The dude Mayer Hawthorne takes PB&J all the way back 1970 on this new remix for “Dig a Little Deeper”. It’s a jangly, well-harmonized joint that would be right at home smack in the middle of an all-request triple play on your local Oldies station.
Peter Bjorn and John – Dig a Little Deeper (Mayer Hawthorne Remix)
Peter Bjorn & John 
(Official) (Facebook)
Rating 8.0
The long-running Chromeo-headed “When the Night Falls” tour rolled into House of Blues, Boston this past Tuesday. A near capacity crowd enjoyed a good three hours of ok to great music from electro party duo Chromeo, Detroit soul singer Mayer Hawthorne, and beats DJ Breakbot.
We’re big Mayer Hawthorne fans here a b3sci so we were stoked to catch some of his latest material (off his new How Do You Do LP) live. We certainly weren’t disappointed in that department. As MH’s set straddled the best tunes from his debut A Strange Arrangement LP (one of our favorite albums of 2009) and songs from the new album. Mayer delivered a high energy, fun, kinetic set that kept most of the HOB house (which probably skewed 75/25 Chromeo fans) engaged and interested. Highlights from the set included SA‘s “Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’” and “Shiny and New” as well as new tracks like single “The Walk” and the Detroit-inspired “A Long Time”. Having seen Mayer a few times before in smaller venues, the sheer size of HOB Boston seemed a bit much for his sound and style. Like, with Mayer’s music and persona, you want to feel like he’s singing to you or for you or something like that and inside the cavernous concert McDonalds that is HOB the set felt a bit disconnected in that way. That said, we still had a great time and really enjoyed Mayer’s performance.
Chants of “CHROME-OH-OH-OH” a la The Wizard of Oz filled HOB as the Canadian duo took their places on stage. From the first stab of P-Thugg’s keyboard rig onwards the place was electric. Chromeo had complete command of what quickly became a sprawling, frenetic, chaotic cascade of pot-smoke and whirling limbs. The place was absolutely nuts, maybe as live as I’ve seen the Boston House of Blues, just absolute mayhem. The duo rifled through an approx. hour-long set of “Chromeo classics” including the funkified “Tenderoni”, the funkier “Hot Mess”, and the supremely funky “Call Me Up”. Chromeo came hard and delivered. The kids danced, the kids moved, the kids got psyched, got hyped, and seemed to leave satisfied.
Chromeo 
(Official) (Facebook)
Mayer Hawthorne 
(Official) (Facebook)
Breakbot 
(Facebook) (Soundcloud)
The B3SCI team will be in the building for tonight’s Chromeo, Mayer Hawthorne, Breakbot show at House of Blues, Boston. Having seen him live several times, we know Mayer is sure to bring an A+ show. And we’re sure MH’s longtime tourmates Chromeo will be on their top game tonight too. If you see us in the crowd be sure to say “Hey.” and also be sure to buy us a drank (T-Pain). xxoo b3sci. (Tickets)
Mayer Hawthorne – When the Night Falls (Chromeo Cover)
Mayer Hawthorne released his major label debut LP last week, How Do You Do. “Stick Around” is our choice track from the album and although the refs to The Tempts and The Miracles are there, the track almost sounds like early Chicago (“Saturday in the Park”). There’s definitely a bit more of an overall 70′s influence on How Do You Do vs. the much more straight up ’60′s-style that A Strange Arrangement. “Stick Around” isn’t a groundbreaker but its an awesome piece of pop songwriting. Get into it.
Mayer Hawthorne – Stick Around
Mayer Hawthorne (Official) (Facebook)
Rating 8.1
Tourmates collide on this Mayer Hawthorne cover of Chromeo’s “When the Night Falls”. For the cover, Mr. Hawthorne enlists a beat that could double for Steely Dan’s “Do It Again” and laces it up with all the cool dad music trappings one could ever want. Ever wanted to feel hard on a fresh King Harvest or Looking Glass vibe? Look no further, friend and give Mayer’s “When the Night Falls” a spin.
Mayer Hawthorne – When the Night Falls (Chromeo)
Mayer Hawthorne (Official) (Facebook)
Rating 8.5
Word has it the chi-town collective has been spending some time in Los Angeles as of late, and if “Swimsuits” featuring the LA based crooner isn’t indication… then we don’t know what is. It’s Saturday, it’s sunny, turn this fucker up! Stream their new album When Fish Ride Bicycles at SKOA. Get into it!
The Cool Kids – Swimsuits (Feat. Mayer Hawthorne)
The Cool Kids 
(Official) (Blog) (Facebook)
Rating 8
Guitarist Dennis Coffey is a legend. As a member of the Funk Brothers, Coffey played on countless classic tracks for the Motown label, The Temptations’ “Cloud Nine”, The Supremes “Someday Will Be Together” (my personal favorite Supremes’ tune), Edwin Starr’s “War”, etc. That is a serious resume. In April, the guitarist, as part of a self-titled LP, released “All Your Goodies Are Gone”, a collaboration with fellow Detroit-native (via Ann Arbor) and b3sci fav Mayer Hawthorne. Here on this remix of “Goodies” by another b3sci fav Shigeto, the track gets a future soul run, complete with spacey synth and vibed out rhythms; a remix we wouldn’t be surprised to hear turn up on an upcoming Gilles Peterson show. Stream the track below.
