Shakey Graves

Shakey Graves is the moniker of Texas based songwriter Alejandro Rose-Garcia. Very well crafted songs somewhere between Edward Shape & the Magnetic Zeros and rawness of Michael Hurley recordings.
There could be some more names dropped, but who cares. This album is so eclectic from sparse blues stuff to more modern Indie Folk. So check it out and maybe you like to help him to kickstart his project making a real record in a real studio. To get into this, download his album on Name your Price base off bandcamp - DFBM

I have a challenge for you. Google “Shakey Graves” and see what you can find. Basically nothing right? You can google my own high school band and get more results. The most valid thing is the bandcamp (WHICH YOU SHOULD GO TO NOW AND DOWNLOAD THIS ALBUM) but seriously…everyone has bandcamps. I had been listening to him for a few months when I met a guy in Austin who, when he saw that I had him in my library, got excited saying that “Shakey” was a childhood friend of his. So, despite his absence on the internet I have confirmation that the guy does exist and the music isn’t just coming from the gods.

Get this now and SERIOUSLY pay for it. I know it’s name your own price but throw a few bucks to the guy. I think he might have a studio recording coming out around Christmas this year (“but hey who really knows?”).

http://shakeygraves.bandcamp.com/album/roll-the-bones - WRBC radio

“Come skin your knees with us; life’s too short for a business lunch.”

Is that Neil Young singing backup?” I heard him sqwaking real low on “I’m on Fire” or so I thought. Instead, it turned out to be just another choral arrangement written and pitch-perfectly performed by Shakey Graves. Shakey Graves’ album, “Roll the Bones,” is available now on Bandcamp for any price you think it’s worth (name your own).

I was introduced by Daniel Harris (of Doctors Fox and solo fame) a couple of months ago and have been hooked like a fish on the lure. I don’t usually get into lyrics that much and I realized it’s because there are truly few lyricists out there. Shakey Graves is a lyricist.

In his live performance, Shakey Graves not only plays on words; but, he also plays on melody, structure, and tone. Watch his YouTube videos after buying the album and listening to it for a while; you’ll see this play out from the jaunty perspective of a camera atop a tambourine atop a hi hat. The background tosses and the singer waves. The guitar floats hastily and the tune shakes us to our graves.

“Sell your belongings, all your clever drawings, and try to make a dollar from the grave. Try to forget all those enemies and debts. They’ll always chase you around and give you sour dreams.” - The Unsigned

It’s been a long time since I’ve heard something and become immediately obsessed with it. Often times I’ll hear new music and think “Wow, this is good stuff” or maybe “Yeah, I dig this. This is nice”. It’s not everyday that I listen to something and think “What the fuck is this and why isn’t everyone listening to this right now”. I was fortunate enough to have this happen over the long holiday and haven’t stopped listening since then, like, in a weird obsessive compulsive fashion that’s probably bizarre and most definitely unhealthy. I love it. Now I’m an honest dude and I have to give credit where credit is due, so this find is totally thanks to Ms. Sam Kramer over at the Folk Hive. I really can’t thank her enough for introducing me to Shakey Graves . They were new to me, probably new to you, and you should most definitely take a listen.

Shakey Graves / Built to Roam
Shakey Graves / I’m On Fire (Bruce Springsteen Cover)
Shakey Graves / Roll the Bones

Shakey Gravesis Alejandro Rose-Garcia, a Texas born gentleman currently residing in Los Angeles….annnddddd that’s pretty much the extent of his bio. Seriously. He has a myspace and a bandcamp and the rest is left to the imagination, which maybe makes the music so much more intriguing and interesting…and how interesting and intriguing it is! My goodness. As I over-stated in the paragraph above, his debut collection of songs Roll the Bones won’t leave my headphones and recently I’ve found myself trying not to listen to them to try and save my sanity.

