Musicians You Should Know: Mayer Hawthorne
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 by mutual friend Noelle Scaggs of the Rebirth, even his current 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.”
The 29 yr old from Ann Arbor, Michigan gives love to Isaac Hayes, Leroy Hutson, Mike Terry, and Barry White, but draws the most inspiration from the music of Smokey Robinson, Curtis Mayfield, and the legendary songwriting and production trio of Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, and Eddie Holland Jr. Listen to some tunes on his myspace.
Hawthorne is ending his two month tour in San Fran next week. And in recognition, we get this chill ass skateboarding video, from his cover of Tony B’s “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.”
c'mon froman……you make fun of icp and juggalos…..but you think this is the shit we should know? I think we ought to have lunch someday and talk about your taste in music…..cause it's been long enough now for you to be embarassing yourself with shit like this. MMCL froman!!!!! :)