Members of the Black Keys, Dirtbombs, the Sights and Outrageous Cherry have lent their talents to Why Don’t You Give It to Me, the forthcoming effort from soul/blues/rock singer Nathaniel Mayer. Due August 21st via Alive Records, the set comes on the heels of 2004’s I Just Want to Be Held, which was the Detroit-based veteran’s first full-length in 40 years.
Mayer first met the Black Keys when the garage duo tapped him as the opening act for their November 2005 tour. Mayer, in turn, recruited Outrageous Cherry guitarist Matthew Smith, Dirtbombs bassist Troy Gregory and the Sights/SSM drummer Dave Shettler as his backing band, occasionally joined by Black Keys guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach.
After the dust settled, Mayer re-entered the studio with the same line-up and Auerbach, Smith and Shettler taking turns producing. According to Mayer, the resulting album mixes his love of funk a la James Brown with psychedelic, blues and garage. “I’m a Lonely Man,” the first single from Why Don’t You Give It to Me, is currently available via iTunes.
For Mayer, the album serves as a good reason for him to indulge his true love, touring. Though Mayer is still planning a tour for next month and then later in the year, he hopes the treks will include one spot that he hasn’t visited since 1962: New York’s Apollo Theater. Mayer has been performing since the ripe age of 15 and is best known for his 1962 hit “Village of Love,” which he sang at the beloved performance hall.http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003599782
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