September 2, 2004

Local rock band Shinobu tours, releases full-length debut
Tours Pacific Northwest in summer adventure

By Justin Petersen
Staff Writer

What’s Shinobu? In the linguistic sense we’re dealing with a Japanese word for Uresei Yatsura, Channel 11 anime character; translated: “endurance” for better or worse. Geographically it’s throughout Almaden and beyond.

Physically it’s four skinny, intellectual kids, excluding a drummer who works out, according to the band’s Web site at http://shinobu.cjb. But musically and philosophically, Shinobu is a new train of thought—connection.

“We’re in a weird place where we don’t really like many other bands/genres out there and I’m sure there are people who feel the same way,” said guitarist/vocalist Mike Moroboshi, a former Castillero Middle School grad and 2003 Best Local Guitarist according to the “Metro.” “I guess it’s just an attempt to make music for people like us.”

Almaden’s Mike Moroboshi was voted Best Local Guitarist by the “Metro” in 2003. Currently he is promoting his band, Shinobu’s first full-length release, “Herostratus vs. Time.”

And who is Shinobu?
Bob Vielma joins man-genius Moroboshi on bass, with Pioneer grad Matt Keegan on guitar and Jon Jing Fu blasting the drum kit. The result is a sound unique to a scene typically overrun with wheezy, whiny anti-bands.

Shinobu sings and plays rather than bleeding out their melodies. With Shinobu you’ll find familiar emotions put in simpler terms, accessible to anybody willing to listen.

Influenced by early 90s Indie Rock such as Pavement, the Weakerthans, Sebadoh and Built to Spill, Shinobu is searching for a more relevant sound in the early 2000s. “We’re all in this kind of weird state where we dislike all ends of the spectrum,” explained Moroboshi. “When I was in high school I hated jocks just as much as I hated the preps, nerds, popular kids, drama kids and any other sub-sect of people who defined themselves by who they hung out with.”

As a songwriter, Moroboshi is unbiased, articulate and clear. His intelligent and philosophically charged lyrics, rising melodies and chord progressions tell more of the story of the current post secondary demographic than those it encompasses may realize.

“I guess I’m writing songs for the people who really don’t fit in much of anywhere,” continued Moroboshi, “ who are kind of unsure of most everything but still really just want to be happy.”

Asked what it’s like writing songs for himself and those he identifies with, Moroboshi replied: “Usually I just have an idea either lyrically or musically and I sit down until I can really kind of fit the two together,” said Moroboshi. “A lot of the time I’ll be kind of obsessed with a song and I’ll pick apart the things that make me like it and try to put that thing that really hits me into a new song that I’m working on. I can’t write a song without having a lyrical direction in mind, but, also, have yet to finish a song by myself and then put lyrics to it later.”

And where can we see a Shinobu?
Most recently, Shinobu rocked the Gas Lighter in Campbell after returning from a tour around Los Angeles and the Pacific Northwest. On the touring experience, the band mates captured it in one parable. “Let’s just say that our van’s transmission broke down the first night,” said Moroboshi.

Yet Shinobu persevered playing each scheduled venue. “The trip was a ton of fun,” said Moroboshi, who fought through a ruptured eardrum he’d burst diving in a river along the road, playing and singing throughout the tour.

Currently, the band is busy promoting the release of their first full-length album entitled “Herostratus vs. Time.”

With Let’s Go Records representing, Shinobu hopes to continue booking shows despite the departure of Keegan who is headed for music school on the East Coast.

“I think I’m going to just write songs a little more geared towards the sparser instrumentation for awhile,” said Moroboshi.

What will Shinobu do next?
Shinobu’s next scheduled appearance is on Sept. 3 at the Burlingame Rec. Center at 850 Burlingame Ave. in Burlingame.

“There’s lots of life, death, happy, sad; a lot of ins, a lot of outs, a lot of what-have-you’,” concluded Moroboshi describing his music.

For more information regarding Shinobu visit http://shinobu.cjb, or www.springmanrecords.com.