Brian, I agree with you on ribs. I use raw sugar when I am brining mostly. Hence no problems with crystals.
"Sugar in the Raw" is actually Turbinado sugar. It is fairly unrefined, and contains much of the natural molasses that's found in cane sugar. I use Demerara sugar, which is similar to Turbinado, except the grains are even larger. Neither of these will work for rubs, as it would be like using canning salt in place of Kosher salt. The flavor is excellent, though, and is perfect for brines (heated and melted). I use Demerara in coffee, and prefer it over white sugar.
Another alternative to dark brown sugar is muscovado sugar. Unlike most dark brown sugar, which is just white sugar with molasses added back in, it is more unrefined sugar that keeps some of the dark sugarcane juice left in during processing. It is more sticky than brown sugar, but is a really good substitute.