Atmosphere sells out the Fox Theater in Oakland

On October 15th, fans descended upon the historic Fox Theater in Oakland, CA to see Atmosphere, Plain Ole Bill, and Blimes and Gab play to a sold-out audience. For those of you who have never caught a show at the Fox Theater, you are missing out on a truly unique architectural and sound experience. The […]

The Elovaters talks with Top Shelf at Cali Roots 2022

Top Shelf Music journalist Allie Adams interviews The Elovaters at California Roots Music and Arts Festival 2022. The Elovaters formed in 2014 and have released two full-length albums and an award-winning EP. Defy Gravity was the group’s first big record in 2018 after signing to not-for-profit record label Rootfire Cooperative. Debuting at #1 on the […]

A chat with Atmosphere at Cali Roots Fest 2022

Who doesn’t love a good Atmosphere show? One half of the hip hop duo sits down with Top Shelf Music’s Alexia Johnson at California Roots Festival 2022, ahead of his big Bowl Stage performance. Tune in to hear what Slug thinks of the popular hip hop-meets-reggae Memorial Weekend event in Monterey, his summer plans to […]

Billie Eilish takes Happier Than Ever Tour to Sacramento

On the evening of Thursday, March 31st, thousands of fans descended upon Golden 1 Center in Sacramento to see Top 40’s brightest star — Billie Eilish. This show actually sold out in 2021, but was subsequently moved to 2022 due to COVID-19 protection measures. That did not deter the excitement, though, as the entry line nearly wrapped […]

How Kat Hall brings Muffin But Good Vibes

Rising reggae roots goddess Kat Hall is not only someone you should have on your release radar, she is one of the featured artists at the upcoming Two Year Anniversary Party for San Diego bakery Muffin But Good Vibes! Joining reggae-infused hip hop group Katastro, reggae rock’s The Resinators and opener Alific (alongside Man of […]

How The Resinators bring Muffin But Good Vibes

If you’re a San Diego resident and a reggae lover, chances are you’ve been exposed to the growing presence of a reggae-infused bakery rising to the top known as Muffin But Good Vibes. If you’re unaware of MBGV and wondering ‘how the hell does a bakery infuse reggae??’, simply taking a look at their website […]

TSM Artist #HotList: November 20th, 2021

Alexia Johnson for #TopShelfMusic here, with another TSM Artist #HotList! This week, we visit an island reggae artist originally from Guam (now based in Colorado), a Guyanese artist (famously known as “Lady LAW”) and two reggae rock groups from the San Francisco Bay Area. Thank you for tuning in! (Please set your video settings to […]

Reliving the rush of Aftershock 2021

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aftershock Festival returned to Sacramento’s Discovery Park for not three, but FOUR days! This year was the fifth installment of the event and brought a lineup that included Metallica, The Original Misfits, Volbeat, Cypress Hill, Body Count, Rancid, Gojira, Social Distortion and many more rock and […]

A night with Kyle Smith at The Boardwalk, Orangevale

On September 24th, fans descended upon The Boardwalk in Orangevale, CA for a night of music, featuring K-Rizz, Eazy Dub, Skunk Funk and headliner Kyle Smith. Fans traveled from all over the greater Sacramento area to catch Kyle Smith’s official CD release party. If you don’t know of Kyle Smith yet, buckle up, because you will hear […]

Dry Diggings reveals full lineup for August 2021

If you have never been to the alternative reggae rock festival Dry Diggings, then buckle up as we tell you why it is YOUR next destination festival event! The California Roots partner festival is returning for two days and the full lineup drop has got us pumped for August! Nestled in the mountain hills of […]

Experiencing the first ¡Viva Iriezona! Fest

The weekend of ¡Viva Iriezona! was one of welcoming live music back from the dead. As we are about to embark on a summer full of festivals, we recap now on the festival that kicked off the return of live music. ¡Viva Iriezona! is an annual music and arts festival, held at beautiful Hidden Lake, Arizona.  […]

¡Viva Iriezona! successfully brings back live music to AZ

The weekend of April 9-11th 2021 will be remembered as the weekend that brought live music back to the west! Viva Iriezona, put on by The Dub Shack LLC,  was nestled in the hills of Hidden Lake, Arizona and made for the perfect backdrop for the return of live music. When a Year One festival […]

Vana Liya to release “I Don’t Care What You Do” (Brosiah Remix)

Northern California producer Brosiah (Josiah Morrison) is known amongst locals as an artist who isn’t afraid to push boundaries within musical genres. His latest pairing with reggae-pop artist Vana Liya is of no exception. Brosiah got his start in the music industry by playing guitar in various progressive metal bands –most notably, Solano county favorite, […]

Glass House Point returns with airy “All to Rest” single

Glass House Point is an alternative rock band from Tampa, Florida, who immediately caught my ear in a sea of submissions due to their experimental vibe and ethereal sound. The quartet has been around for some time and are making a name for themselves as they continue to push boundaries in modern music through their […]

Kenny Nishikawa comments on new lo-fi EP & playing reggae

2021 is already shaping up to be a renaissance of sorts within the music industry! With the New Year comes spotlights on new music releases. Today we are highlighting lo-fi artist Kenny Nishikawa of San Jose, California. You may have seen Kenny rocking the bass for Vana Liya or maybe you’ve seen him behind the […]