On first listen to Roll the Bones, there’s a lo-fi warmth and almost lackadaisical air to the songs that could make or break it for some listeners. Guitars are a bit out of tune (maybe due to analog tape). Vocal lines get a bit muddy with numerous overdubs. This shit ain’t clean, that’s for sure. I personally love lo-fi quality so my ears perked up a bit and I was ready to meet this cowboy head on. With continued listening, it became quite clear that what I at first categorized as lackadaisical or sloppy production, seems to be by choice, whether preference or stylistic in nature. Hard to say. I don’t really give a shit because it sounds awesome and this guy is definitely no slouch on guitar, banjo, and vocally – quite the opposite, really. The collection of songs are impressively complex with multiple guitar layers, chorused vocals, and masterful song writing. I mean the hooks are plenty and they are effective, be it a melodic change, clever lyrics, or cascading back up vocals. Track “Built to Roam” has claimed it’s spot as cream of crop for all of those reasons. I’m pretty positive that every song I listened to, at some point, I said “Wow. That’s really really awesome” I was impressed with every song and that’s a really hard feat to accomplish even with the most famous bands around.

Now I’ve talked about the style of Shakey Graves, but you might be asking, “Hey, what’s this shit sound like”? Yeah, that’s a good question. The whole affair has a definite Texan, Western Frontier vibe to it. Plucked guitars and lazy banjo over top hands slapping against knees and thighs and I can smell the dry dusty air of the West. There’s also a freak-folk, or psych-folk, label in there somewhere, especially with some of Rose-Garcia’s vocals reminding me of Devendra Banhart (but way better, way catchier, way more accessible), with a hushed Elliott Smith whisper just to make it a bit more complex. All of the tunes are quiet acoustic, but all have a strangeness to them, a mood that is almost psychotic in nature, which in my opinion is what really makes these songs shine. His cover of Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire” is downright scary. It’s like we’re stuck in this blurry Texan fever dream. They’re insane and insanely catchy at the same time.

So a few of my favorites are above and guess what!? You can name your own price for this record on his Bandcamp site. This shit is easily worth a million dollars with every listen. Seriously. There’s 10 songs and 2 bonus tracks supposedly off his upcoming release. Check out his myspace, his facebook page, and hope to Jesus that he releases some more songs ASAP or else I’m going to crazy listening to this over and over again.
- Draw Us Lines

I love bands that talk about dirt, mud, rust and dust in their songs… You know they are connected to what is right about the world. Hailing from Texas, Shakey Graves is part of what makes music tangible, and they are known for putting together simply perfect tunes, part folky, bluesy, jazzy indie poppy… Lovely. Alejandro Rose-Garcia is the man behind the graves, and his manner in which he puts this lo-fi production together should be noted by all song-writers – less is more for sure. However, he needs help in the funding a real studio album; help a brother out and donate today. - BOLACHAS.ORG

Hometown: Austin, Texas
Members: Alejandro Rose-Garcia
Album: Roll The Bones
For Fans Of: Devendra Banhart, Iron and Wine, Sufjan Stevens

Shaking things up in the folk world is Shakey Graves, a Texas native producing one-of-a-kind freak-folk music. I recently interviewed Alejandro Rose-Garcia, the mastermind responsible for this amazing sound.
___________________________________________________

Who or what inspired the single off your record?

SG: I don't really have a single, but I suppose if I had to pick, I would choose "Built To Roam". That song is straight up about the personality of different cities and the mindset of never feeling settled.

I got shook pretty hard by Los Angeles and New York has taken all my loot in the past, but I love both those cities to death.

The song is about how I constantly end up returning to those cities, like abusive ex girlfriends that you crawl home to in moments of major weakness or absurd confidence.


Are you planning on touring or recording in the next six months?

SG: I'm in the process of recording and refurbishing music for my second full length release, which will take the rest of the year to polish off and I would LOVE to hop out on a tour. Right now, I have been keeping my nose to the grindstone by playing as many shows as possible in Austin. But, a large part of my heart still lives in New York, part lives in the western United States, parts of my sanity live up in Chicago and Wisconsin, and my balls live in Mexico. So, yeah, I'll have to go tour soon.


What would your biggest fan say about your music?

SG: That they can't put their finger on it, but the music sounds like it's always simply been there, just waiting.

What has been your craziest show experience?

