Mayer Hawthorne

Stones Throw may be the record label responsible for hip-hop production studs like Madlib and J Dilla, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t do pop and soul too. Michigan-based Mayer Hawthorne is proof of that, and his brand of soul is close to what one might have heard at a diner jukebox on a dusty 7″ record. But it’s not solely derivative. The production and timing has a slightly off-kilter feel to go along with the hand claps and piano tones that overlay the horns. Check the falsetto adlibs for proof of his smirk as he records these pop tunes with a post-modern sensibility. The video is a nice indication of his humor, as it features a very quirky storyline of being in love with a doll that looks like Olivia Wilde. Stay tuned to Freshness for more on Hawthorne.

via @freshnessmag