Mayer Hawthorne announces new LP for Vagrant Records and shares single “Cosmic Love”. For the track, Mayer’s classic soul inspiration pendulum has swung more into the direction of the mid-70’s, as “Cosmic Love” takes it time in communicating a retro-atmosphere-soaked melodic narrative straight from 1975 AM Radio. Get “Cosmic” w Mr. Hawthorne below.
The cast (MED, Blu, Madlib & Mayer) should be all you need to know w/ this latest “The Buzz” joint from Stones Throw. Madlib’s no stress orchestra-loop led production and Mayer’s silky falsetto are (no surprise) a velvet glove fit for MED and Blu’s west coast flowin’.
MED & BLU 
(Purchase)
Rating 8.2
“Her Favorite Song” is probably Hall & Oates, that is if the sound on Mayer’s latest single transferable to the tastes of the track’s titular boo. Here, blog favorite Oliver gives the Jessie Ware-featuring song a 2010’s synth-pop makeover injecting it with enough bounce and “feel good feels” to keep the blog rocking rocking until the break of the dawn (1990’s).
Mayer Hawthorne – Her Favorite Song (Oliver Remix)Oliver 
(Soundcloud)
Rating 8.0
Welcome back, Mayer. After the disappointing How Do You Do, new track “Designer Drug” recaptures much of the energy, spontaneity, and tunefulness that made Mayer’s early records so much fun. The throwback touchstones are there; 70’s soul, 90’s hip hop, classic 80’s pop (& mostly accuratley Michael Jackson) but with “Designer Drug” Mr. Hawthorne doesn’t allow his influences and a bit of a self-consciousness about them shackle him to the safety of pastiche & trope.
Mayer Hawthorne 
(Official) (Facebook)
Rating 8.3
Mello Music Group artists The Black Opera connect with the King of 2010’s Blue-Eyed Soul Mr. Mayer Hawthorne on “Queen of Hearts”. The minor-keyed paean to both love idealized and love unrealized features many head noddin’ moments, not the least of which is the neat juxtaposition of Mayer’s gloomy hook and the instrumental’s harp arpeggios. Ace of Diamonds.
The Black Opera – Queen Of Hearts (feat. Mayer Hawthorne)The Black Opera 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.1
The remix big dogs RAC get their 80’s-inspired mitts on Mayer Hawthorne’s “No Strings” proceed to “make it funky”. #FunkyFridays.
Mayer Hawthorne – No Strings (RAC Mix)RAC 
(Facebook)
Rating 8.4
Still looking for something amazing to do this weekend? Well, if you’re an avid music fan like us (and we know you are), then East Side Story taking place at The Mayan Theater in Los Angeles this Sunday needs to be at the top of your list. Host Abraham Beltran will be curating an evening of entertainment paying homage to the roots and glory of popular soul music, bridging the generation gaps and celebrating the knowledge and awareness that ‘music does last forever.’ Join as the Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble and a stellar cast of special guests including Mayer Hawthorne, Coco O. of Quadron, Bilal, James Gadson, Myron & E and Joey Dosik as they celebrate the timeless music of Etta James, James Brown, Brenton Wood, The Chi-Lites, The Delfonics, The Temptations, Billy Stewart, Mary Wells, The Flamingos, Barbara Lewis, Smokey Robinson, and many more!
Tickets for the show are $15 presale / $25 at the door, and you can get more info on purchasing tickets here. OR you can drop us a line and we’ll enter to you to win a FREE pair of tickets to this special event. To try your luck, just email us here and let us know that you want to catch East Side Story on sunday night to enter your name in our random drawing on Saturday evening (day before the show). Good luck!
Art Don’t Sleep (Info)
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 of A Strange Arrangement. “Stick Around” isn’t a groundbreaker but its an awesome piece of pop songwriting. Get into it.
Mayer Hawthorne – Stick AroundMayer 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
