Rockstead to release “Distractions” single off forthcoming album

Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, four-piece reggae rock band Rockstead has been making moves and making people groove since 2013. The band is known for their ability to mix reggae, rock, hip hop and alternative flawlessly into their performance and sound. Through the last seven years, the band has managed to make quite a name for […]

Matt Pond PA reveals “A Pillar Of Salt” socially-distant video

For over a decade, duo Matt Pond and Chris Hanson has serenaded the world under the moniker Matt Pond PA. Now, along with the rest of the music world, the two artists had to pivot their platform back in March when the world was shaken with the rampant COVID-19 pandemic. Matt Pond PA took to […]

TSM Artist #HotList: July 12th, 2020

Filmed in June and premiering today, Alexia Johnson brings you another #TSMArtistHotList. This week features Reed Dollaz (Philadelphia), FillmoeTrev (San Francisco) and Krooked Treez (Los Angeles) pairing with Sen Dog (of Cypress Hill), Karim Israel (of Arise Roots) and Sid Wilson (of Slipknot) This episode includes strong Artists of Color, making waves within the music […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Dillinger’s Hired Guns “Jellyfish of Love”

Blaine Dillinger continues his instrumental solo journey with a brand new single “Jellyfish of Love”, premiering with Top Shelf Music today before it hits any other digital outlet! A cornerstone of bands like HIRIE, Shrub and Clear Conscience, Dillinger proves through his solo ventures that he is far from a hired hand. Under the denomination […]

Vaudeville Revival delivers in ‘The Death of Los Angeles’ album

Living their lives caught somewhere in between starving artists and superstars, the members of the LA-based indie rock duo Vaudeville Revival have independently released their second full-length album, suitably titled The Death of Los Angeles — a followup to their 2019 debut, Free Dirt. The music of Luke Culhane and Jake Marino shouldn’t solely be pigeon-holed […]

Top Shelf Music gets to know The Vibe

All three members of San Diego alt-funk band The Vibe sit down with Top Shelf Music journalist Kristy Rose! With COVID-19 restrictions for musicians, The Vibe talks about what they had to do to adapt during the forced quarantine, how this downtime has been a blessing and what’s ahead on the horizon. After recently changing […]

Riot Fest drops massive 2021 Phase One lineup

Without the thrill of monthly festivals and concert getaways, 2020 has been, well, the biggest drag of all time musically. Great pieces of art have surfaced along the way, sure, yet only an extremely limited amount of events are being experienced in-person due to social distancing. Damn COVID. In summary, festivals need a do-over. Up […]

Unified Highway preaches positivity in ‘Headlines’ album

Headlines may be Unified Highway’s sophomore album, yet these are no green musicians! Unified Highway is a dual collaboration consisting of Amp Live (formerly of Zion I) and of Eric Rachmany (frontman of Rebelution). Amp Live has been recording important music for over 20 years; Rachmany and his mates recorded the first Rebelution album back […]

#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 […]

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 […]

Ocean Alley astounds in “Hot Chicken” single & video

Australia’s surf rock band Ocean Alley is back in action with the lead single “Hot Chicken” now available on all digital outlets off their forthcoming Lonely Diamond LP. The third full-length follows the band’s 2018 Chiaroscuro album — one that took them straight to the top! Gaining a following playing small gigs around Sydney’s Northern […]

Between Kings drops surprise ‘Antidote’ EP

Aussie-bred turned LA-based rock band Between Kings has achieved critical acclaim since their formation back in 2013. The band’s debut album, The Escape, instantly started climbing the Alternative Charts in 2018, escalating the emo four-piece to over 1.5 million Spotify streams last year. Now pairing with producer Jimmy Messer (AWOLNATION, Kygo, Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez), […]