[8] In the words of the Boston Globe, "something oddly spellbinding occurs when deceivingly silly lyrics are sandwiched between a buoyant guitar and a rapid-fire, pop-punk drum kit.

Which perhaps explains why the Japanese female alternative rock/pop punk trio Shonen Knife is still singing songs about cookies, sushi, jelly beans, and, of course, banana chips.

[4][9][10] Naoko and Michie had both worked at office jobs; Atsuko had received training as a fashion designer and has created many of the band's stage outfits.

While cultivating a punk rock sound, the band emphasized positivity using catchy, upbeat melodies and simple, carefree lyrics that often dealt with sweets, animals, and consumer culture.

[14] While the band's early albums were only officially released in Japan, imported copies attracted a cult following among alternative rock fans in the United States.

[4] Cobain praised Shonen Knife's performances during the tour, stating, "When I finally got to see them live, I was transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old girl at a Beatles concert.

[24] The album Rock Animals was released internationally by Virgin Records in 1994,[25] and the video for the song "Tomato Head" was featured on the American TV series Beavis & Butthead.

[28] Shonen Knife suffered its first lineup change in 1999, when Michie Nakatani left the band and retired from music.

[10] Nishiura did not perform on Shonen Knife's studio albums and was not considered an official member because she continued to play with her full-time band DMBQ.

The lineup of Naoko Yamano, Ritsuko Taneda, and Etsuko Nakanishi released the albums Super Group (2008)[31] and Free Time (2010).

During this period they made a high-profile appearance at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in England, at the invitation of Matt Groening.

[10] From April 2015 to May 2016 Taneda took a leave of absence from the band to give birth, and was temporarily replaced by bassist Naru Ishizuka.