Besides tackling the stack of records I picked up from New York, here is what else I've been listening to lately.
Slap a "neo-soul" sticker on Mayer Hawthorne and you'd be missing out on genuinely heartfelt music that's is unlike everything else that falls under that current label and trend. You'd also be missing out on the rest of the story. Dude doesn't just have an uncanny ability to croon you back to the days of chivalry. He also plays every single instrument on the album with a funky demeanor that fits other Stones Throw label mates. Oh, and he's white. Go ahead and knock cats for riding everything that Stones Throw puts out. But you can't deny that Peanut Butter Wolf has crafted one of the most diverse and relevant labels of our time. Mayer Hawthorne is no exception. Want further proof? Check out Red's promo video below. Now tell me that you've heard something like this before that's HALF as dope! Cop this here.
Mayer Hawthorne, "I Wish It Would Rain" <----- my personal fave from his A Strange Arrangement LP
Did I mention that I picked up some vinyl recently? Well Ralph MacDonald's The Path blew my mind last night. I actually threw it in my satchel at the record store after listening to the first few smooth-ass bars of "Smoke Rings and Wine". Then I heard "The Path" last night and chalked it up to the beat gods shining down on me. I'm using this for sure. Don't bite!
Ralph MacDonald, "Smoke Rings and Wine"
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