Dennis Coffey – All Your Goodies Are Gone (Feat. Mayer Hawthorne) (Shigeto Remix)
Dennis Coffey (Official) (Myspace)
Rating: 8.1
“A Long Time” is fresh from Mayer Hawthorne. The new single comes in anticipation of his sophomore full length How Do You Do, to be released on Universal Republic later this year. The track stays true and it will be interesting to hear how it plays on the LP, and preludes what’s still to come.
Mayer Hawthorne – A Long Time
Mayer Hawthorne: (Facebook) (iTunes)
Rating: 8
Today our man Mayer Hawthorne dropped a free 6 song cover EP, “Impressions”. The set includes on point covers of The Isley Brothers, ELO, and this champagne and rose petals come hither take on Chromeo’s Don’t Turn the Lights On. Think Latimore, Ashford and Simpson, Stephanie Mills, that real syrupy R&B. Mayer lays it down smooth as silk.
Mayer Hawthorne – Don’t Turn the Lights On (Chromeo Cover)
Mayer Hawthorne: (Myspace) (Facebook)
Rating: 8.2
Mayer jumps on b3sci’s consensus second favorite ELO song. Coulda fooled us on this one, Mayer, “sounds so Jeff Lynne”. If only we had the internet power stroke to make “sounds so Jeff Lynne” a meme. b3sci fam you know what to do. Thx to our buddies at SKOA for the tip and the track.
Mayer Hawthorne – Mr. Blue Sky (Electric Light Orchestra Cover)
Mayer Hawthorne: (Myspace) (Facebook)
Rating: 8.0
This will be a show, not a concert
And it was, and it was phenomenal.
We can’t front. We are serious fans of Mayer Hawthorne. And we’re also pretty into The Heavy. And DJ Jazzy Jeff is a legend. So you can imagine the pitch of our anticipation for this show. We. were. psyched.
The Heavy mean business. That much was clear throughout the band’s 45 minute or so set. Galvanized by a 3-piece horn section, The Dirty Three (and, man, did they sound it) and buoyed by frontman Kelvin Swaby’s crazy good vocals and stage presence/persona the band growled, rumbled, shaked, thumped and roared through a sweaty selection of tunes from their first two (highly recommended) LPs. “Owwwwwwwwwwwooooooohhhhh”, Swaby, in one of many cool exchanges with the crowd, called out for all the wolves in the audience. “We play music by the devil.”, alluding to the band’s unhallowed co-contributor. “You guys are live, more live than New York last night.” “Fuck New York.”, called back an adjacent show-goer. Swaby was over. He had the crowd. The Heavy were killing it. Sixteen pounded, How You Like Me Now boomed, What You Want Me to Do thundered. The Heavy were HEAVY, the best mix of loud guitar, soulful rhythm, and raw brass. Music by the devil.
Mayer Hawthorne is a terrific performer. Mayer and his four-piece band The County sounded great. Mayer sporting a fly three piece suit with red tie, The County fitted in matching red cardigans opened the set with A Strange Arrangement standout Your Easy Lovin’ Ain’t Pleasin’ Nothin’ and it was on. Hawthorne and co. smoothed out to a set of approximately 12 songs, a survey of urban music influence spanning the last 50 years, The Temptations-y (and according to Mayer, first song he ever wrote) Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out, The Stylistics-esque I Wish It Would Rain, the 80′s r&b-influenced No Strings, and two Snoop jams The Neptunes classic Beautiful and Hawthorne’s own G-Mix re-touch of Gangsta Luv. Mayer was effortless in his engagement with the crowd, his on stage interactions with his band, and his overall ability to command the show‘s dynamic. “If you ain’t dancin tonight, best file on to the back, and let someone up front that will dance.” The kids were into it, the older dudes were into it, the girls got down. People had fun at this show. It felt great.
So we got outstanding sets from The Heavy, Mayer Hawthorne, and lest we mention opener New Wave dude Gordon Voidwell; who played a cool set of Synth bangers to the Paradise filers in, no doubt gaining fans, admirers, and Gordon Voidwell true believers in his effort. Ok, could this get any better? I mean what more? What possibly could top this killer Mazda Car tour. DJ JAZZY JEFF! YES! Jeff is a legend. And the opportunity to see the Jazzy DJ get sick with the turntables in person? Oh yes. And Jeff straight up murdered it, turning in arguably the best set of the night. Dude moved effortlessly about the 1′s and 2′s mixing up classic rock with early 90′s house, and disco jams with Lloyd Banks. She’s just like you and me, but she’s homeless, she’s homeless. Gypsy Woman turned to Seven Nation Army. Seven Nation Army blended into Teach Me How to Dougie. Teach Me How to Dougie to BON JOVI. The actual tunes playing (they were all great) became irrelevant. Jeff was that locked in. We didn’t want it to end.
This was a show. This was not a concert.
pope benedict xvi joins cookin soul in paying tribute to one of the best MCs to ever do it, the recently passed guru. sweet remix! also today, weve got a live version of the interwebs superstar aeroplane/crave you mashup that sounds fucking massive and a bangin never released classixx produced mayer hawthorne track. get familiar below.
Gang Starr – Zonin (Cookin Soul Remix)
purchase / info
Paris (Aeroplane Remix Ft. Au Revoir Simone) vs Flight Facilities Ft. Giselle – Crave You [Live] by DJ Steelo
