Videos: Shonen Knife: “Ghost Train”

Posted by aubin on Thursday, August 23, 2012 at 9:00 AM (EDT)

Japan's Shonen Knife have posted their video for "Ghost Train." The song comes from the long-running pop-punk outfit's 2012 album, Pop Tune. It follows their 2011 tribute to the Ramones, called Osaka Ramones.

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Shonen Knife

News (16 comments)

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Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

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Skibz777 (August 23, 2012)

I wish they'd throw in the towel already. Their '80s/early '90s albums were so good and diversely textured, and they still command repeat listenings; even though their music stagnated way back when Michie left, they just sound painfully bland and repetitive now.

I don't expect most of their casual American fanbase to have heard their whole discography and understand their career evolution/devolution, but believe me, comparing this to '712' or 'Pretty Little Baka Guy' is like comparing 'The Devil's Rain' to 'The Static Age'. As a fan since high school, I am disappoint, as the kids say.

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Cromulent (August 23, 2012)

http://t.fireden.net/t/fireden.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/fi lthy_casuals.jpg

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asiansteev (August 23, 2012)

that's unbelievably selfish.

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robotspeaks (August 23, 2012)

Yeah fuck them for making music that they enjoy playing and people enjoy listening to. They might as well quit and stop doing what they love...assholes.

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Skibz777 (August 23, 2012)

It's interesting that, to take one band as an example, a story on Reel Big Fish from just two days ago produced almost nothing but comments from people telling them to break up, and yet when the same is done with this one, it just one incurs a wrath of scorn, likely from people who've never even listened to SK's music. The double-standards of this website endlessly intrigue me.

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Skibz777 (August 23, 2012)

Besides, at this point, it's pretty much just Naoko milking the SK name and image. The other two have only been in the band for 2-4 years and will probably be replaced by the time the next album comes around. I doubt this is a matter of "they" "doing what they love".

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Cromulent (August 23, 2012)

The thing is Reel Big Fish fucking blow and Shonen Knife are, dare I say, the Osaka Ramones. Also you smell bad and your mother dresses you funny.

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Skibz777 (August 23, 2012)

SK's work isn't nearly as consistent as the Ramones. I love their early (more garage rock/jangle pop-oriented) albums, and I'll even give credit to 'Rock Animals' and 'Brand New Knife', but they've essentially been making the exact same album since 2000, and it's getting really stale. More power to them for lasting this long, but even SK apologists have to admit the last great album this band released was about 20 years ago.

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morepunkthanyoudumbass (August 24, 2012)

Y'know, I've followed this site for about 5 years, and never commented once. You inspired me with your stupidity. I'm old enough I've seen Black Flag, Dead Kennedy's, and The Ramones more than once. I know what punk rock is. And punk is Shonen Knife. Their shows are everything I've ever wanted from punk. They do what they wanna do, and don't give a shit what you think. I learned to speak Japanese because of them, and have gotten to know the current lineup - in their own language. Don't tell me they don't care about punk rock tradition. They are so honored to carry on with what came before them. And have you listened to new Shonen Knife? It gets better and better. I've listened to their newest effort, Pop Tune, multiple times. It is sooo reminiscent of a Beatles album it's uncanny. They've channelled the Lennon/McCartney magic across the 40 years of my life time. It's amazing. And yet,, it holds up to punk. I listen to it, then immediately listen to the first couple of Buzzcock's CD's, and I feel the same energy. I suggest, Skipz777, whoever you are, that you get over the last 15 years or so of crap you call punk rock, and appreciate what Shonen Knife represents, go see them live, and then shut the hell up. That's all.

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Skibz777 (August 24, 2012)

I've seen them live twice. I own most of their discography. Who the hell said anything about punk rock? All I'm saying is that the band has been on a steady decline since 'Rock Animals'; it has nothing to do with their "punk credibility", it's that they've relied way too much on the same formula of three-chord pop-punk rather than the more diverse textures of everything from 'Burning Farm' to 'Let's Knife'. The songwriting isn't nearly as fresh or strong as it was back in the '80s. How does punk rock figure into anything?

My God, the stupidity of your post may have just given me hepatitis.

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morepunkthanyoudumbass (August 25, 2012)

Yeah, I guess you're right. What could anything on this site possibly have to do with punk rock?

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Skibz777 (August 25, 2012)

What could anything in my post that you were directly responding to have anything to do with punk rock?

No, seriously. I'm curious. How does my comment over the decline in SK's songwriting quality relate to what "punk rock" really stands for?

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Skibz777 (August 25, 2012)

By the way, please continue posting. If you're the kind of dangerous loner who'll continue to post in days-old threads with near-incomprehensible rants - presumably just to come ever-so-closely to achieving something remotely similar to actual human companionship in your personal life - I have a feeling we're going to get along great. :)

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hansco (August 23, 2012)

My father wished to ride a train.In harmony with time you can sit in anyone.

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xiaoxin (August 29, 2012)