Hawaii’s Mayjah Rayjah Music Festival to celebrate 10 years

Anyone who is fortunate enough to live on the Hawaiian islands, or be heading there this summer, could be in for a treat if they are able to hit The Mayjah Rayjah Music Festival [TMR] on any one of four different islands! The TMR first event is a two-day festival held in Honolulu on July […]

An interview with Ishmael I

Ishmael Turner, known as Ishmael I, is an independent reggae artist, writer and producer, currently spreading his Jamaican roots vibes to the American public and beyond. A humanitarian at heart, Ishmael I transcends borders with socially-conscious music in an effort to make the world a better place. I recently had the opportunity to chat with […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Among Criminals “60,000 Messages”

The punky, dubby Philly-based band Among Criminals is back with new music! Blending turn-of-millennia alternative with Jamaican rhythms, Among Criminals gained a fast following with their debut self-titled album in 2012, which spurred anticipation for their sophomore album to drop the following year entitled The Break, leading to their latest Kill The Precedent in 2017 […]

The Cure curates Pasadena Daydream Festival

It’s been 40 years since Robert Smith and The Cure entertained fans at Hyde Park in London. In honor of that show, The Cure has created another summer’s end festival of epic proportions. Robert Smith says of his new Pasadena Daydream Festival, “Hyde Park was a fabulous experience, the whole day was really magical and […]

Prince Fatty drops new single & Top Reggae Influencer playlist

After releasing his new single with Big Youth and George Dekker “Get Ready”, a cover of Smokey Robinson’s classic hit, we asked production maestro Prince Fatty to put together a playlist of his Top Reggae Influencers. On creating the playlist, he also added, “In one way or another, these tracks have been with me along […]

Stealing Oceans welcomes summer with “Golden Nights” single

Up-and-coming rapper Brian Thompson (aka, Stealing Oceans) releases new pop/psychedelic single “Golden Nights”: an uplifting hip hop track produced by Schmarx, with vocal production by Schmarx and Savvy and co-written by all three of the above. The Nashville native sings about the ‘golden nights’ he’s had in his life — the feeling that will never […]

Thirty Seconds to Mars gears up for Camp Mars Malibu 5

It’s already the fifth year in a row for Thirty Seconds to Mars to host their unique music festival called Camp Mars in Malibu, California. This time, they are offering fans to spend the weekend of September 7th-9th celebrating 10 years since their big album, This Is War, was released. The weekend will include two […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Marcus Upbeat “She’s So Sweet”

Marcus Upbeat, aka Downbeat, has had himself quite the impressive career. Gaining fandom in the UK from his former band, No.1 Station, Upbeat not only worked closely with Lee Scratch Perry, but further toured with Roxy Music in the height of their prime! Now a solo artist, Upbeat is ready to release new music — […]

G. Love’s Cape Cod Roots & Blues Fest returns for Year 2

A beacon of the alternative music industry, G. Love commemorates his 26th year with his Special Sauce band with the return of his Cape Cod Roots & Blues Festival. Originally celebrating a quarter century in the performance world, G. Love brings together another round of the best in blues music to Nauset Beach of Orleans, […]

Aftershock Fest 2019 expands to three days

After selling out the last four years in Sacramento and welcoming a crowd of over 60,000 people, Aftershock Festival has expanded to three days and will include some of the biggest names in metal, punk rock and alternative music. This year’s headliners will feature Slipknot, Stained, Korn, Blink 182, Rob Zombie, Tool, Dropkick Murphys, Lamb […]

A talk with Taj Weekes at New York’s Brooklyn Bowl

I had the opportunity not only to attend Taj Weekes & Adowa, but also had to chance to speak briefly to Weekes himself! Blessing the Brooklyn Bowl with root reggae vibrations, Taj Weekes illuminated the stage alongside his opening acts, Allinor and Te’La.  Allinor blessed the stage with melodic sounds of traditional roots reggae music. […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Kevin Kinsella “Among Them”

Founding member of John Brown’s Body and 10 Ft. Ganja Plant, Kevin Kinsella continues to be a cornerstone for the American reggae industry. His accomplishments range from musician to festival founder, releasing new music in between planning Ithaca Reggae Festival taking place next weekend in Ithaca, NY! Top Shelf Music is proud to host the […]

Being at Bayfest San Diego

There’s nothing like a family reunion. Now imagine one without any family drama, surrounded by endless familiar faces on a beautiful day sprawled across the breathtaking lawns of San Diego’s Embarcadero Marina Park North, with the monumental Coronado Speedway looming in the distance, boats passing by on the water and the palatial highrises of the […]

Last chance to attend Rancid’s Bash Festival

In February of 2019, Rancid announced their plans for The Bash Fest 2019, a craft beer and punk rock festival reaching some of the biggest cities for punk rock in the United States, including Phoenix, Tuscon, Englishtown, Boise, Tacoma, San Jose and, finally, Sacramento. The Bash Fest lineup will make your rebellious teenage heart skip […]

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 […]