Ben Harper is one of those rare musicians that has enjoyed fame and garnered the respect of his peers without ever really entering into the popular music mainstream.

His career took off in 1995, when college rock stations starting spinning his sophomore album, “Fight for Your Mind.” Harper built on those Hendrix and Marley-influenced tracks and managed over the next dozen years to record a wide range of music with an array of artists. Through it all he has maintained his unmistakably beautiful vocal style and signature lap steel guitar sound.

Harper’s latest studio album, "White Lies for Dark Times," represents his thirteenth major release and was recorded with trio Relentless 7. WIth Harper added in, the group has combined country, blues, traditional and alternative rock to produce Harper’s best effort in years. “Skin Thin” is a real highlight of the 11 tracks, but rest assured all 47-plus minutes of the album are happily digested by hungry ears. “Keep It Together (So I Can Fall Apart)” is another great cut. It’s a rock rollercoaster ride, leading in with a nasty guitar lick and shiver-inducing yell from Harper, descending into a quiet, jazzy mid-section and then climbing up again to another awesome climax.

Ben Harper and Relentless 7 will undoubtedly be a highlight of the 80/35 Music Festival this year, sending sublime Weissenborn guitar sounds sailing across downtown Des Moines and into the heads of thousands of present or soon-to-be Harper fans.

Harper will be on the Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Main Stage at 9 p.m. on July 4. For more information visit benharper.com .