Dopeboyz & dopegirlz… meet Mayer Hawthorne. The latest signee to Stones Throw who will be dropping his debut album, A Strange Arrangement, on October 6th.
Hawthorne, a 29 year-old white kid from Ann Arbor, has produced an album’s worth of stunning soul songs that eschew the retro tag that was so easily assignable to, say, an Amy Winehouse, in favor of something completely new. While the imprint of Curtis Mayfield (check Mayer’s impeccably smooth falsetto), Dozier & Holland and other classic soul songwriters is evident in these songs, the album drips with a sound as influenced by the beat-heavy hip-hop generation that Hawthorne comes from, as much as it does Motown or Muscle Shoals. From doo-wop handclaps and harmonies to Charles Wright-esque uptempo funk numbers, this is pure soul songwriting in its most modern form.
Above you can check the video for his single (which is available on a red, heart-shaped 7-inch vinyl via Stones Throw) and below is a cover of the theme song for Showtime’s Weeds. A joint in which he completed in 45 minutes after Showtime asked a handful of artists to cover the theme. And based off what I’m reading… there’s a possibility we could see Blu and/or Danny remixing it. Just random thoughts… and if you like what you hear, hit the jump for more.
DOWNLOAD: Mayer Hawthorne – Little Boxes (Weeds Intro) | Mediafire
Robert Parker – I’ve Caught You In A Lie
The Mighty Lovers – I Ain’t Gonna Run No More
The Toys – Deserted
The Continental Four – The Way I Love You
Sly, Slick & Wicked – Ready For You
The Marvelettes – Don’t Mess With Bill
The Moments – So This Is Our Goodbye
The Ethics – Searching
The Main Ingredient – Spinning Around
OC Smith – On Easy Street
The Impressions – A Woman Who Loves Me
