuneful "Mmmmmmmmm!" before answering a question always makes me go week at the knees. As for what deserves to be posted in this thread, dunno. I'm almost tempted to suggest everything, reproduced in full for the sake of posterity, in-case the original web-page disappears. But that's probably going a bit too far. Actually, we've always used a blank/5 here, except, we use smileys ... < crap <soso <good, not great <very good < excellent ... This is the code I implemented here from the start, if you want to use it on this thread, be my guest It isn't that I have anything against the stars Tan, it's just a continuity thing... so people don't get confused over stars in some threads and smileys in others.
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Post by tangerinesun on Nov 25, 2014 12:49:05 GMT -5
Oh, continuity — me like! I haven't read everything on the forum yet, so probably will not do so well on the quiz. You may call me Sun-tan, my childhood friends all do!
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