6/16/15

Danny Barnes "if I was you, I'd get this..."

Danny took time out his his touring schedule to scribble a few thoughts about my debut solo release "Southern Discomfort," now available on iTunes and CD Baby:



bad livers, 2000
"mark rubin is a very smart and talented fellow. i feel we are like brothers...that grew up together in a van, driving around the US. i've been really excited for him to put out these great songs because he's got a lot to say with his art and he has a great vision for it. we all have to just keep putting the music where our mouth is and keep putting stuff out, there's really nothing else to do. or that can be done, we have to keep working and improving. he sounds really great here and has a good eye for the overall effect. if i was you, i'd get this."

Keep up with Danny at his blog and check out his cassette Only label Minner Bucket Records.













6/12/15

Unsolicited Advice to a young American Jew

(Here's a new series, poetic responses. Some are song ideas, some just free verse. This was inspired by Bernie Saunders citizenship being questioned simply because he's a Jew.)


Unsolicited Advice to a young American Jew

When you’re better off rich and guilty than innocent and poor
Then it’s time to go

When they pass laws that directs who you can or cannot marry
Then it’s time to go

When terrible ideas about race and immigration are considered mainstream
Then it’s time to go

When the goyim no longer value art and culture, not even their own
Then it’s time to go

When they say that protecting a paycheck trumps clean drinking water
Then it’s time to go

When ignorance and stupidity are routinely rewarded and violence is celebrated
Then it’s time to go

When you’re forced to explain your stance on Eretz Yirsroel
Then it’s time to go           

When the privileged begin to  portray themselves as real victims
Then it’s time to go

When sexism is so deeply ingrained in culture, that you almost forgot to mention it
Then it’s time to go

When you’re the racist whenever you correctly identify racism
Then it’s time to go

Either pack and expatriate, or register and vote, either way
It’s time to go













6/5/15

Shinyribs chimes in on "Southern Discomfort"

There are few people in music that I've known longer than Kevin Russell. Way back in the late 80's, he lead the Picket Line Coyotes in Shreveport, then Dallas where we neighbors. I had just joined the brand new Killbilly and both bands found ourselves playing together often, even sharing a booking agent for a time. When Dallas seemed to lose its steam, we we both landed in Austin around the same time where I founded Bad Livers with Danny Barnes and not long after he got his Gourds rolling. Always close by, always doing something cool. 

I always tried to doing something musical with my buds, and he had me come and play on his first solo outing for Sugar Hill Records when he was still transitioning as "Kev Russell," not fully Shinyribbed yet. Even took me to Holland to play a festival, where the show was running late and I played the tuba for three tunes; to date the furthest I've gone to be paid so well to do the least. Years later I've played a few dates with him in a fun acoustic trio version of Shinyribs before he found his current groove and recorded another record. He's expanded into more of a rock and roll show these day and has released a fine CD "Okra Candy" you should check out. Seems like he's on a roll lately and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy. However he took time out from his mighty busy schedule to listen to my debut release and here's what he had to say:





"Mark Rubin has created a masterpiece of American dark humor and grief. A bucket of personal history thrown into the wagons,mixed with the southern subterranean gravy of love and loathing. Since leaving Austin for New Orleans he has somehow managed to position himself as the Godzilla of Gypsy Juke N' Tuba Two-Step."


Thanks Kev!