Shinyribs
Shinyribs is an American southern soul, swamp-funk band from Austin, Texas.
Shinyribs  | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Austin, Texas, United States | 
| Genres | Southern soul | 
| Years active | 2007-present | 
| Labels | Mustard Lid Records, Nine Mile Records | 
| Members | Kevin Russell Keith Langford Jeff Brown Winfield Cheek Mark Wilson Daniel "Tiger" Anaya Alice Spencer Kelley Mickwee  | 
| Past members | Sally Allen Mike Stewart Tom Lewis Joe Thompson Seth Gibbs Peter Stafford Jeff Brown Chase DeLong  | 
| Website | Shinyribs.org | 
History
    
Shinyribs began in 2007 as a solo side project of singer/guitar player Kevin Russell, then of longtime Austin band The Gourds.[1] 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.[2] The name derives from something called out to Russell by a transient woman to whom he had previously given a plate of ribs.[3]
After the Gourds went on hiatus in 2013, Shinyribs became Russell's and Langford's primary vehicle.[4] By 2016, Shinyribs included bass guitar, keyboard, horns (Tijuana TrainWreck Horns), and backing singers (Shiny Soul Sisters).[5]
Shinyribs' sound is a combination of many styles and influences.[6] Russell calls it "country-soul" and "swamp-funk."[7] The ultimate decisions on Shinyribs' musical direction are based on Russell's vision for the band.[8] Live performances generally feature Russell dancing on stage[9] or in a conga line extending through the venue.[10]
“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.”[2]
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).[11][12][13]
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").
Members
    
- Kevin Russell - vocals, guitar, ukulele, mandolin
 - 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[14]
 - 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, a series about game wardens within the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, which premiered on Animal Planet on June 2, 2016.[15]
Awards
    
    Austin Music Pundits Awards
    
| Year | Work/artist | Award | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Well After Awhile | Austin Album of the Year | 7th Place | 
Lone Star Music Awards
    
| Year | Work/artist | Award | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Gulf Coast Museum | Album of the Year | Nominated | 
| Americana/Roots Rock Album of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | Shinyribs | Live Act of the Year | Nominated | 
| 2014 | George Reiff | Producer of the Year | Nominated | 
Austin Music Awards
    
| Year | Work/artist | Award | Result | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Shinyribs | Band of the Year | 5th place | 
| 2015 | Kevin Russell | Musician of the Year | 4th place | 
| 2017 | Shinyribs | Funk/Blues/Soul Band of the Year | 1st place | 
| 2017 | KevinRussell/Shinyribs | Musician of the Year | 3rd place | 
| 2017 | Shinyribs | Best Austin Band | 2nd place | 
| 2017 | Shinyribs | Best Rock Band | 6th place | 
| 2017 | Keith Langford | Best Drummer | 5th place | 
| 2017 | Winfield Cheek | Best Keyboard Player | 6th place | 
| 2017 | Kevin Russell | Best Male Vocalist | 5th place | 
| 2017 | Kevin Russell | Best Miscellaneous Instrumentalist (ukulele) | 5th place | 
| 2017 | Kevin Russell | Best Songwriter | 5th place | 
References
    
- 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 2016-05-18.
 - 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". 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.
 - "Biography". Kelley Mickwee. Retrieved 2018-04-20.
 - 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.