Shinyribs "Bolshevik Sugarcane"

The first time I booked Kevin Russell to play for us at Threadgill's, it was three years ago for our SXSW coverage on X Country (XM). He came in just as the menu specials were being written on the blackboard and before we started taping his set, he sang down the list of what was being offered that day. It was a long, involved, mouthwatering ad-lib of a riff to be sure. But that's just the kind of guy he is.

Inventive, loose, living in the moment. From MySpace, here is an, um, explanation(?) - we think self penned, "The mysterious quantity lurking in the afterglow of yesterweek. A gamey diamond of a find for any fan of the utmost mystical wooden teapot of song known as American Song Bag. A modern day renegade born of the white rice and rain in the lonely, humid southeast of Texas. Raised by Karankawan Wizards. Awarded the congressional medal of the obtuse in 1967 by then President Lyndon Johnson. Inventor of Frequency Shifter used in the growing of medicinal eggs. Educated at Glory Abounds Academy For Isothermal Static. Professor of Economic Threat Access. Steaming with uncertain attributes only seen in the general population during the Scotch-Irish domination of Western Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. Dangling participle of roots music." Well hell, THAT explains everything!

Though this is a band project, things get fuzzy when you know that Kevin is AKA Shinyribs Russell, and that he is the frontman from The Gourds. With him on stage is Keith Langford's pounding drums, Jeff Brown running on bass, and Winfield Cheek smoking the Yamaha. There is a brand new CD that came out two weeks ago called Well After Awhile, produced by George Reiff, with appearances by Ray Wylie, Mark Rubin, Bukka and Sally Allen, Scrappy Judd, Phoebe Hunt, and Michael Fracasso. And there is a video for you here of a song not on the CD. Ha-ha. If you click on the link for "Bolshevik Sugarcane," it takes you to an interesting place. What does it mean - Orwell anyone?

Kevin sends this out for all the hard work they are doing over at the capitol. Whatever capitol that might be. Remember to take you hands out of your pocket and roll like a rocket, while you groove at the end of the song to a musical lick from the Marvin Gaye tune "Hitchhike," coupled with a vocal piece of R-E-S-P-E-C-T, just a little bit!

-Jessie Scott

Austin Collins & The Rainbirds "Worn"

He is shaggy shorn, lanky and rangy, with a mischievous glint ever present in his eyes. Austin Collins is a Houston native, who made the journey to the music Mecca of Austin about ten years ago for UT, and as he says, he was lucky to get to stay. He is born to the Texas troubadour tradition, and brings warm vocals and confessional lyrics to his music. After two CD releases, 2005's Something Better, and Roses Are Black in 2008, he was named a 2009 AirPlay Direct All Things Americana winner. Just a couple of months ago, he put out his third CD, Wrong Control.

Last week, he was asked to sit in on Austin's PBS outlet KRLU to play live in between segments for the airing of American Masters: Neil Young. You can see the video on his website. I found a cool blog and glowing review of a recent excursion to Mississippi undertaken by Josh Grider, Matt Skinner and Austin at the usually snarky Farce The Music. Let us add to the growing video collection of Austin Collins with one off his latest album, as he is accompanied by The Rainbirds, Dylan McDougall and Craig Bagby, who wrote this song, "Worn."

- Jessie Scott

Stone River Boys "Bluebonnet Blue"

Summer's here and the time is right for dancing in the street. Cut to the Stone River Boys, as they tear around the States bringing their 'Country Funk' mix of R&B, trad country, and 60's bar band, that sounds about perfect. When we last wrote about them, they were still holed up in Austin, doing a happy hour residency at The Continental Club. They return there for a date on July 7th, but in the meantime they are out west, and we encourage you to spend a night out with them if you can.

The Stone River Boys new CD Love on the Dial is climbing the Americana Chart. It features 10 original songs written or co-written by Dave Gonzalez and Mike Barfield, and four other tunes, including one by Stephen Bruton. Stephen passed just over a year ago, and I am proud to say he was a friend of mine. There is an eerie feeling that Stephen still has a hand in things on this mortal coil. Grown men of otherwise even keel are telling me about visitations. And on stages all over town, when people play a Bruton tune, the tears still pour down the musicians' faces, but there is also an experience of the divine about it too. The whole story of Stephen Bruton's kindness, focus, generosity, and talent has not been written to my satisfaction yet. It comes out in bits and pieces, but suffice it to say, there was never a finer human being. The Stone River Boys chose to cover a Bruton tune, here is "Bluebonnet Blue" from Threadgill's back in March.

- Jessie Scott