Loser Life If people aren’t sufficiently sick of seeing the whole Bastard Baby musical analogy yet, allow me to say that Loser Life could be the John Doe spawn of the Riverdales and Minor Threat, if, say, the Riverdales had also slept around with Black Flag circa My War, and maybe some random, mustached college kid with an armload of Suicidal Tendencies sides and the original vinyl of Zen Arcade. Fun shit, regardless. With Lowbrow, Meth Mountain. Lunchbox Records (Timothy C. Davis)

Benji Hughes Kid Crooner does a two-night stand at a venue that affords him serious home-court advantage. What that means live, as any who’ve seen him in Snug’s snug confines know, is a loosey-goosey Hughes free to wander off the script (and stage) because his crack East coast band – ex-Muscadine mate Stacy Leazar on bass, time-keeper extraordinaire David Kim, keyboards whiz kid Jon Phillips and guitar hero Peter Gray – is good enough to reel him back in. If you haven’t heard Hughes’ summer-iffic A Love Extreme yet – what the hell are you waiting for? With the Poontanglers on the 3rd, and the Troublewalkers on the 4th. Snug Harbor (John Schacht)

311 The rap rockers are returning on the band’s annual summer Unity Tour. This time around, they’re bringing along Ziggy Marley. While one hopes that an onstage collaboration would be done with some of the tour partners, I haven’t witnessed it the last two years. The band plays a variety of hits from their albums over a long set, but they’re sure to break out tunes from their new album, Uplifter, too. I can guarantee the new single, “Hey You,” will be in there somewhere. Now, if I could only guarantee that they would still end their show with “Fuck the Bullshit”… It’s just not the same without it. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (Jeff Hahne)

Sugar Glyder Sugar Glyder is proof that UNCC can produce more than architects and business majors. Following in the footsteps of other UNCC alum, The Sammies, Sugar Glyder seem poised to become one of the next big things in music. Surely it won’t be long before we hear them in the background while one of our favorite TV characters has a revelation, dances around in their underwear, or well, something. You’ll hear some tunes off the band’s new CD, too, since this is the release party. With Terminal Reynaldo and Atriumantra. Tremont Music Hall (Sam Webster)

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Stephen Marley
A son of reggae legend Bob Marley, Stephen spent his early years with elder brother Ziggy and the Melody Makers and many more behind the boards as producer and idea generator on numerous reggae, hip-hop and R&B recordings. Stephen Marley’s debut solo from a couple years back, Mind Control, showcased his love and understanding of roots reggae infused with dancehall, rap and soul. Amos’ Southend (Samir Shukla)

Pride Parade
This is some heeeavyyy rock. Could be the triple guitar assault kicking ass with an unholy mix of garage, punk, and psychedelic hard rock. The Athens, Ga., outfit’s barrage is honed with just the right shade of growly vocals and rhythm. The band’s recording from last year, Descendants, is a six-string rock monster further unhinged with the help of Harvey Milk’s Kyle Spence’s engineering touch. With Reverser and Chamelon. Milestone (Samir Shukla)

Benji Hughes
Charlotte scenesters have known of Hughes’ considerable songwriting chops since his days in Muscadine (alongside his co-Alice in Indieland, Jonathan Wilson, who’s also doing quite well for himself these days) and the slow-honkin’ The Goldenrods. Why, then, is Hughes just now beginning to get his just rewards (late night TV, Chuck Klosterman articles in Esquire, solid-if-unspectacular record sales)? To these ears, it’s because the Pete Seeger of Plaza Midwood’s artistic and musical boundaries, ever loosely-penned, are now sketched completely in invisible ink. Having spent time in LA’s hipster-thick Silver Lake neighborhood, Hughes, freed from need, followed his muse outside the bar and up the spiral stairs into his own head. His lyrics, always as well-penned as any this town has ever boasted, are now matched with an eclectic musical ear that isn’t afraid to use all the crayons in the box – or, if you will, records in his record collection. Long may he languidly lounge. Petra’s Piano Bar and Cabaret (Timothy C. Davis)

Stephen Marley

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Local singer-songwriter Benji Hughes is getting a lot of Love these days. The latest comes from Chuck Klosterman and a review in Esquire.

If you didn’t see him last weekend at the Visulite, be sure and catch him the next time around!

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Charlottean Benji Hughes has gotten a fair share of love from national magazines since his album, A Love Extreme, hit the streets.

Spin, Rolling Stone and Blender all gave the album high marks, listed it in albums to check out or gave praise in other ways.

The lastest issue of Blender gives him more kudos as he is included in a list of the top songs of the year and is in Jenny Lewis’ list of top songs of the year as well.

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Charlotte’s Benji Hughes keeps getting the love. He won a few “Best of” awards in the current edition, and his new CD, A Love Extreme, has been given four stars by Rolling Stone.

Well deserved!

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