Losers and Bastards is the new album from alt.blues/roots musician Craig Hughes (see below for press quotes about Craig). A Channel Nowhere release, the album was recorded in June/July 2013 at 16 Ohm Studio in Glasgow, produced by Craig with Tommy Duffin (Headless Kross, Atomgevitter, Ex-Cathedra, The Plimptons). Tommy also plays drums and percussion on the album. Losers and Bastards highlights Craig's signature mix of melancholy, aggression and dark humour, featuring stomp alt.blues, country and sombre balladry, while displaying influences from flamenco and Celtic folk through Let It Bleed-era Rolling Stones, Neil Young & Crazyhorse and Dinosaur Jr. The track-listing is: Happy Man Cries, Jam Jar Wasp Trap, Last Orders (When I Die), Dressed in Rags, Future After All, Beans and Bread, White Water, Everybody's Got to Cheat and Lie Sometimes, A Strongman and an Acrobat and Wood and Wire. The release of Losers and Bastards tops off a very busy year for Craig which started with the success of his Hard Times: Volume 1 release. Named Blues EP of 2012 by Canada's Blues Underground Network, the EP received great reviews online and in print while two of its tracks - Left To Crawl and Cave Full Of Woman Bones - were featured on consecutive editions of Classic Rock Presents: The Blues Magazine's compilation CD. Then came co-production and guitar/backing vocal duties on Jim Dead's I'm Not Lost which led to more critical acclaim (including a well reviewed live performance in its support). Soon after that came the free download single Old Witch Cast A Spell and live shows with heavy rock trio Dog Moon Howl who are currently preparing to record their first album in late 2013. *** PRESS QUOTES As tough as Tarantino and as warped as David Lynch, his stomping fuzzed-up alt.blues is uncompromising stuff that packs one hell of a punch. - Classic Rock Presents: The Blues Magazine (UK) April 2013 Craig Hughes has won praise far and wide for his uncompromising and powerful strum, the grisly and unflinching burr of his blues. - Classic Rock Presents: The Blues Magazine (UK) February 2013 ... an amazing picking guitar style whether electric or acoustic ... one singer who takes no prisoners. - Blues Matters! magazine - (UK) Issue 70 - March/April 2013 ... his lyrics are as irreverent as they are unapologetic ... - Blues Underground Network - (Canada) December 2012 Hughes puts his all into a performance commanding the stage, growling for all he’s worth while turning out some awesome picking be it electric or acoustic. - Blabber'N'Smoke - (UK) November 2012 He's the man of blues. Take the direction for Seasick Steve, Left Lane Cruiser, Mississippi Allstars ... and you get to the place. Shame on me. I've discovered his lo-fi projects too late. Don't make the same mistake ... - The Robust Fellow (Ukraine) September 2012 His music is gritty, raw and affecting with echoes of the Texas dust, fuzzed up psych and country and the low moan of the deep south. - The Mad Mackerel (UK) June 2011 A bear of a man he can be ferocious on the guitar but his bottleneck style and use of sustain reminded one of Zoot Horn Rollo’s instructions from the good Captain. - Americana UK (UK) June 2011 ... Scottish alt-bluesman Hughes' debut album is a caustic, fuzz-laden, lo-fi affair with gritty acoustic slide aplenty. Arresting. - Guitar & Bass Magazine UK, May 2010 This is simply a brilliant album! - Loud Horizon (UK) April 2010 ... traditional based Blues music given a bit of an 'alternative' twist, with an added sense of Glaswegian dark humour - Loud Horizon (UK) April 2010 This kind of Blues isn’t for the faint-hearted, there is true grit and plenty of gravel in Craig’s voice drawing us to the dark side with plenty of slide guitar and stomping ... it’s as if a Blues line-up of Black Sabbath had decided to play Tom Waits with a hint of Velvet Underground. - www.paris-move.com - (France) - March 2010 ... thought provoking ... pure acid emotion ... a deep tribal feel ... haunting. - Still Gigging .com (UK) April 2010 Craig Hughes kicks ass. - New Music Scotland (UK) January 2010 ... Tarantino Blues ... believe me if Quentin Tarantino was a blues singer, this is the kind of stuff he would be putting out ... - Blues Underground Network - (Canada) January 2010 ... growl of a voice ... black humour ... think something like The Jesus & Mary Chain meets ZZ Top and you’re there! ... Not one for the blues purists, but Craig Hughes angry, dark take on life will appeal to those who have open ears ... - Blues In The Northwest .com - (UK) January 2010 Blues Music the way it was meant to be played, down and dirty, no prisoners taken. - The Blues Report blog - (Canada) December 2009 ... world-weary vocals, and a bottleneck guitar style that draws on the greats, such as Son House, Muddy Waters, Blind Willie Johnson ... - Blues Matters! magazine - Issue 49 - July 2009 ***