Shinobu is an American indie punk band formed in San Jose, California in 2002. The band’s music spans acoustic songs, twee-leaning pop, and angular guitar-driven punk, often within the same release. Their live shows were fast and loose, marked by abrupt shifts in dynamics. In 2006, Shinobu released Worstward Ho! on Asian Man Records. The album became a reference point for bands associated with the label and the broader DIY scene who drew from punk’s organizational ethos while moving away from its traditional sound. Artists such as Joyce Manor, Lemuria, Cheap Girls, Touché Amoré, Brave Little Abacus, PUP, and AJJ have cited Shinobu as an influence on this lineage. During the 2000s, Shinobu’s South Bay practice space functioned as a regular venue for local and touring underground bands. At a time when San Jose was often bypassed by Bay Area tours in favor of Oakland or San Francisco, the space provided a consistent stop for DIY shows and helped sustain a local network. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The other 'Shinobu' is A synth-pop duo consisting of Shinobu Narita and Ken Asama The former went on to form techno-pop unit Urban Dance and was also a member of 4-D. Shinobu Narita (vocals, guitar, keyboards, tape) Ken Asama (synthe-bass, noises, tapes)