Shinyribs, The Mighty Orq

Austin-based roots combo Shinyribs was formed in 2007 by Gourds co-founder Kevin Russell. Initially begun as a solo venture, Russell started playing a monthly gig in Houston as a means of earning extra cash to pay off a new car he'd bought for his family. His workman's side gig eventually became a profound creative outlet for the prolific songwriter and blossomed into a full band featuring Gourds drummer Keith Langford along with bassist Jeff Brown and pianist Winfield Cheek. Shinyribs' music is a natural extension of the quirky Texan art/alt-country that made the Gourds so successful. Mixing soul, country, blues, and rock, Russell's new band issued its debut LP, Well After Awhile, in 2010 during a break between Gourds albums. The Gourds would release one more album, 2011's Old Mad Joy, before Russell finally put his longtime band officially on hiatus in 2013 in order to concentrate on Shinyribs as a full-time project. That same year, Shinyribs followed up with their second LP, Gulf Coast Museum. ~ Timothy Monger, Rovi