Stones Throw All-Star DJs: Peanut Butter Wolf, J.Rocc, Dam-Funk, Mayer Hawthorne and James Pants, each with a 10-minute mix of music for Valentine's Day. Get it here
Stones Throw / Now Again Releases:
Mayer Hawthorne grew up just outside of Detroit, and vividly remembers, as a child, driving with his father and tuning the car radio in to the rich soul and jazz history the region provided. “Most of the best music ever made came out of Detroit,†claims the singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, who counts Isaac Hayes, Leroy Hutson, Mike Terry, legendary songwriting and production trio of Dozier, Holland, and Holland Jr. The “retro†tag is added to almost any contemporary work that sounds like it was originally recorded between 1966 and 1974, and Hawthorne, among the newest contributors to the genre, is aware of how trends come and go. After being introduced to Stones Throw label head Peanut Butter Wolf, even the label boss was skeptical. “He showed me two songs and I didn’t understand what I was listening to,†Wolf recalls. “I asked him if they were old songs that he did re-edits of – I couldn’t believe they were new songs and that he played all the instruments.â€
And after meeting in person, it was even harder for Wolf to believe that Hawthorne was also the lead vocalist. Few expect such heartfelt sentiment to come from a 29-year-old white kid from Ann Arbor, but he has caught the ear of his family at Stones Throw, as well as BBC Radio 1 host Gilles Peterson and producer/DJ Mark Ronson. Expectations are high for the admitted vinyl junkie who never planned on taking his crooning public. Hawthorne’s hanging-by-a-string falsetto and breakbeat production on his first recorded effort, the tender “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,†are simultaneously Smokey and J Dilla – equal parts “The Tracks of My Tears†and “Fall in Love.†“It’s soul,†he explains, “But it’s new.â€
Hawthorne has produced and played instruments for much of his life, but never intended to become a singer. He isn’t formally trained, and never sang in the church choir or in any of the bands he was in before founding the County (formerly the County Commissioners). But here he is, new school soul sensation, who has taken the Motown assembly-line production model and eliminated nearly every element but himself and a few hired hands. “I think Mayer is the only artist in the history of the label that I’ve signed after hearing only two songs,†says Peanut Butter Wolf. “Sometimes, you just know it’s the right thing to do.†And for those willing to believe anything is possible, be grateful to have Mayer Hawthorne on the scene. It’s not just throwback music anymore – this revival is all about progression.Forging ahead with the Bubblers series, Brownswood Recordings are proud to present another awe-inspiring assortment of delightfully obscure ditties and underground heaters that have been clogging Gilles' record bag and radio playlists of late. Kicking off with the honey-coated Motor City soul vibes purveyed by Mayer Hawthorne on 'Maybe So Maybe No' and weaving a path through to Lone's lush, widescreen beatscape 'Sea Spray'. This is Gilles Peterson in his element - flitting between Oumou Sangaré's soaring African melodies, Maryland beatmaker yU's coarsely chopped hip hop soul, El Michels Affair reworking classic ODB material for the jazz headz, New Look's spine-tingling electro pop, and the rich sub low cinematics of Floating Points.
Get it here
Tracklisting: 1. Mayer Hawthorne – Maybe So Maybe No 2. Souleance – Mañana 3. yU – Fine 4. El Michels Affair – Shimmy Shimmy Ya 5. Lisa Papineau – Rene Thomas 6. The Misled Children & Odean Pope – Dadadun 7. Kafka – The Kafka Anthem 8. Oumou Sangaré – Iyo Djeli 9. Jam Da Silva – Dia Santo 10. Keaver & Brause – Awake 11. Sound Species – Can We Call It Love (with Ahu) 12. New Look – Everything 13. Floating Points – Peroration V Ft. Fatima 14. Lone – Sea SprayCheck out the Brownswood Bubllers Mixtape here for a taster.
Other Brownswood Releases:
Mayer Hawthorne - Maybe So, Maybe No from Stones Throw on Vimeo.
For many this will be one of the most anticipated albums of the year. Mayer Hawthorne's album "A Strange Arrangement" is due to drop in the next few weeks. Avoid any disappointment by letting us know at Conch you want to reserve a preorder - contact us at info@conch.co.nz
Mayer Hawthorne grew up just outside of Detroit, and vividly remembers, as a child, driving with his father and tuning the car radio in to the rich soul and jazz history the region provided. “Most of the best music ever made came out of Detroit,†claims the singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, who counts Isaac Hayes, Leroy Hutson, Mike Terry, legendary songwriting and production trio of Dozier, Holland, and Holland Jr. The “retro†tag is added to almost any contemporary work that sounds like it was originally recorded between 1966 and 1974, and Hawthorne, among the newest contributors to the genre, is aware of how trends come and go. After being introduced to Stones Throw label head Peanut Butter Wolf, even the label boss was skeptical. “He showed me two songs and I didn’t understand what I was listening to,†Wolf recalls. “I asked him if they were old songs that he did re-edits of – I couldn’t believe they were new songs and that he played all the instruments.â€
Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain't Gonna Work Out from Stones Throw on Vimeo.
And after meeting in person, it was even harder for Wolf to believe that Hawthorne was also the lead vocalist. Few expect such heartfelt sentiment to come from a 29-year-old white kid from Ann Arbor, but he has caught the ear of his family at Stones Throw, as well as BBC Radio 1 host Gilles Peterson and producer/DJ Mark Ronson. Expectations are high for the admitted vinyl junkie who never planned on taking his crooning public. Hawthorne’s hanging-by-a-string falsetto and breakbeat production on his first recorded effort, the tender “Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out,†are simultaneously Smokey and J Dilla – equal parts “The Tracks of My Tears†and “Fall in Love.†“It’s soul,†he explains, “But it’s new.â€
Hawthorne has produced and played instruments for much of his life, but never intended to become a singer. He isn’t formally trained, and never sang in the church choir or in any of the bands he was in before founding the County (formerly the County Commissioners). But here he is, new school soul sensation, who has taken the Motown assembly-line production model and eliminated nearly every element but himself and a few hired hands. “I think Mayer is the only artist in the history of the label that I’ve signed after hearing only two songs,†says Peanut Butter Wolf. “Sometimes, you just know it’s the right thing to do.†And for those willing to believe anything is possible, be grateful to have Mayer Hawthorne on the scene. It’s not just throwback music anymore – this revival is all about progression.
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