Support from rock luminaries such as Nirvana, Calvin Johnson, and Sonic Youth has been an immense help for Osaka cult band Shonen Knife, forging a link between the U.S. and Japanese pop undergrounds while bringing the band's perky, sugarcoated punk/pop to a wider audience. But over the past 25 years, singer/songwriter Naoko Yamano and her sister, drummer/bassist Atsuko, have been prolific and consistent enough to warrant praise even without the endorsement of more famous fans and mentors.