SG: Years ago, I was playing Shakey Graves music with a trio called Shakey Graves and The Albacores. We had a show at a place called the 21st Street Co-Op which is a notoriously psychedelically saturated tree house style complex on University of Texas campus, rife with nudity and "alternative folks." Basically it looks like the ewok village.

They were having a wild cartoonish party with tons of naked people painted blue for some reason, as well as your average drunk college students. We were playing loud and sloppy to a loud and sloppy room and my friends were all in the front row throwing keg cups and bottles at me for support.

Eventually, I tried to kick at one of them, lost my balance, and decided to dive into them mid song. I went down kicking, guitar and all, and the front row just sort of collapsed into a laughing beer soaked pile.

Right after that, a naked guy painted entirely blue came up to us and told us that me and my friends were too crazy and needed to leave.

What fictional character would you say is most like you?

SG: My right hand is like Muggsy Bogues in Space Jam. My left hand is like Charles Barkley in Space Jam, and the rest of me is like James Cagney. But since those are all real people, I'd say I'm most like Otis, the dog. - Green Light Go Music Publicity

When your pocket’s filled with dollar bills, your heart forgets to eat.

In the current sea of technically remarkable music, it’s easy to overlook those who keep simplicity in their crosshairs. These are the guys making sure that above all else, over-complication is kept under wraps in order to retain an organic, true-to-life feeling. It’s the dynamic arising from musicians performing together, feeding off of one another in the same room, a phenomenon that leads to a product that supersedes any single musician’s abilities.

It’s that back-to-basics mentality that many musicians are afraid to tackle, trading in any thought of restraint for over-complicated, hard-to-follow music that ends up falling flat due to more of a lack of humility than talent. When pride is kept in check, as Shakey Graves so eloquently demonstrates on their indie-folk gem Roll the Bones, the final product is one that simply can’t be put down.

With Roll the Bones, Shakey Graves illustrate that an album doesn’t need catchy singles or walls of noise to make music stick with the listener. At the same time, boredom fails to strike, as song length and structure variation are always kept in check. Thoughtfully simplistic acoustic arrangements spiced with vocals filled to the brim with character saturate the album end to end. Vocal styles change throughout, ranging from the layered crooning in opening track “Unlucky Skin”, to the deep, thundering blues-influenced “City in a Bottle”.

Only a few instruments make an appearance on Roll the Bones, with hardly a percussive element to be heard. Collective hand claps and gang vocals permeate the album, being lead the way by beautifully simplistic melodies. The sound quality of the individual tracks, however, has a distinct feeling of inconsistency, as if they were all recorded in separate locations at different volumes. Perhaps that was the feeling that they were going for (keeping with the simplistic theme) but I believe that it hurts an otherwise fantastic effort.

On the whole, Roll the Bones is a pleasurable listen from beginning to end. These guys have created something genuinely beautiful in its simplicity, a testament to the fact that music doesn’t need expertly designed song structure and performance to effectively enthrall an audience. Roll the Bones has a distinct sense of emotion, something that cannot be manufactured, bottled and shipped the way that much of what we listen to is today.

*Update – I spoke with Shakey quickly today and he mentioned that the “band” I keep mentioning in the review is actually just him making the music. - Bandcamps Best

Shakey Graves is amazing. A bold statement but one that I am fairly certain will be shared by all of you who read this post and then go on to listen to his first album “Roll The Bones”. He is also incredibly elusive in an online sense, a small facebook page and a presence on myspace suggests little more than a small up and coming artist, however just hearing the first track on this debut album suggests something very different, an exciting jumble of southern folk and haunting vocals.

I actually discovered this album by pure chance one night whilst skimming over the lo-fi section on bandcamp. The album was sitting there in the recommended section and liking the name I took a chance and clicked on the play button. I was immediately introduced to a mesmerising opening 30 seconds, which soon became a minute, then the whole second track and before I knew it, I had handed over some of my cash and was playing the album loudly through my living room stereo.

This Shakey Graves character is quite a mystery, all I can tell you through visiting various blogs (all who share my appreciation) is that his real name
is Alejandro Rose-Garcia and that he is a man of Texas heritage who is now living in Los Angeles . No doubt as time passes more people will hear his stunning debut hopefully revealing a little bit more about the man in the process.

