British R&B crooner James Hunter brings timeless, soulful ditties to Antone’s this Wednesday. Hunter recently released The Hard Way, while 2006’s People Gonna Talk record did indeed catch the attention of many and perked up listeners’ ears both sides of the Atlantic, eventually garnering a Grammy nomination in the “Best Traditional Blues Album of the Year” category for Hunter. But this talented singer is no one-album-wonder -- he fronted Howling Wolf and the Vee-Jays in the '80s; the band had a fairly prolific even if somewhat brief career. Hunter has also collaborated with Van Morrison in the past.

Joe Pug from Chicago opens with selections from his Nation of Heat EP. With quietly plucked guitar strains and fitting harmonica accentuations aiding his story-telling, Pug evokes Bob Dylan as he saunters through a series of poignant tales. Stand-out track “Hymn 101” is a soft folk song marked by bittersweet refrains like “I’ve come to test the timbre of my heart” while also including some cheeky clever verses like “The more I buy, the more I’m bought, and the more I’m bought, the less I cost.” All in all, it should make for an introspective set of enduring, authentic Americana music.

[James Hunter MySpace]
[Joe Pug MySpace]