Maybe it all comes down to being in the right place at the right time. Maybe luck has something to do with it. Or maybe it's crafting a vintage-era sound with odes of talent that landed Hacienda a lottery ticket to musical gold.

It's no secret that The Black Keys likes to take on extra projects, and singer/guitarist Dan Auerbach is known for plucking bands right off the streets -- just ask Jessica Lea Mayfield, Radio Moscow or the Buffalo Killers.

As luck would have it, a night at Emo's in Austin would forever change the lives of Hacienda brothers Rene (guitar), Abraham (keys) and Jaime (drums) Villanueva, who have become Auerbach's biggest lovefest to date.

In a relatively short span of time, with Auerbach producing and leading the way, Hacienda has managed three albums, toured with national recording artists, once did 12 SXSW gigs in three days, landed a coveted spot on David Letterman, and even played the part of backing band for Auerbach's 2009 solo effort, Keep It Hid.

It all started with small talk about women and music on that fateful Austin night. A demo got passed around and emails went back and forth, followed by a personal invite to Auerbach's Ohio-based home studio, Akron Analog.

The result was 2008's Loud Is the Night, where Hacienda melds songs that soar, growl and stomp their way through garage rock swells via visceral grooves and vocal harmonies recalling the best of '60s doo-woop.

Their second collaboration, Big Red & Barbacoa, led the boys right back to their Tex-Mex roots with some gyrating Booker T. soul and a little amped-up Everly Brothers, resulting in a more muscular groove and proving that traditional music doesn't always have to be so damn traditional.

Last year's Shakedown, with Auerbach co-writing the songs and lashing out on guitar, creates an intense, angsty musical atmosphere that cuts deep with a Motown twist on songs like "Savage," "You Just Don't Know," and "Pilot in the Sky."

Lessons in climbing the musical ladder in just five steps with Hacienda: