Question: Should you attend tonight's Mayer Hawthorne show? Answer: Absolutely. While the Stones Throw artist is responsible for covering the tight jam "Maybe So, Maybe No," there's no doubt the crooner (a throwback to classic 50s/60s-era singers) belongs in your life - if only for one enchanted evening.---

His latest LP, A Strange Arrangement, kicks off with sweet harmonies reminiscent of The Beatles’ “Because”—a collection of soothing ahhhhs that wouldn’t be out of a place on a jingle announcing an old-time radio station’s call letters. The rest of the album couples that familiar nostalgic sound with contemporary flavor courtesy of the Motor City artist who floored producer/DJ/Stones Throw label head Peanut Butter Wolf upon delivering his first batch of demos. Wolf initially credited its old school flavor to clever sampling, but Hawthorne wrote and performed every lick of it (the original tunes, at least)—right down to the golden vocals powering the tracks’ mellow-yellow super soul. Hawthorne applies his smooth-operator skills (and sense of humor) to an online advice column featured on Stones Throw’s Website. Send in queries to DearMayer@gmail.com. So, start Fall 2009 off right at Kilby Court. 7 p.m. Check it: