Throwback Progression

Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain't Gonna Work Out from Stones Throw on Vimeo.

[MP3]
Mayer Hawthorne: "Maybe So Maybe No"

From Los Angeles by way of Ann Arbor, MI comes another entry into the white-boy vintage-soul movement. Yet, there is something different about Mayer Hawthorne that separates him from the Jamie Lidell's of the world. While fun, there's always an underlying cheeky grim beneath Lidell's music, but that isn't the case when listening to Hawthorne. Present video excluded. Signed to Stones Throw Records and hyped by Mark Ronson, Hawthorne has significant cred to back him up, and when turned the right way, you can hear the subtle Dilla-influenced break-beat grooves he employs in the understated rhythm section. Oh yeah, he plays all the instruments himself too. While we've only heard the "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" single with the B-side "When I said Goodbye" (available now), Hawthorne is clearly one to watch this year. In the new-age quest for old-school authenticity and quality, Hawthorne has become the new front runner. He's also got heart-shaped vinyl, so, that's pretty sweet too.