Over at Cuepoint, I had the honor of speaking with Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One about their new collaborative album for Stones Throw, Tuxedo, dropping this March. Read on, true believers…

A Formal Introduction To Tuxedo: Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One

The latest from Mayer and Jake’s hotly anticipated Tuxedo project on Stones Throw. It ain’t no fun…

Tuxedo: “Happy Holidays from Tuxedo. Original by some guy named Paul McCartney.”

From Stones Throw: Mayer Hawthorne (Aquarius) and Jake One (Taurus) – they are descendants of the one- word moniker family of funk, where you will find groups such as Chic, Shalamar, Plush & Zapp.

The duo is excited to release the upcoming album on Stones Throw Records, which also marks Mayer’s return to the label since his debut release of A Strange Arrangement in 2009. Until then, stay classy.

Check the tracklist, cover art, and video below. The album is due March 3rd, 2015.

1. Lost Lover
2. R U Ready
3. Watch the Dance
4. So Good
5. Two Wrongs
6. Tuxedo Groove
7. I Got U
8. The Right Time
9. Roll Along
10. Get U Home
11. Do It
12. Number One

Better late-than-never video for Mayer’s “Crime” collabo with Kendrick. Directed by Rashida Jones.

In our final look at 2013′s best soul / R&B releases, we have Mayer Hawthorne’s third LP, Where Does This Door Go?. Signed to Stones Throw right around the same time they picked up Aloe Blacc, it wouldn’t be long before he too was snatched up by the major label system, to spread his brand of blue-eyed soul to a wider audience.

On his latest album, Mayer has settled into a comfortable groove, effortlessly creating classically styled R&B, showing influences from greats like The Isley Brothers, Steely Dan, and Hall & Oates. The album’s lead single, “Her Favorite Song” is a modern classic, as the funky, smoothed out cut finds him trading bodya’s over a lush waterbed of sounds. The same can be said for its follow-up, “Crime”, featuring Kendrick Lamar, which musically channels images of Cali beaches and sunsets.

Mayer’s a bit less aggressive than say, Robin Thicke’s poppier take on the genre, yet still makes no apologies about the context of his lyrics. “Back Seat Lover” is a humorous ode to the seedier side of going to a drive-in movie, while the Pharrell produced “Wine Glass Woman” is nicer way of telling drunk girls to back off.

As mentioned earlier, Mayer makes no excuses for borrowing from his forefathers, as “Reach Out Richard” clearly has elements of Steely Dan’s “Peg”, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. His hip-hop influence comes through all over the record, as “Corsican Rose´” subtly infuses trap rhythms under the otherwise buttery groove, while “The Innocent” is driven by cut-up, transformed air horns.

While Where Does This Door Go has been described as “a departure from his throwback style”, yet this is still very much a classically fashioned soul LP. Refreshingly, it’s influences come from the timeless music of the 70′s and 80′s, rather than recycling the tired trends of today. Once again, Mayer has created another solid, respectable, and most of all consistent LP here; its only a matter of time before the rest of the world knows his name.

Released on 12-inch vinyl by Bang Ya Head/Fat Beats. Order it here.

Mayer Hawthorne decided to cover Lorde’s breakthrough smash, “Royals”, for Vevo’s Unexpected Covers series. Free download, too.

Produced by Oak. From the album, Where Does This Door Go, available now.

From Mayer’s upcoming LP, Where Does This Door Go?

Large Professor Remix of the first single from the new album Where Does This Door Go, out July 16th.

The first single from the upcoming album Where Does This Door Go, out July 16. Produced by Oak & Mayer. Additional Vocals by Jessie Ware.

The Black Opera’s latest Video Demonstration “Queen Of Hearts” is here. TBO and director Andy Madeleine tell the visual story of a K U E E N in search of fulfillment in life. TBOGs Nokbai and Sensu provide a colorful backdrop to the video through their word play, and Mayer Hawthorne provides perfect pitch on the hook.

Mayer Hawthorne’s six track How Do You Do remix EP, featuring remixes from RAC, Dam-Funk and the Bakaboyz, is available today for free via his Facebook. Seriously, no strings attached.

Mayer Hawthorne – “How Do You Do Remixes” EP

“No Strings” [RAC Remix] from the forthcoming How Do You Do Remixes EP.