Shakey Graves/Nikki Lane

Quirky singer-songwriter Shakey Graves (the stage name of Alejandro Rose-Garcia) emerged last year when his single "Dearly Departed," which he recently performed live on Conan and The Late Show With David Letterman, cracked the Top 5 at AAA Radio alongside acts such as Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Alabama Shakes, and Florence & the Machine. The song, which comes from last years And The War Came, has the garage rock feel of the White Stripes but goes for something folkier. It’s a great track (and boasts a funny video featuring ghosts). He’s rightly been dubbed a “rising folk hero.” (Niesel)