In a way, Shonen Knife are the perfect Christmas band.
The Japanese trio’s gleeful enthusiasm and exuberant personalities beam out of their music, like fairy lights twinkling in the distance.
Marking their 30th anniversary this year, Shonen Knife are set to celebrate Christmas with a one off single. Damnably are stepping in to take care of the release, the band’s first festive single since ‘Space Christmas’ and the Thurston Moore indebted ‘All I Want For Christmas’.
The upcoming seven inch ‘Sweet Christmas’ ends a perfect year for the band. Toasting a historic milestone, Shonen Knife returned with a full studio album before tackling a rare British tour.
Later finding time to release their tribute project Osaka Ramones, Shonen Knife will return to Japan to celebrate Christmas.
Musically, ‘Sweet Christmas’ continues to find the band moving beyond punk. Sure, the Ramones chug is still there – they are Shonen Knife’s favourite band, after all – but the guitars have a 60s bubblegum edge.
The vocals are sweet and pure, like all Shonen Knife songs, with an innocence that recalls prime indie pop. The whole thing has an uplifting feel that somehow transfers all the joy of Christmas without the schmaltz.
Check out the video – it features the trio making a Yule log and bashing through the song in a psychedelic rehearsal room.
Listen to it now…