Go and check out Roll the Bones by Shakey Graves now on BandCamp. It will cost what you can afford so you really have no excuses and it will keep him in clean socks and bread. - Tuckshop Radio

Shakey Graves is amazing. A bold statement but one that I am fairly certain will be shared by all of you who read this post and then go on to listen to his first album “Roll The Bones”. He is also incredibly elusive in an online sense, a small facebook page and a presence on myspace suggests little more than a small up and coming artist, however just hearing the first track on this debut album suggests something very different, an exciting jumble of southern folk and haunting vocals.

I actually discovered this album by pure chance one night whilst skimming over the lo-fi section on bandcamp. The album was sitting there in the recommended section and liking the name I took a chance and clicked on the play button. I was immediately introduced to a mesmerising opening 30 seconds, which soon became a minute, then the whole second track and before I knew it, I had handed over some of my cash and was playing the album loudly through my living room stereo.

This Shakey Graves character is quite a mystery, all I can tell you through visiting various blogs (all who share my appreciation) is that his real name
is Alejandro Rose-Garcia and that he is a man of Texas heritage who is now living in Los Angeles . No doubt as time passes more people will hear his stunning debut hopefully revealing a little bit more about the man in the process.

Go and check out Roll the Bones by Shakey Graves now on BandCamp. It will cost what you can afford so you really have no excuses and it will keep him in clean socks and bread. - Tuckshop Radio

Our friend in sin, Christian, casually slipped this under the syffal.com office door. Seeing as how we don't have an office door, it was pretty sly of that scarred fiend to do so. What he left, besides the weird blood patterns and the smell of meth, was perhaps one of the best reasons why people who are constantly looking for great music KEEP fucking LOOKING.

Shakey Graves is an enigma to us. His bandcamp page says this Roll the Bones album was released in 1987. Tim was in college at that point and I still hadn't discovered masturbation, so if the 1987 date is in fact true, well, then this dude has a pretty fucking shitty manager/publicist.

But I don't fucking care. This is exactly what I needed in my life this summer. When everything feels so fucking over-produced and forced, Shakey Graves saunters into the room in a pair of biking shorts and sipping a tepid Tab. Dude sits there in front of you and effortlessly plays the most comfortable sounding guitar folk shit you've ever fucking heard. His guitar might be a bit out of tune and he might smell like what you were taught not to smell like, but you stay put.

The effect this Roll the Bones album has had on me these past few days is noticeable.

I've given up speed walking, in favor of sitting on this here rocking chair I've named "rockin' chair", m'hm.

I've put spittoons in every room in the house, even though none of my kids have taken to the chaw just yet, m'hm.

I've removed all fast food from my diet, and in its stead have begun cooking using the sun, rock salt and that vat over there of the cane sugar, m'hm.

I'm a brand new man ya' see, m'hm.

Shakey Graves cured me of my ailments of being a regular piece of shit American music fan. I'm now focused on the important shit, like sittin' a spell, casually alluding casualness, and askin' fer another round using only two fingers placed in the air wiggled twice at the bartender, Shirley I think is her name.

This guy Shakey Graves, and his "lo-fi country" music, is exactly what YOU need in your life to slow you the Fuck down. You're doing it all wrong. You're moving too fucking fast.

Slow the Fuck down. Let ol' Shakey show ya' how, m'hm. - SYFFAL

Every time I think the folk genre has been beaten into the ground as a tired platform, I'm blown away by a voice so wholly unique and unequivocally original I can't help but fall in love all over again. Shakey Graves—the nom de plume of Los Angeles via Texas songwriter Alejandro Rose-Garcia—wields a one of a kind voice that stings with a dark whispery howl and crackle of seduction. The fingerpicked guitar work—soulful and bluesy—and production—loosely layered, and colored with the sparse and shadowy intimacy of an empty motel hallway—prove equally well matched here.

