Articles by Michael J. Warren

Saukrates

Amani

PUBLISHED Sep 19, 2014

Love it or hate it, Saukrates' 2012 album Season One wasn't what many were anticipating. Amani is the first step in winning back fans who m...

Homeboy Sandman

Hallways

PUBLISHED Sep 2, 2014

The Great Rap Jiggy vs. Backpack Civil War of the late '90s and early '00s didn't have a clear winner, but there were certainly a few marty...

Brad Gibson

Poontet

PUBLISHED Aug 29, 2014

Rarely does a new release carry the weight of what was, and perhaps what can never be again. Yet there seems to be that underlying suggesti...

Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens

Cold World

PUBLISHED Jul 25, 2014

You'd be forgiven for assuming this is a straight gospel record. Song titles like "Thank You Lord" and "Heaven Is Mine" point to well docum...

Gospel Queen Naomi Shelton Gets Ready for Her 'Cold World'

PUBLISHED Jul 25, 2014

In a situation that imposes limits on many and benefits no one, there has long been a impassable wall placed between secular and gospel mus...

Daley Talks 'Days & Nights' and His Toronto Connections

PUBLISHED Apr 22, 2014

With his trademark curly pompadour and a powerful voice, young UK soul singer-songwriter Daley is ready for the world to take notice. His d...

Daley

From Across the Pond

PUBLISHED Apr 22, 2014

Four years ago, Daley was recording songs on his laptop in his bedroom, and today he is still doing that. The difference is, he has just re...

The New Mastersounds

Therapy

PUBLISHED Mar 7, 2014

The New Mastersounds, a four-piece funk band out of Leeds, is perhaps having an identity crisis. After 15 years of performing, ten years of...