Since putting the Gourds on the back burner, Kevin Russell has stretched his musical wings under the Shinyribs banner. Everything is fair game in his universe. Just in the past month, he’s offered a ukulele version of “All About That Bass” and a countrified take on “No Diggity” live in our Studio 1A. Shinyrib’s studio albums are just as loose, offering a more R&B-influenced version of his country/folk/bluegrass hybrid. Okra Candy is a true band album for Shinyribs, finding Russell as a ringleader who can harness the sheer joy of “Donut Taco Palace” one moment before turning to the universe at large on “Red Quasar.”
Back in Studio 1A, Shinyribs merged all this insanity together on “The Sacred & The Profane.” It’s hard to musically pinpoint the song–it sounds equally like a lost Band track and a New Orleans funk classic–but that’s exactly what makes Shinyribs so much fun. Take a listen and download below.
–Art Levy