Meet rising country star Seth Michael

Rising country star Seth Michael is currently making waves with his new single “She Got A Thing” — his fifth recorded work since his 2019 start. Although new to the scene (relatively, considering the forced COVID break), Michael is far from novice with his sound. If you’re a fan of classic country with modern twists, […]

Meet Maka Roots: man of conscious roots & livity

Maka Roots has been an essential constituent inside the melting pot of great San Diego music, performing live for over three decades with the likes of Pato Banton and beyond. Maka Roots’ musical career has taken him from California to Hawaii and back, playing keyboard in many bands before his solo debut. Elevating and empowering […]

Get to know rising EDM artist Belau

Hungarian up-and-coming EDM duo Belau is currently climbing the European charts. Naturally, us Americans better fall in line! Comprised of creative forces driven by Peter Kedves and Krisztian Buzas, Belau blends traditional electronica music with a heavy doses of self-awareness and the world around us. It’s as if you feel natural elements of water, fire, […]

Get to know Joey Calderaio

Florida multi-instrumentalist, solo artist and producer Joey Calderaio is back in action with his latest single “Paradise”, featuring Sierra Lane. The fresh reggae jam is released just in time for summer, so we thought to kick the tune up a notch by getting to know the man behind the music! Meet Joey Calderaio — rising […]

Meet surf rock reggae sensation Mr. Kowalsky

Costa Rican born, Paris resident Mr. Kowalsky has catapulted onto the reggae ska scene of late, with the release of his fourth full-length Everything Nice! back in early December 2020. Since, the genre-bending musician has been promoting this solid piece of ska perfection — taking a full four years to make! Bouncing around the world, […]

Meet SoCal reggae artist & scene advocate Rude Creation

San Diego, California has always been a hot spot for roots reggae and reggae rock music. From Slightly Stoopid to Big Mountain to Tribal Seeds, the city continues to proffer acts who have changed the course the reggae genre’s collective history. Yet, there are countless artists and bands that reside within the middle of the […]

Katchafire’s Jordan Bell talks new tunes & tours

Drummers, with the exception of a few backline frontmen, rarely get enough love. Katchafire’s Jordan Bell likes to live a little differently. His family band, originally started by father Grenville Bell and alongside brother Logan Bell, has since grown to be a staple of New Zealand and roots reggae music altogether. Jordan Bell goes centerstage, […]

Get to know reggae rock band Brothers Within

I don’t know about you guys, but this pandemic thing has been rough on me. I’ve gone through highs and lows, but one thing I can tell you is that if I throw on some good reggae music, I am instantly transformed and ready to dance and sing. I know that when I am finally […]

An interview with Arran Sym

Scotland artist and producer Arran Sym is rising in the alt music realms of late — landing him smack dab on our radar for an artist spotlight! This up-and-coming low-fi name might be a novice to some, yet is quickly becoming a master of his craft. Arran Sym has been making such major waves in […]

Among Criminals talks new album & creating in the COVID era

Among Criminals, an eclectic genre-hopping Philly band, knows all about reinvention. It was in the midst of making their latest album, Darker Sweetness, when COVID-19 crashed down, grinding everything as we know it to a halt for months to come. ‘Darker Sweetness’ is a new horizon for the band in sound and subject matter, yet […]

Operation Culture talks debut album, ‘Real Thoughts Only’

Brothers Daniel and Javier Rodriguez have just brought about their debut album under the moniker Operation Culture — in the midst of a pandemic year, no less! After premiering their single “Go Far” with us back in April of this year, this reggae-loving duo out of Wilmington, North Carolina has finally unleashed their full-length, Real […]

TSM Artist #HotList: November 6th, 2020

Welcome to the Election Tuesday episode of Top Shelf Music’s Artist #HotList, with your host Alexia Johnson. Considering this week is all about Democracy, the catharsis of the most heated and aggressive U.S. election to date, Alexia has compiled songs centering around political action from up-and-coming artists of all genres. “Thunder Clap” — I Am […]

TSM Artist #HotList: September 29th, 2020

Welcome to Top Shelf Music Artist #HotList: Episode 12, with your host Alexia Johnson! Artists featured: Total Hip Replacement — “Lost In Thought” For a funky, light and breezy sound, we bring you Total Hip Replacement! If you are a fan of The Skints, this is a new band to check out. Total Hip Replacement […]

TSM Artist #HotList: September 5th, 2020

Welcome to TSM Artist #HotList Episode 11, with your host Alexia Johnson! Below are songs featured in this installment. Black Creek Reign (ROCK) — “Now I’m Free” Black Creek Reign is an indie reggae rock group from Toronto, Canada. The song we are featuring is titled “Now I’m Free” and, as you can imagine, it […]

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 […]