Digging Graves

Austin singer-songwriter Alejandro Rose-Garcia, better known as Shakey Graves, wants to scratch all of your respective itches. Drawing from myriad sounds that prove difficult to solidly place a finger on, he dwells in a dusty sonic landscape somewhere between Two Gallants and M. Ward.

However, Graves has never needed the aid of a Zooey Deschanel to lure out or take the blame for his pop sensibility.

If the lo-fi production and suitcase kick-drum of Grave’s 2011 debut LP, Roll The Bones, projected him to runaway indie-folk success, then his home-recorded 2012 follow up EP, Donor Blues, only served to cement that status.

The DIY production of his music and word-of-mouth promotion allowed listeners to feel as if they themselves had discovered Graves, and the musician has found himself playing to a growing and increasingly rabid fan base — a fan base that might not take too kindly to a slick studio album.

The following record, 2014’s And The War Came, is a flawless folk-country record with layer upon layer of subtle influences, ranging from rock to Brit-pop to indie. The production is unapologetically polished, and despite initial critical hemming and hawing, the advance single “Dearly Departed” was met with more than 2 million streams on Spotify before the record was released, debuting at number eight on Billboard’s Independent Albums Chart.

It looks like Shakey Graves might just be onto something big.

Folk-quartet The Barr Brothers join Shakey Graves 8 pm Tuesday, May 26, at McDonald Theatre; $15. All ages.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!