The Sacred & the Profane: Ride along with Shinyribs - Austin Chronicle
A small Buddha and toy cannon jostle on the dashboard of Kevin Russell's Ford F-150, pointed southeast to Port Aransas down Highway 181. Doug Sahm blares on the stereo and Russell sings along to "At the Crossroads," hitting the soulful high notes... "I don't think Doug ever knew all our names," laughs Russell from the passenger seat, reminiscing about the Gourds' recording S. D. Q. '98 with Sahm. Like the band moniker, which Russell admits juxtaposes nonsensical "images that don't really go together, but they sound good together," Shinyribs revels in blurring the dichotomy of playful and poignant from one moment to the next. When riding with Russell, each passing sign along the highway might elicit a melody from the prolific songwriter as he drums on the dash, hums to himself, and scribbles in a notebook overflowing with loose pages. Easy to imagine the sparks for new songs like the ludicrously anthemic "Donut Taco Palace" and oddly existential "Pack-It-Rite" lit by small-town storefronts along these familiar weekend tour routes. Shinyribs has congealed into a tight sextet keeping pace with his unexpected turns onstage, and with the release of third LP Okra Candy earlier this spring, the group's evolved from the solo project of the Gourds former co-frontman into the full... "That freedom's a big driver and a big motivation," affirms Russell. Source: www.austinchronicle.com
