Fyah Roiall explodes in “Energy” single

Up-and-coming Jamaican artist Fyah Roiall defies classification, mashing UK grime with American trap and dancehall into something new, dubbed ‘grimehall’. Grimehall — or traphall, depending on preference — is a rising trend for JA artists, taking modern twists from other parts of the world to mix with traditional Caribbean music, rendering edgy rap-reggae paired to […]

Pastor Ayu pledges 365 original songs in 365 days

Washington D.C. has been thrust full-throttle into the front lines of the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the nation and rightly so, considering that is where country leaders reside! This fight is long overdue to be resolved and fed up citizens are taking to the streets to voice their anguish for the atrocious death of […]

Galactic updates 1996 classic & shares video for “Something’s Wrong With This Picture”

New Orleans jazz-funk group Galactic has updated their 1996 hit “Something’s Wrong With This Picture”, a single describing the egregious injustice and inequality faced daily by African Americans, complete with a brand new music video! Considering the current state of this divided nation, Galactic players felt compelled to re-release the inspiring track off the band’s […]

Iya Terra stands with Black Lives Matter in “Streets Run Red” single

A country on the verge of civil war is nothing compared to the insurmountable injustice that has paved the way here. America, through systemic racism imposed by the government and social encouragement in the home, has always been divided, despite the strides in the Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter movements. For every time a […]

#BlackLivesMatter playlist on Top Shelf Spotify

Contentious clashes between police and protestors have intensified over the past weekend, as people of all colors and creeds speak out on the inhumane and incorrigible death of George Floyd. Following Floyd’s death, there has been a litany of marches around the United States — all justified, most ending in violence. Some police officers join […]

Chester Bennington lives on in Grey Daze’s “Soul Song” video

The iconic career of Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington is far from complete, albeit postmortem. Nearly three years after the nu metal singer-songwriter met his untimely death, Bennington resurrects with a full-length album from his early 90s rock ensemble Grey Daze entitled Amends, out June 26th via Loma Vista Recordings. Bennington decided to reunite with […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: SunDub “Mt. Zion Dub (Victor Rice Remix)”

SunDub, the dub-heavy reggae collective out of Brooklyn, returns with a “Mt. Zion” remix by none other than Victor Rice! The original track is off of the band’s Burden of Love album that dropped back in June last year, yet is resurfacing now after pairing with legendary dub producer Victor Rice (Easy Star All Star’s […]

Shrub lays it all out in ‘Back To Earth’ album

Guess what, guys? Shrub is back! For those unaware or for those that need a brush-up on early reggae rock names, Shrub is an Ohio-based hip hop-meets-reggae effort led by frontman Jay Shawberry. You might recognize the old guitarist, Blaine Dillinger, as he is the current lead guitarist for HIRIE. Now solo, Shawberry used to […]

NwRootz podcast welcomes Top Shelf Editor-in-Chief Kristy Rose

Nwrootz, a podcast out of the Pacific Northwest, welcomes Top Shelf Music Editor-in-Chief Kristy Rose to the microphone for their 12th episode! Chatting about the history of the brand all the way to personal music preferences, hosts Kris and Joanna get to know our commanding Editor through this enlightening podcast. “…get to know our commanding Editor through […]

Top Shelf Music News: Episode 5

Top Shelf Music News is back with Episode 5, or should we say, Quarantine Edition #2: Electric Boogaloo. Host Matt Cook streams from his living room while Kristy Rose… well, she’s somewhere the COVID can’t reach. With no live concerts or fests going on until further notice, the two comment on new music releases, current […]

One Earth Live virtual festival unifies globe this Memorial Day Weekend

A virtual lineup of world musicians, instructors and speakers has been announced for a truly one-of-a-kind, unifying event happening this upcoming Memorial Day Weekend entitled One Earth Live. This virtual rendezvous promotes positivity in a world so needing it taking place online only via their streaming partner PORTL on May 23rd and 24th, 2020. This […]

Sensi Trails release “Purpose” single, feat. Nick Sefakis

Southern California band Sensi Trails, a notable name on-the-rise, has unveiled a smashing new single as of today entitled “Purpose”, featuring Nick Sefakis. Sefakis, lead guitarist of renowned reggae rock band Iya Terra, not only lends a hand in the single (well, two, literally… with his guitar), but also guest spots on a vocal verse! […]

String Cheese Incident & friends cover “Crisis” for COVID first responders

The String Cheese Incident has recently teamed with other renowned bluegrass and jam band players to produce a colorful cover of Bob Marley’s “Crisis” while stuck at home maintaining social distance. Considering the subject matter so applicable, SCI lead singer Michael Kang hopes this reassures COVID-19 first responders, proffering gratitude for their dedicated and continued […]

Glass Bandit debuts with ‘Reflections’ EP

One thing this country, nay, the whole world needs right now is some funky, fresh music to keep moods elevated under the current COVID circumstances. Answering the call is Lawrence, Kansas funk-soul-rock fusion band Glass Bandit, debuting onto the recording scene with a three-song EP, Reflections. The eight-piece Kansas co-op emphasizes self-worth, perseverance and, obviously, […]