Singer-songwriter Todd Snider may seem to be a bit unusual — even his reason for getting started in music seems odd.

“When I first started singing, it was sort of this admission that there’s nothing for me to do in this world,” Snider said to the San Luis Obispo (Calif.) Tribune. “So if I’m going to be the biggest failure at something, I might as well be the biggest failure at something I really like.”

Although Snider, who performs Feb. 1-2 at John Ascuaga’s Nugget, comes off as being goofy, his irreverent wit and keen observations on political and social issues have built a loyal following.

Fans will find more of his satirical spins on “Peace, Love and Anarchy,” a 2007 album of rarities, B-sides and demos. The collection of odds-and-ends features Snider pondering middle age on “Combover Blues” and having fun with haiku on “Dinner Plans.”

Snider’s 2006 album, “The Devil You Know,” was critically acclaimed, ranking No. 33 in Rolling Stone magazine’s Top 50 albums of 2006, according to a press release. The album about the down-and-out delves into subjects such as manual labor, prostitution, crime, fidelity, politics and religion, according to Snider’s Web site.

“At first, this whole record was a reaction to living in a country at war,” he said. “But I didn’t want to do the typical war stuff that we’re hearing now. Didn’t want to say ‘Bush,’ ‘Iraq,’ any of it. No ‘Give Peace a Chance’ because as much as I love John Lennon’s reaction to early Bob Dylan, my favorite reaction to early Bob Dylan was Bob Dylan’s. So with that in mind, I pulled the camera back and found poverty under certainty of religion.”

Snider, 41, has a way of breathing heartbreak and sadness — along with his wry humor — into his songs’ characters. His songwriting draws from his past struggles with addictions and stints in rehab.

“I just have as much fun trying to live them out as trying to write them,” he told the (Nashville) Tennessean in a 2005 interview.

Born in Portland, Ore., Snider moved to Santa Rosa, Calif., where he learned to play the harmonica, according to a press release. Snider decided music was his calling after seeing progressive country singer Jerry Jeff Walker perform at an Austin, Texas, bar.

During a mid-’80s stint in Memphis, Tenn., he was discovered by Keith Sykes, a member of Jimmy Buffet’s Coral Reefer Band. When Buffet heard Snider’s demos, he signed him to his Margaritaville Records.

Snider gained attention in 1994 with his debut album “Songs from the Daily Planet.” He had a minor hit with the hidden track “Talkin’ Seattle Grunge Rock Blues,” a satire of the grunge scene, according to All Music Guide.

With eight albums in his catalog and constant touring, Snider’s been a success, although that may not be his goal.

“You know, I’ve never had any goals,” he said to the Sunday Oregonian (Portland, Ore.). “I have one goal now, and that’s not to have any from here on out.”