Digging Graves

Shakey Graves
Shakey Graves. Photo by Todd Cooper

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.