Shonen Knife--an all-female punk trio from Osaka Japan--has cultivated a global fan base that
has included the likes of Nirvana's Kurt Cobain and Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore. The 1998
album Happy Hour encapsulates the band's allure via its fusion of punk rock and cute aesthetics
in the service of lyrics focused on food. Saturated in lyrics about edibles from sushi to
banana chips the record initially appears to be a cute pop punk homage to girl power. Brooke
McCorkle Okazaki explores how embedded in the seemingly straightforward music and lyrics of
the album lies an aesthetic that challenges historical norms regarding gender roles in popular
culture.
