Benji Hughes
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have aclose connectionwith its subject.(November 2016) |
Benji Hughes | |
|---|---|
 OfficialNew West RecordsPhoto | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Charlotte, North Carolina,United States |
| Genres | Rock,pop |
| Labels | New West,Merge |
| Website | benjihughesmusic |
Benji Hughesis an American musical artist fromCharlotte, North Carolina.His first album,A Love Extreme,was released in 2008.
A Love Extreme
[edit]On July 22, 2008, Benji Hughes released his debut album, entitledA Love ExtremeonNew West Records.A Love Extremeis a double-disc album containing 25 songs. It was recorded with producer andLos Angelessession musicianKeefus Ciancia.Hughes' live band during this period contained a rotating cast of members, including Barbara Gruska (ofJenny LewisandThe Belle Brigade) on drums; two of Hughes' former Muscadine bandmates; solo-artist and producerJonathan Wilsonon guitar and backing vocals, and Stacy Leazer on bass and backing vocals; Ciancia on keyboards; solo artist and producerJon Lindsayon keyboards and vocals,[1]and veteran Charlotte musicians Peter Gray (guitar) and David Kim (drums), among others.[2][3]The album received favorable reviews from some prominent critics, includingJon ParelesofThe New York Times[4]andChuck KlostermanofEsquire,[5]but it sold few copies.[6]
Other work
[edit]Hughes has had several songs featured in television shows, includingBeverly Hills, 90210,Chuck,How I Met Your MotherandEastbound & Down(the song, "Kenny", was released as a single on April 12, 2012). Hughes was also a contributing songwriter for the 2007 filmWalk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.
Hughes made a cameo appearance in the 2009 filmGentlemen Broncosas Benjamin Purvis' father, only ever depicted in a photograph.[citation needed]
In 2011 Hughes appeared onJeff Bridges'sself-titled country album.He also appeared onMeshell Ndegeocello's albumWeather,contributing vocals on two songs and receiving writing credit on three.
Hughes released four new albums via his website in November 2014.XXOXOXX,Songs in the Key of Animals,andOXOXOXOXOXare bundled as a set on 4 CDs or a flash drive.LILILILis a children's concept album set in outer space available as a separate purchase on Compact Disc only.[7]XXOXOXXandOXOXOXOXOXwere later re-released under the namesAnother ExtremeandA Lover's Extreme(not to be confused with 2008'sA Love Extreme) respectively on May 8, 2020.
In August 2015, it was announced that Hughes signed toMerge Recordsand would release a new full-length album in 2016.[8]The album,Songs in the Key of Animals,was released in 2016.
On May 8, 2020, alongside re-releases ofXXOXOXXandOXOXOXOXOX,Hughes released "Spirit Guide", a 47-minute long single.
Reception
[edit]Hughes' work has received critical praise.[9]Los Angeles Timescritic Mikael Wood called him "something of a cult hero thanks to his brilliant and demented pop records."[10]A 2009 profile of Hughes inThe Believercalled Hughes "one of the best pop songwriters in America, a musical autodidact and a heavy-hearted leonine balladeer whose confessions from the world off277will break your heart. "[6]A lengthy 2014 profile byNew Yorkmusic criticJody Rosencommented that Hughes's extensive following among other musicians and other celebrities was such that "[h]e may have as many famous admirers as civilian ones", and praised his songs for "the way they toss together zingy pop-culture references and traditionalist songcraft; their blend of hepcat shagginess and poetic precision; and especially the mix of wry and lavishly romantic, of tongue-in-cheek and heart-on-sleeve."[11]
Discography
[edit]Studio albums
[edit]- A Love Extreme(2008)
- OXOXOXOXOX(renamedA Lover's Extremefor 2020 reissue) (2014)
- XXOXOXX(renamedAnother Extremefor 2020 reissue) (2014)
- LILILIL(2014)
- Songs in the Key of Animals(2016)
Singles
[edit]- "Spirit Guide" (2020)
References
[edit]- ^"Video premiere:" Little Queen Drum Machine "by Jon Lindsay".Bigtakeover.
- ^[1][dead link]
- ^Diablo, El."Guess who's playing at dinner".Clclt.
- ^Jon Pareles,"Partners, First-Timers, Next-Steppers",The New York Times,July 13, 2008.
- ^Chuck Klosterman,"Benji Hughes: A Singer for All Worldviews",Esquire,March 12, 2009.
- ^abJoe Hagan,"The Ballad of Benji Hughes",The Believer,July/August 2009.
- ^"Ciancia Management - Benji Hughes".Archived fromthe originalon 2 August 2013.Retrieved14 August2013.
- ^"Benji Hughes announces new 7-inches, tour dates & signing to Merge".Mergerrecords.Retrieved24 August2015.
- ^Helen Schwab,"The Benji Hughes reaction",The Charlotte Observer,February 18, 2016 (excerpts reviews of Hughes 1995–2016).
- ^Mikael Wood,"At the Bootleg Theater, Benji Hughes lets it all hang out",Los Angeles Times,February 5, 2016.
- ^Jody Rosen,"Meet Benji Hughes, the Best Songwriter You've Never Heard Of",Vulture,April 8, 2014.
External links
[edit]- Benji Hughes Artist Site
- New West Records: official website
- Benji Hughes on Myspace
- Kenny single on iTunes
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