Roll The Bones is Rose-Garcia's debut collection of songs, and while the standout tracks are all originals like the displaced and apathetic "Built To Roam" ("here I come, bored and lazy") and the old timey feverishly hand-clapped "Proper Fence," it's his cover of the Boss's "I'm On Fire" that merits discussion. What's so impressive about the oft-covered song is its simple but atypical recording. Rather than strumming his way through the track, a pronounced acoustic bass riff takes the forefront appropriately creeping its way through the song, accentuating the dark and seedier elements of the narration. Discounting Springsteen's original, it's the most memorable take on the classic cut I've heard (sorry AA Bondy). Considering the album is often comprised of nothing more than a banjo or guitar and Rose-Garcia's vocals, it's richness is truly astounding. - Everybody Taste

I have a well-documented aversion to Red 7 due to its horrific indoor sound quality, but I think I may have to overcome that in the name of the Backbeat Magazine Block Party. The line-up, as Dan laid out yesterday, is unbelievable, featuring many of our favorite Austin musicians, and many more amazing local standouts. Fortunately, though, Red 7 is not the only place you have to go to see awesome Austin artists; the Beauty Bar and the Side Bar are both showcasing tons of great music, including yesterday’s featured band: Wild Child. One of the other acts you could catch at the Beauty Bar – right after Wild Child, in fact – is Shakey Graves, which is the stage name for Alejandro Rose-Garcia.

I haven’t really followed freak folk since Devendra Banhart’s Rejoicing the Hands or the early Animal Collective recordings. However, Shakey Graves picks up where those artists left off without missing a beat. Rose-Garcia writes intricate melodic lines for his banjo or guitar, and matches those with haunting vocal melodies. Yet, he is more than just a man with a guitar. He layers his vocals into choruses that sometimes sing out of time or that talk to one another. He also isn’t afraid to work with spoken-word samples, or to throw a live recording into his studio album (one which features horns!). As a sometime-songwriter myself, I have felt bored with the “limitations” of solo acoustic guitar writing recently, but Rose-Garcia proves that I’m just not thinking creatively enough – there’s still plenty of ground to cover in that medium.

Shakey Graves’ creativity may be best on display on his inventive cover of “I’m on Fire” by Bruce Springsteen. It’s only recognizable from the lyrics, which follow the same rough melodic contour of the original; instead, the song takes on a stripped-down life of its own. As a fan of cool covers, this has undoubtedly piqued my interest. But then a song like “Business Lunch” shows that this same spirit is extended to Rose-Garcia’s original material. You can get his album from last year, Roll the Bones, here for any price (including free!) while you await his next release – slated for this December. Oh, and of course Shakey Graves is one of the many exciting artists you can check out tomorrow at the Backbeat Magazine Block Party. See y’all there!

-Carter - OVRLD

I first found out about Shakey Graves through his cover of Bruce Springsteen’s I’m on Fire and I’ve yet to hear a track from him that doesn’t stop me in my tracks and have me reaching for the repeat button - Hi54lofi

Put Roll The Bones on your list of ditties you should be listening to if you’d like to achieve musically enlightened status. - Folkhive: 6am Repeat

A friend of a friend of a friend was Shakey Graves. I knew someone who knew someone who knew Shakey. I was told that we lived a few miles apart in Northeast LA and that I should get out to see his music. After a few months of missing out, I finally asked Shakey to play a show that I was producing. Instantly, I could see why those who have heard him, want to hear him over and over.

Shakey Graves is unassuming and natural. A west Texas playboy that finds his story in wayward travel and dusty, old bars. With just a guitar or banjo in hand, Shakey Graves is a musical storyteller. Just like those legends we all still revere -- Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and Waylon Jennings.

- Hear the Unheard

Shakey Graves, contrary to the plural nomenclature, is native-Texan Alejandro Rose-Garcia. He took stage as friends trickled in, but played with the heart of a guy who sold out the venue. After some manual difficulties involving an untunable guitar, Rose-Garcia showed us what he’s made of. This guy is straight from the past, complete with picturesque lyrics, a pure folksy voice dotted with oohs and hums, and some talented banjo picking. He was utterly charming in his quiet nervousness, and had the growing audience listening to every note from beginning to end. - LA RECORD