How The Resinators bring Muffin But Good Vibes

If you’re a San Diego resident and a reggae lover, chances are you’ve been exposed to the growing presence of a reggae-infused bakery rising to the top known as Muffin But Good Vibes. If you’re unaware of MBGV and wondering ‘how the hell does a bakery infuse reggae??’, simply taking a look at their website […]

My Forte Artist Spotlight: Mobley

How does one describe a phenom consistently setting the bar ever higher in creativity, sound and musicianship? Singer-songwriter, ‘Curator of the Creative’, pitch-perfect (figuratively and literally), multi-instrumentalist, genre-defying performance perfection? Those are but a few of the many impressions Mobley leaves on anyone lucky enough to cross his path. One of Austin’s best and brightest, […]

My Forte Artist Spotlight: Migs718

The epitome of the next big thing, Migs718 is the answer to the stagnant hip hop scene of recent years. I challenge you to find another young up-and-coming artist with the same grit, depth and complexity as Migs718. Go ahead… we’ll wait. Already an accomplished artist in his own right, the SXSW 2022 official artist has dropped […]

My Forte Artist Spotlight: Bourgeois Mystics

What do you get if you combine OutKast’s The Love Below, some “Blitzkrieg Bop”, a sprinkle of funk and groove, a smattering of Bollywood and some 80s classic rock? A recipe for success? According to Austin’s Bourgeois Mystics, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’.  I first discovered the band’s outrageous excellence early in my Austin years… it was probably 2015 […]

A look into new ‘Trip Around Saturn’ LP with Little Stranger

Alternative rock/hip hop duo Little Stranger is a name that’s growing more and more familiar within several music circles. Hitting the road hard again since April of 2021, they have been winning over audiences at notable events, such as Summer Camp Music Festival, Dirty Heads Orlando Vacation and Holidaze. To top off a successful year […]

Ritt Momney sits down with Top Shelf Music

Ritt Momney, aka Jack Rutter, has made quite a name for himself in the music industry over the course of the last few years! One minute, he was just a young kid posting music on his TikTok and the next, he is a seasoned touring vet with two albums under his belt. He may have […]

An after-tour talk with Iya Terra frontman, Nathan Feinstein

A while ago, I sat down for a Zoom call, as you do in the age of COVID, to have a conversation with Nathan Feinstein, lead singer and guitar player for one of my favorite reggae bands currently out right now, Iya Terra. The band had just gotten off the road after a successful nine-week […]

Michigander meets with Top Shelf at Shaky Knees Fest

Jason Singer, the 29-year-old also known as Michigander, has been very productive during the last couple of years. He lost some weight, wrote some new music and got engaged. Instead of succumbing to the negativity that COVID brought to so many people, Jason decided to turn that time into something positive, writing his latest EP, […]

A chat with The Collection at Shaky Knees Fest

The Collection is an amazing seven-piece band hailing from Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Their wild live shows and upbeat blend of pop rock have earned them a 2019 NPR Tiny Desk judges pick, as well as a recent opening spot with Larkin Poe. Their latest single, “Get Lost”, was released a few weeks ago and they […]

Beth Crowley talks her spooky single “In The End”

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Beth Crowley melds mystical folklore with soothing sounds in her hauntingly beautiful new single “In The End”. Based off Netflix’s The Witcher series, this song tells a familiar tale of star-crossed lovers, whose love will “burn until there’s nothing left”, yet will ultimately lead to their downfall. Sometimes “twin flames” can destroy as […]

How new ‘Castles’ album hoists The Elovaters sky-high

A month to the day after this Boston-based sextet dropped their third studio album titled Castles, I hit The Elovaters’ Nick Asta and Matty Link’s recents and chatted them up, regarding the many aspects that make Castles unique and, well, for lack of a better phrase, utterly addicting. From their multifaceted collaboration styles to their […]

Alt rocker Betty Moon talks latest album, ‘COSMICOMA’

Los Angeles-based songwriter and producer Betty Moon has racked up 10 full-length albums since the start of her career, with her latest COSMICOMA out last May. Self-produced in her southern California home studio (with the help of longtime friends and collaborators Justin Smolian and Owen Barry), the album harkens back to her earlier sound, mixing […]

A chat with BeachLife band Fortunate Youth

One of southern California’s favorite reggae rock sextet, Fortunate Youth, has been busy over the last year and a half working on their newest album, Good Times (Roll On), set to be released on October 1st! They also announced an upcoming tour with Katastro, Artikal Sound System and Joe Sambo. Coming together in Hermosa Beach […]

Introducing, The Driftwood Gambler

The Driftwood Gambler, a.k.a. reggae rock artist Tyler Person, might also be known as another name in the biz — Snugit Loose. For those up on up-and-coming artists, Snugit Loose broke into the industry with tenacity and heart, rendering an entire full-length album and several singles within his first year as a reggae act! Music […]

A chat with Calliope Musicals outside their show in Nashville

Austin, Texas and Nashville, Tennessee are — in my opinion — the two best music cities in America. On any given night, you can find an amazing show in one of many great concert venues… not to mention that if you throw a rock in any direction, you are liable to hit a musician in […]