Stick Figure sells out San Diego’s Belly Up Tavern, twice

The week between Christmas and New Year’s is always a time warp, filled with general hibernation from the holidays all-around. Yet, despite the odds of staying in, one reggae-rock-alt band managed to sell out a San Diego venue, not once, but TWICE. That’s right, Stick Figure — a band on top of the music scene […]

Top Shelf Music News: Episode 1

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Top Shelf Music News, with your host Matt Cook & Kristy Rose guiding you on this daring quest. It being right after the holidays, a lot is going on in the music industry, from festival announcements to new music to hot gossip of the bands you love. This episode […]

Coachella 2020 is here!

The moment all mainstream music lovers have all been waiting for is here — Coachella 2020 has been revealed! That magical unveiling always warrants your money well-spent if you secured your passes from festival’s pre-sale, prompting others who haven’t splurged for a ticket yet into a panic for when whatever’s leftover goes public. You never […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: Jonny Wayne “Western Man”

Jonny Wayne, known well under his former moniker Jon Wayne & the Pain, has struck out solo of late, bringing forth a whole new look with familiar vibes. The look is mainly the hair, noticeable in this world video premiere for Wayne’s brand new track, “Western Man”. Riding the lush inlands of a tropical paradise […]

Okeechobee Fest returns to Florida for 2020

Tucked away in the serene grasslands of Sunshine Grove, Florida’s own fun and freak fest is back on for 2020! After hitting its first year out of the park in 2016, Okeechobee Festival and its down-to-earth vibrations grew in 2017 and 2018, before coming to a grinding halt for March 2019… apparently it was due […]

Thievery Corporation at Belly Up Tavern, San Diego

Seeing your favorite bands at smaller venues is always a treat: intimacy abounds as interaction between players and audience members amplifies immensely. Such a venue is San Diego’s Belly Up Tavern along the coast of Solana Beach. A variety of acts cycle through the Belly Up; most returning as an annual or biannual gig. One […]

Happy Cat Jay hits in house single, “Era Of A Niche Hero”

London is the perfect place to pinpoint some underground house and EDM artists. Rising up through the EDM ranks is one funky self-sufficient artist by the name of Happy Cat Jay. Not only does Jay assume the role of sound engineer for his tracks, but this multi-instrumentalist pretty much composes the whole thing himself! From […]

M3F Fest returns to Phoenix March 2020

What’s better than splurging on a sample of your favorite bands thrown together in one mega live music event? Knowing the money you’re spending on the weekend is going straight to charity. That’s right: one festival makes its mark on the world by bettering the planet as it goes. M3F Festival knows how to have […]

HIRIE at San Diego’s Observatory North Park

It was a stacked night on November 23rd at San Diego’s Observatory Theater North Park, when friends and fans of reggae rock packed the building to the brim in eager anticipation of not one, not two, but FIVE bands! HIRIE concluded their six-week fall tour that night; a homecoming like none other commenced. SoCal reggae […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: Kalalea “The One”

Kalalea brings the islands to life in his latest music video for “The One” — a track that premiered earlier in the year off Roots Musician Records. Hawaiian at heart, it’s only natural that Kalalea incorporates the beauty embedded in his island home as a metaphor for the woman who has stolen his heart. “You […]

Dry Diggings 2019: Day Three

Day Three Dry Diggings started out as blessed and beautiful as the past two days, wrapping up its 2019 in pure reggae rock style. Opening the final day was Arden Park Roots, with a giant Connecting People Through Reggae sign bouncing around. Protoje brought Jamaican reggae to the day, before Dub Trio and Collie Buddz […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: A-Mac & The Height “Where I’m At”

Denver-based hip hop-meets-funk band A-Mac & The Height is gearing up for an album release in February 2020, teasing fans with a funky, fresh sound in the leading single “Where I’m At” a few weeks ago. Not only that, but Top Shelf Music is happy to host the world premiere of the single’s music video […]

Cold War Kids at San Diego’s Observatory North Park

Alt lovers gathered from far and wide the night of Friday, November 15th for an intimate performance by Cold War Kids, supported by Samia, at San Diego’s Observatory North Park. Being a smaller venue (versus big amphitheater performances by CWK), the Observatory filled up real fast as opener Samia took center stage. Cool, complacent, yet […]

One Love Cali Reggae Fest reveals massive lineup for 2020

A reggae rock lover travels the world and back for events that incorporate all their favorite artists. Imagine having virtually all reggae artists — from Jamaican reggae to island reggae to Cali reggae and back — all in one place. In one weekend. We cannot stress enough that this is the case for One Love […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Dyado “End of Your Song”

Alternative Americana duo Dyado is making major waves this month, releasing two lead singles off their EP out early next year. Following a full-length album entitled Dreamcountry, cousins Matt Lohan and Luisa Stancoiff have joined forces to bring forth melodic indie-folk music, infused with their “signature hazy California spirit” and a sound quickly gaining them […]