The Cali Roots X-perience

In 2014, I attended the 5th Annual California Roots Festival for the first time when I was still in high school. The only person I knew there was my best friend who I went with and my mom who drove us. After three days at the festival, we left with a ton of new friends […]

Same Same But Different Fest returns for Year Two

The end of summer is a marvelous time for a weekend festival. Combine that with a serene camping getaway, the best in funky, fresh bands and a core group of friends to render yourself one of the greatest experiences. Same Same But Different Festival hit the sandy shores of Lake Perris last year: a secluded […]

Getting to know Root Shock

Root Shock is making WAVES from coast to coast. The band formed in 2012 when bassist Bill Eppel and singer Jessica Brown joined forces; their energy surged right from the beginning, as they quickly started to create material. After collaborating and creating their first songs, the two founders were joined by guitarist/singer Phil Grajko. Root […]

Art Garfunkel at LA’s Saban Theatre

The voice of an angel, the musings of a man well-traveled and the familiar songs of multiple generations filled the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills as Art Garfunkel entertained a full house on May 9th. Over the next 90-minute set, Garfunkel took the audience back in time on a magical, musical and lyrical storytelling journey. […]

Sitting down with Save Ferris’ Monique Powell

Save Ferris frontwoman Monique Powell is anything but conventional. And, after 24 successful years making exceptional ska music, she has solidified herself in the ska hall of fame if there ever was one. So, when I had the chance to sit down and chat with Monique shortly following her Day One Back To The Beach Fest […]

Surf’s up, buns out at the first ever BeachLife Festival

BeachLife Festival’s inaugural weekend spanned May 3rd-5th, 2019 and was as cool as the California breeze with an organic, laid back atmosphere, a stacked lineup and weather like you couldn’t imagine. Redondo Beach’s seaside lagoon location was primo for catching rays, indulging in delicious food, making friends and, obviously, dancing like there’s no tomorrow. The […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Lea Love “Way I Am”

SoCal songstress Lea Love is about to drop her much-anticipated EP and to celebrate, she is releasing the title track “Way I Am” here on Top Shelf Music! Available tomorrow on all digital outlets, Ms. Love showcases not only her vocal range, but her open persona. This is who she is, folks! With a catchy […]

KROQ’s 2nd Annual Back To The Beach Festival

The cool, cloudy southern California morning didn’t stop fans from packing the Huntington Beach sand for the 2nd Annual Back To The Beach Festival, presented by KROQ. With awesome food vendors, pop-up shops and play areas for kids and adults, everyone was having a blast! There were sand games, oversized beach chairs and a mechanical […]

Julian Marley comments on new album, ‘As I Am’

It’s been 10 years since the release of Julian Marley’s GRAMMY-nominated album, Awake. When asked if he felt any pressure to release another GRAMMY-worthy album, he confidently said he was not. As the ninth child of Bob Marley, music has been such a huge part of his life that he is constantly making music that […]

Lissie at LA’s Largo at The Coronet

A small, quaint theater with crushed red velvet curtains, soft white lights, a rustic upright piano, a mic stand, a stool and a glass of red wine. The intimate venue of Largo at The Coronet in Los Angeles was the perfect place for Lissie to kick off her When I’m Alone: The Piano Retrospective Tour. […]

Roots of Creation talks BeachLife Fest & beyond

East coast jam band Roots of Creation has been hitting the road hard for some time now, accumulating quite a following for their unique take on the reggae-rock movement. After gaining critical success with their Grateful Dead tribute album Grateful Dub, RoC is about to perform alongside Dead frontman Bob Weir this weekend — on the same […]

Austin City Limits 2019 announced

Now that Coachella weekends one and two have passed, it’s time to fast forward to fall — fall in Texas, specifically. There are some bucketlist fests on everyone’s radar and Austin City Limits (ACL) continues to reign supreme (next to Bonneroo and Lolla, of course). ACL might not be as old as its aforementioned predecessors, […]

A talk with BeachLife band Tomorrows Bad Seeds

The turnover rate for bands in the reggae-rock scene is unfortunate. Over the past few decades since the genre got popularized, bands have risen to the tippy top (cough, Stoopid, Reb) as others dissipated faster than vape smoke, rendering themseles a minor blip on the reggae-rock radar. RIP to all those fallen soldiers. You did […]

Skip Marley drops “That’s Not True” single, feat. Damian Marley

Jamaican born and Miami raised Skip Marley has done it again! In a follow up to his inspirational single “Lion”, Skip Marley has released his seventh single, “That’s Not True”. The uniquely talented grandson of Bob Marley and son of Cedella Marley carries on his grandfather’s message of loving one another and people living together […]