Scoobie Do

With a name like Scoobie Do and members sporting vintage clothes and even an afro, is there any question this band is going for a retro feel? Scoobie Do's already cut out a niche for themselves in Japan, with a combination of funk and rock that is quite unique among their peers in the modern scene. The band is heavily influenced by many 60s and 70s funk and R&B artists, especially Calvin Arnold, The Meters, and Stevie Wonder, while their rock inspirations include The Rolling Stones and Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra. While their music leans much more heavily towards rock than R&B, Scoobie Do places a heavy importance on a groove in their music, making most of their songs inherently danceable. Their eclectic roots show through, as their music features a full complement of instruments, from horns and organs to various synthesizers.

Scoobie Do was founded in 1995 by guitarist Matsuki and his childhood friend Koyama, with the intention of covering 60s R&B standards. By the following year their current drummer MOBY joined, and the band started writing new material, releasing a demotape by the year's end. In 2000, Scoobie Do's career had started to take off, with the band having completed a Tokyo-Nagoya-Osaka tour while releasing two singles and their debut album Doin' Our Scoobie independently.

2001 launched the band into the mainstream. Scoobie Do had a minor member change, with Nagaike Joe entering on bass. In September the band produced their second album beach party. This gained the attention of major labels after it rose to third on Tower Records' indie charts and even broke into the Oricon. They were signed by Victor Entertainment's Speedstar label, and released debut EP Get Up in 2002 and full album Break Rock the following year.

Scoobie Do continued to tour in 2003, playing at major festivals including Meet the World Beat and Rising Sun Rock Festival, and gained more exposure with their song "Akaneiro ga Moeru Toki" featured as the theme for TV animation Gungrave. In 2004, Scoobie Do released their latest album Beautiful Days, which sported a more diverse and refined sound than its predecessor. At present the band has just come off its March 2005 release of its seven-track CD Plus One More.
--Keikaku

Members
Koyama Shuu - Vocals
Matsuki Taijirou - Guitar
Nagaike Joe - Bass
Okamoto "MOBY" Takuya - Drums

Related Links
Scoobie Do Extras Tag
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