Shinyribs

Shinyribs is a 9-piece swamp funk / Southern soul band from Austin, Texas. Shinyribs began in 2007 as a solo side project of singer/guitar player Kevin Russell, then of longtime Austin band The Gourds. At first "Shinyribs" referred to Russell personally in connection with his solo shows, but Russell later performed under the name "Shinyribs" in a band with other musicians, such as Gourds bandmate, drummer Keith Langford. "Shinyribs" then transitioned to be the name of the band as well. The name derives from something called out to Russell by a transient woman to whom he had previously given a plate of ribs. After the Gourds went on hiatus in 2013, Shinyribs became Russell's and Langford's primary vehicle. By 2016, Shinyribs included bass guitar, keyboard, horns (Tijuana TrainWreck Horns), and backing singers (Shiny Soul Sisters). Shinyribs' sound is a combination of many styles and influences. Russell calls it "country-soul" and "swamp-funk." The ultimate decisions on Shinyribs' musical direction are based on Russell's vision for the band. Live performances generally feature Russell dancing on stage or in a conga line extending through the venue. "Shinyribs is flamboyant and has completely no rules.... He’s free and is dancing like no one’s watching. He’s all about love and having fun and celebrating life." In addition to playing its original music, Shinyribs covers songs like "Waterfalls" (TLC), "Pony" (Ginuwine), "Buy U a Drank" (T-Pain), "All About That Bass" (Meghan Trainor), "Golden Years" (David Bowie), "I Gave Up All I Had and Sorry You're Sick" (Ted Hawkins), "Me and Paul" (Willie Nelson), "Hey Pocky A-Way" (The Meters), "The Wind Cries Mary" (Jimi Hendrix), "Heart of Stone" (The Rolling Stones), "No Diggity" (Blackstreet), and "Baby Don't You Do It" (Marvin Gaye/The Band). Shinyribs' Kevin Russell produced Cold and Bitter Tears: The Songs of Ted Hawkins with Jenni Finlay and Brian T. Atkinson for Austin-based label Eight 30 Records. The album features Shinyribs ("Who Got My Natural Comb"), James McMurtry ("Big Things"), Kasey Chambers (the title track), and Mary Gauthier ("Sorry You're Sick"). Kevin Russell - lead vocals, guitar, ukulele, mandolin Keith Langford - drums, percussion Mason Hankamer - bass guitar, upright bass, tuba Daniel "Tiger" Anaya - trumpet Mark Wilson - tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute Eric Baker - keyboards Marty Muse - pedal steel, lap steel, dobro, bongos Kellee Fuller - backing vocals, percussion Mars Wright - backing vocals, percussion Alice Spencer - backing vocals, percussion Kelley Mickwee - backing vocals, percussion Winfield Cheek - keyboards Jeff Brown - bass guitar Danny Levin - violin Jay Stiles - keyboards, melodica Courtney Santana - backing vocals Sally Allen - backing vocals Mike Stewart - bass guitar, "skwanga" Well After Awhile – 2010 Gulf Coast Museum – 2013 Okra Candy – 2015 I Got Your Medicine – 2017 The Kringle Tingle – 2018 Goin' Home B/W He Said If I Be Lifted Up (Need To Know) – 2019 Fog & Bling – 2019 Late Night TV Gold – 2021 Transit Damage – 2023 Shinyribs: "Dollar Bill Blues", More Townes Van Zant by the Great Unknown – 2010 Kevin Russell: "All the Time", While No One Was Looking: Toasting 20 Years of Bloodshot Records – 2014 Shinyribs: "Bolshevik Sugarcane", Austin Music Vol. 13 – 2014 Shinyribs: "Song of Lime Juice and Despair", Texas Music Scene: Live, Vol. 1 – 2015 Shinyribs: "Who Got My Natural Comb", Cold and Bitter Tears: The Songs of Ted Hawkins – 2015 Shinyribs provided the theme song, "Our Game", for Lone Star Law, a series about game wardens within the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which premiered on Animal Planet on June 2, 2016. Corcoran, Michael (2013-12-26). "Why Kevin Russell of Shinyribs Turned His Side Project to a Full-Time Job". The Dallas Observer. Retrieved 2016-05-18. Lopez, Rich (19 March 2014). "Don't blame Shinyribs' Kevin Russell if 'honky twerk' takes off". Midland Reporter Telegram. Retrieved 24 June 2016. Joyce, Matt (January 2015). "Make It Shiny, The joyful mash-up of Austin band Shinyribs". Texas Highways. Retrieved 2025-01-03. Wildsmith, Steve (2016-04-20). "'Musical hedonist' Kevin Russell channels his joy into Shinyribs". The Daily Times. Retrieved 2016-05-18. Brand, Aaron (2016-01-28). "Get movin' to the music with Shinyribs". Texarkana Gazette. Retrieved 2016-05-19. Dansby, Andrew (2013-03-13). "Recipe for Gulf Coast-style Shinyribs: Love, death and food inspire Kevin Russell's brand of swamp funk". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2016-05-19. Cadgène, Suzanne (2015-06-26). "Album Reviews: Shinyribs, Okra Candy". Elmore Magazine. Retrieved 2016-05-19. Smith, William Michael (2015-03-17). "How Shinyribs Became Texas's Hottest Band". Houston Press. Retrieved 2016-05-19. Corcoran, Michael (2015-04-10). "Shinyribs: Dancing with the Scars". Art+Labor+Austin. Retrieved 2016-05-19. "The rise of Shinyribs – cat5". cat5. 2016-07-25. Archived from the original on 2016-07-25. Retrieved 2023-03-21. Freeman, Doug (2015-08-07). "The Sacred & the Profane: Ride along with Shinyribs". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2016-05-19. "Shinyribs Live at Albino Skunk Music Festival on 2014-10-03". 2014-10-03. Retrieved 2016-05-19. "Golden Years (Old Settler's Pop-Up Session)". KUTX Music 98.9 – Austin. Retrieved 2016-05-19. Isner, Savannah (2016-05-06). "Animal Planet Wraps Up Monster Week on June 2 with the Series Premiere of Lone Star Law and the Series Return of North Woods Law" (PDF) (Press release). Animal Planet. Retrieved 2016-05-18. Corcoran, Michael (2011-01-05). "2010 AMP Awards: 'True Love' for Roky Erickson, other Austin musicians". Austin American-Statesman (Austin360.com). Retrieved 2016-05-20. "Austin Music Awards: 2015>Best of the Year". Austin Chronicle. n.d. Retrieved 2016-05-20. "Austin Music Awards: 2016–2017>Best of the Year". Austin Chronicle. 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2017-03-13. "Austin Music Awards: 2016–2017>Best Performing Bands". Austin Chronicle. 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2017-03-13. "Austin Music Awards: 2016–2017>Best Austin Musicians". Austin Chronicle. 2017-03-13. Retrieved 2017-03-13. Shinyribs.org Shinyribs at Bandcamp Shinyribs at Reverbnation Shinyribs Facebook Shinyribs Twitter Shinyribs recordings on Archive.org