Shinyribs is an American

southern soul Southern soul is a type of soul music that emerged from the Southern United States. The music originated from a combination of styles, including blues (both 12 bar and jump), country, early R&B, and a strong gospel influence that emanated fro ...

, swamp-funk band from

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the county seat, seat and largest city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and Williamson County, Texas, Williamson co ...

History

Shinyribs began in 2007 as a solo side project of singer/guitar player Kevin Russell, then of longtime Austin band

The Gourds ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

. 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

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in 2013, Shinyribs became Russell's and Langford's primary vehicle. By 2016, Shinyribs included bass guitar,

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

, 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 The conga line is a novelty line dance that was derived from the Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and ...

extending through the venue.

"Shinyribs is
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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 "

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" (

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), "

Pony A pony is a type of small horse ('' Equus ferus caballus''). Depending on the context, a pony may be a horse that is under an approximate or exact height at the withers, or a small horse with a specific conformation and temperament. Compared ...

" (

Ginuwine Elgin Baylor Lumpkin (born October 15, 1970), better known by his stage name Ginuwine, is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He began his career as a member of Swing Mob in the early 1990s. Signing to Epic R ...

), "

Buy U a Drank "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" is a song by American rapper T-Pain featuring fellow American rapper Yung Joc. Produced by T-Pain himself, It was released on February 20, 2007 as the lead single from his second studio album, '' Epiphany''. B ...

" ( T-Pain), "

All About That Bass "All About That Bass" is the debut single of American singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor, released on June 30, 2014, through Epic Records. The song was included on Trainor's debut extended play (EP) ''Title'' (2014) and her debut studio album of t ...

" (

Meghan Trainor Meghan Elizabeth Trainor (born December 22, 1993) is an American singer-songwriter and television personality. She rose to prominence after signing with Epic Records in 2014 and releasing her debut single "All About That Bass", which reached ...

), " Golden Years" (

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...

), "I Gave Up All I Had and Sorry You're Sick" (

Ted Hawkins Ted Hawkins (October 28, 1936 – January 1, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter born in Biloxi, Mississippi. He split his time between his adopted hometown of Venice Beach, California, where he was a mostly anonymous street performer, ...

), "Me and Paul" (

Willie Nelson Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album ''Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of ''Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (197 ...

), "Hey Pocky A-Way" ( The Meters), "

The Wind Cries Mary "The Wind Cries Mary" is a rock ballad written by Jimi Hendrix. Hendrix wrote the song as a reconciliatory love song for his girlfriend in London, Kathy Mary Etchingham. More recent biographical material indicated that some of the lyrics appeared ...

" (

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

), " Heart of Stone" (

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...

), "

No Diggity "No Diggity" is a song by American R&B group Blackstreet as the first single for their second studio album, '' Another Level'' (1996), featuring Dr. Dre and Queen Pen. Released on July 29, 1996, the song reached number one on the US ''Billboard' ...

" (

Blackstreet Blackstreet (often stylized as BLACKstreet) is an American R&B group founded in 1991 by record producers Chauncey "Black" Hannibal, and Teddy "Street" Riley. The group has released four albums with Interscope Records until 2003. They achieved ...

), and "

Baby Don't You Do It "Baby Don't You Do It" is a 1964 single by United States, American singer Marvin Gaye. Released on the Motown Records, Tamla label, this song discusses a man who is at a standstill with his girlfriend, who he feels is neglecting his love stating ...

" (

Marvin Gaye Marvin Pentz Gay Jr., who also spelled his surname as Gaye (April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984), was an American singer and songwriter. He helped to shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo ar ...

/ 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 James McMurtry (born March 18, 1962, in Fort Worth, Texas) is an American rock and folk rock/americana singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader, and occasional actor (''Daisy Miller'', ''Lonesome Dove'', and narrator of ''Ghost Town: 24 Hours i ...

("Big Things"),

Kasey Chambers Kasey Chambers (born 4 June 1976) is an Australian country singer-songwriter and musician born in Mount Gambier. She is the daughter of fellow musicians, Diane and Bill Chambers, and the younger sister of musician and producer, Nash Chambers. ...

(the title track), and

Mary Gauthier Mary Veronica Gauthier ( ; born March 11, 1962) is a Grammy-nominated American folk singer-songwriter and author, whose songs have been covered by performers including Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Kathy Mattea, Boy George and Jimmy Buffett. She ...

("Sorry You're Sick").

Members

* Kevin Russell – vocals, guitar,

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mandolin A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...

* Keith Langford – drums, percussion, backing vocals * Winfield Cheek – keyboards, backing vocals * Mark Wilson – saxophone, flute * Daniel "Tiger" Anaya – trumpet * Alice Spencer – backing vocals * Kelley Mickwee – backing vocals * Courtney Santana – backing vocals * Danny Levin – violin (sometimes member)

Former members

* Joe Thompson – guitar / vocals * Sally Allen – backing vocals * Seth Gibbs – Bass guitar / vocals * Mike Stewart – Bass, Skwanga * Tom Lewis – Drums * Peter Stafford – Slide guitar * Jeff Brown – Bass guitar * Chase DeLong – Drums

Discography

Shinyribs

* '' 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

Compilations

* 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

Television

Shinyribs provided the theme song, "Our Game", for ''

Lone Star Law ''Lone Star Law'' is an American reality television series that debuted on June 2, 2016, on Animal Planet. Set in Texas and similar to its network sister show '' North Woods Law'', the show follows numerous game wardens of the Texas Parks and Wi ...

'', a series about game wardens within the

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas. Its mission is to manage ...

, which premiered on

Animal Planet Animal Planet (stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American multinational pay television channel owned by the Warner Bros. Discovery Networks unit of Warner Bros. Discovery. First established on June 1, 1996, the network is primarily dev ...

on June 2, 2016.

Awards

Austin Music Pundits Awards

Lone Star Music Awards

Austin Music Awards

References

External links

Shinyribs.org

Shinyribs at Bandcamp

Shinyribs at Reverbnation

Shinyribs Facebook

Shinyribs Twitter

Shinyribs recordings on Archive.org
{{authority control Musical groups from Austin, Texas Musical groups established in 2007 2007 establishments in Texas