To get myself through the day, I enjoy putting on my headset and blasting my favourite toons. While the new Mrs. Russell Brand (Katy Perry) owns the world of pop culture, there are a number of artists that go under the radar. Keeping in tune with the female sensations, Duffy, a neo-soul contemporary artist comes to mind as one of my favourite mellow mood artists. With classic melodies combined with new age creativity, Duffy creates a unique sound that is all her own. I first heard of Duffy through Pandora radio. I can always enjoy the nearly overpowering jazz sound of Amy Winehouse and felt obligated to make a station in her name. Little did I know that I would hear the new album by Duffy – Endlessly. Following up her 2008 release of Rockferry, Endlessly has a great laid back sound.
Out of the US comes a man by the name of Mayer Hawthorne. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, the home of Motown and soul music, Hawthorne delivers an old school taste. Using classic tracks such as “I Wish It Would Rain” by the Temptations, he comes through with what seemed to be a dead art form. In the 1960’s Motown was at its peak, now we are reduced to a very limited bunch that attempt to recreate this sound. One of the few artists that do this successfully is Mayer Hawthorne. Be sure to check out his other tracks as well: Green Eyed Love, One Track Mind and Maybe So, Maybe No.
Also, make sure to take a look at the latest music blog on the net at www.jinglejams.blogspot.com for a compilation of some of the best Motown, soul and R&B sounds of all time.
