SHRUBRAVO* is a musical artist that writes, produces, records, and performs their own original music. Taking cues from the styles of the 60’s, synth-laden production of the 70’s and visions of the 80’s and beyond, their aim is to capture the spirit of classic musical eras and spin it into their own niche for the modern music listener.
SHRUBRAVO* is currently signed to
Yorkhouse Records in Vista, CA.
Their biggest musical inspirations are Brian Wilson, Burt Bacharach,
John Carroll Kirby, Makoto Matushita, The Mattson 2, and Ginger Root.
Their music is most often compared to artists like HOMESHAKE, Mac DeMarco,
Unknown Mortal Orchestra,
Louis Cole, Thundercat, and Vinyl Williams.
Based in San Diego, CA, SHRUBRAVO* has shared bills in the local scene with bands such as MOANS, Aviator Stash, Lead Pony, URCHN, Auz Fontaine, The Fazes, Belladon, Heather Nation, BRUIN (Dominic Fawcett), Kahlil Nash, and SpaceWizardsInSpace, along with many others.
SHRUBRAVO* also works as a session instrumentalist, touring musician, and producer for artists across Southern California, and has performed in cities all along the west coast, as well as other national cities in the U.S.A and Mexico.
“SHRUBRAVO* is SD’s one stop shop for top notch creative musicality, radical sauce and thunderous vibes. Balanced by his personal disciplines, their music bleeds into classical revival with sprinkles of late 80’s adult oriented rock.”
- Auz Fontaine, 2023
" ... ‘How Do I Stop’ by SHRUBRAVO*, a far-out bedroom pop gem that brings a unique blend of lo-fi rock and bedroom/lo-fi pop... is a testament to his unique approach to music...”
- Death or Desire, 2023
“The 5-track project is a great experience from start to finish and falls nothing short of perfection. These tracks will leave you stuck on constant repeat for a long time. ... The atmosphere is unique, the melodies are catchy and the production and mixing are excellent ... brings a great variety of styles and tastes to his music that will not only demand your attention but will keep you coming back for more.”
- Fresh Finds - BoredCity.co, 2023
“Alexander Bravo alias SHRUBRAVO* is a talented artist from San Diego and his single ‘Wax’ is a fantastic indie / experimental pop arrangement with a funky bass line that blew me away. It also features jazzy guitars, fuzzy vocals, a chill downtempo beat and I absolutely love the trippy vibe.”
- Adrian Prath, Indie Tapes, 2022
“This lovely funky trio covers a wide range of emotions with their grooves and melodies; from euphoric serotonin boosts delivered in the psychocity pop jam, “Wakarimasen”, to some more mellow yet equally tight drums and bass flows on “Mr. Late Night Kappa”, all rounded out by some classic distorted riffage over melodic jazzy chords on the keys during the last tune, “Wax”. This performance is great and the band obviously knows how to dish out great songs at the highest level of smooth, with the grit and intimacy of a group you’d be happy to see in any setting.” - Halfway Home, 2021
“What in the living f*ck is going on here? There’s a kinda-funky, kinda-loungey keyboard sound going on here, but way too many voices seem to be overlapping one another. At one point, a voice-over explains a pun, another one calls someone a “b*tch boy” for drawing a unicorn. And that’s just the first track. The brief “Quieres Surfear” is far more accessible, with lyrics in Spanish over some Latin-tinged shoegaze, and “Fortune Cookie” is all groove. I’m not sure whether or not SHRUBRAVO* is intended to be a joke, but if it is, I don’t get it.”
- Jeff Terich, San Diego CityBeat, 2018
“Let's talk about Approachable by SHRUBRAVO*. There is so much funny and absurd shit compressed into this album. The comedic timing is on point. It's so tight, although coming from Shrub I'm not surprised. The fascinating part is the vulnerability and introspection that is seamlessly weaved into the humor. There are times when I found myself laughing at some ridiculous shit just to notice that he switched to something profound & self-critical. Speaking of the vocals, this album contain Shrub's best and most diverse vocal performances. I've got a soft spot for ridiculous falsetto and Approachable is filled with that shit, alongside more traditionally Shrubby singing (like in "¿Quieres Surfear?") and rapid switching between different deliveries. I especially enjoy his use of spoken word, which comes in a little perfectly placed bits & pieces.There's a lot less guitar on this album than I would have expected, but that expectation is really only due to focusing on Shrub's past music. When I came to visit for Christmas, it was clear that bass is currently the instrument Shrub's most passionate about, and in Approachable, it's his bass playing that shines. The bass and, to a a great extent, synth (the playing of which seems to be inspired by his approach to bass) often sound like melted Pinkberry being poured in my ears. Like, a little warmer than room temperature Pinkberry but not hot enough so as to be uncomfortable. Shrub's always been skilled in songwriting, however it's his development over the past couple years in the understanding of groove that elevates this collection of songs above everything he's shared in the past. None of this is to say that I find any flaw in the guitar that's on this album. All of it is integrated appropriately and playing w/ Shrub's usual skill & feeling. It's just good to hear it when it matters most, as opposed to it being the focus of the pieces. Approachable reminds me of what I love about Frank Zappa. There are some stylistic similarities to Zappa, e.g. the over-the-top vocals, pop pastiche, and ridiculous humor, but what resonates with me more than anything else is a similar essence. It's not funny despite its music, and it's not good despite its humor. It's, in fact, more enjoyable and impressive and effective because it is crafted with so much care and skill on both those levels.”
- Daniel Cowman, Musician/Writer 2017
Contact
Booking: shrubravo@gmail.com