Bourbon & Beyond Fest comes back to Kentucky for Fall 2024

The anticipation is building as the star-studded lineup for Bourbon & Beyond — the World’s Largest Bourbon & Music Festival — has been announced for this fall, set to take over the Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville from September 19th to the 22nd, 2024. This four-day celebration promises an unparalleled experience, […]

2023 albums you shouldn’t have missed: Ben Harper ‘Wide Open Light’

2023 was a great year in music. In case you missed it, wolrd-renowned singer-songwriter Ben Harper gave us his best album yet — an 11-track opus entitled Wide Open Light! Following his GRAMMY-nominated Bloodline Maintenance, Wide Open Light was released as of June 2nd, 2023 via Chrysalis Records following a tease with the song “Yard Sale” […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 79: Chris Duarte

On this episode of Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, hosts Skunk Manhattan and Victor Ramos chat with Texas guitar legend Chris Duarte. Born in San Antonio, a young Duarte became interested in music after seeing Fiddler on the Roof on TV. He initially wanted to play violin and then clarinet, but circumstances led him to playing his […]

Get to know rising alt band Karalyn and the Dawn Patrol

Today I got to have a sit down with Karalyn Woulas, lead singer of the Cocoa Beach band Karalyn and The Dawn Patrol. This four-piece band has sounds inspired by rock, punk and alternative melodies and consist of surfers, Space Force and Space Alliance engineers, a Cocoa Beach city commissioner, a Berkeley graduate and one […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: Chris Bowen Vibes “Brand New”

Blues rock-infused reggae artist Chris Bowen Vibes feels “Brand New” in the new music video by Raised Fist Propaganda! Top Shelf Music has the privilege to premiere the official visualizer before it hits public channels, giving you a sneak peek of what Bowen brings to the table. Bluesy meets beachy in this anthem of the […]

The Black Keys brings masterful blues rock to St. Louis

If you follow The Black Keys on Instagram, then you are undoubtably aware of the fact that they are currently out cruising the country on the Dropout Boogie Tour, promoting their newest album of the same name. You may also be aware of the fact that the band’s Instagram page was recently infiltrated by comedian […]

Shedonist drops debaucherous new video for “Daddy”

Just in time for Father’s Day, Nashville-based grunge rockers Shedonist have debuted their latest music video for “Daddy”. The video is a wild and debaucherous romp through an audition process, as the band seeks out prospective new “Daddies”. It hits its visual climax as the band is surrounded, dollar bills begin to fly and everyone […]

Spoon packs San Diego’s Belly Up Tavern to capacity

Heading to Solana Beach’s Belly Up on a weeknight felt almost nostalgic… I hadn’t done it since the pre-COVID era. Despite having work in the morning, one of my favorite bands from my high school and college years was coming to town and it was simply unacceptable to miss. Spoon… the last time I saw […]

Experiencing Nashville’s first Eastside Boogie

This past October, an amazing new venue opened in Nashville in the form of the Eastside Bowl. Formerly a K-Mart, this retro-style venue prides itself on its vintage 1970s aesthetic. Not only does it have the coolest bowling alley in town, but it also houses an arcade, filled with a collection of old-school games and […]

A night with Kingfish Ingram in St. Louis

On March 25th, it was one of those famous, midwestern, super windy evenings out in the suburbs of St. Louis, when a night of delta blues and topnotch guitar playing was enjoyed by a wonderfully diverse packed house of fans at The Factory. This group of music lovers had gathered together to see the one […]

The ‘soft opening’ of Ventura Music Hall, with G. Love

If the inside looks familiar, that’s probably because you’ve visited the building in its past life as a fusion bowling alley/small(er) music venue, formerly known as Discovery Ventura. While the bowling lanes have been replaced in favor of additional high-top seating, the large horseshoe bar, booth seating area and notable Quonset hut-style, wood-paneled ceiling all […]

A serendipitous night with Tedeschi Trucks in Syracuse

“This is just like Jacksonville,” Derek Trucks says. We’re looking out the window of a bar in downtown Syracuse, NY, admiring the architectural columns of the building across the street. “Jacksonville is the Syracuse of Florida. I love this city.” The guitar phenom from the GRAMMY Award-winning Tedeschi Trucks Band is holding a glass of $30/oz whiskey.  He […]

Beth Hart bares her soul in Los Angeles

Beth Hart bared it all at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on February 5th, with heartfelt, energetic and raw emotion. As “Movin’ On Up” (the theme song to the 70s hit TV show The Jeffersons) played, Hart and her band took to the intimate stage. She powerfully launched into “Levee”, followed by a sweet […]