Iya Terra stands with Black Lives Matter in “Streets Run Red” single

A country on the verge of civil war is nothing compared to the insurmountable injustice that has paved the way here. America, through systemic racism imposed by the government and social encouragement in the home, has always been divided, despite the strides in the Civil Rights and Black Lives Matter movements. For every time a […]

Shrub lays it all out in ‘Back To Earth’ album

Guess what, guys? Shrub is back! For those unaware or for those that need a brush-up on early reggae rock names, Shrub is an Ohio-based hip hop-meets-reggae effort led by frontman Jay Shawberry. You might recognize the old guitarist, Blaine Dillinger, as he is the current lead guitarist for HIRIE. Now solo, Shawberry used to […]

Jah Sun’s ‘Magic & Madness’ is meticulously crafted for excellence

West Coast artist Jah Sun will be gracing us with his seventh full-length album in this month titled Magic & Madness. Made up of nine tracks, the latest release features a considerable array of songs, extending from upbeat anthems to some more mellow-paced tracks as illustrated in “Tomorrow” or “Ancient Soul”. Jah Sun doesn’t hesitate […]

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 […]

The Dirtnaps drop eerie “Shadow” single

Rising hip hop-reggae artist The Dirtnaps out of Detroit is taking the quarantine scare up a notch in the latest single “Shadow”. The name might be plural, but The Dirtnaps is actually the brainchild of one-man-band Richard Ensley — writing, performing and producing it all on his own! After signing to Eyecon America, Ensley has […]

Iration teams with Rebelution, Stick Figure in single “Right Here Right Now”

Iration has long since cemented their reign in the reggae rock scene, with six full-length albums, countless singles, a multitude of music videos and tours around the world since their formation over 15 years ago. It’s pointless to argue anything but Iration is king. Other supreme beings in the reggae rock realm include that of […]

A brief Reggae Rock history

To date, reggae has had an underrated rap. Out of all categories the Recording Academy credits for their annual GRAMMY Awards, Reggae only gets one slot – which is simply a travesty! Anyone who follows the genre knows that a myriad of subgenres exist that have fractured the larger Reggae umbrella over the years – […]

Enhance early summer with KBong’s “Good To Hear Music” single, feat. Mihali

KBong, Stick Figure keyboardist turned solo artist, has recently released his new single “Good to Hear Music” featuring Mihali of Twiddle! The song features a lighthearted vibe and beachy tone. With such an upbeat timbre and relaxed lyrics, “Good To Hear Music” is sure to make it on your summertime playlist… it’s simply in the […]

Venice Beach Dub Club’s release takes center stage

The debut album from Venice Beach Dub Club consists of 12 original tracks, six outstanding guest appearances and two dozen accomplished musicians, all of which make this release full of finesse. The self-titled VBDC album is impulsive, with assertive and layered lyrical content — poetic at times. VBDC’s debut album is intense , sonically complex […]

How Cali Roots wins Earth Day, every day

Memorial Day Weekend simply will not be the same this year in Monterey. For the past decade, one festival has grown to be synonymous with the three-day weekend at the Monterey Fairgrounds, the same setting of the historic Monterey Pop Festival — you know, where Jimi Hendrix set his guitar on fire in between Janis, […]

Top Shelf Music News: Episode 4

Your Top Shelf Music News hosts Matt Cook and Kristy Rose are back for Episode 4… although their sanity is questionable, at best. Under the current COVID-19 circumstances, the music industry has all but ground to a halt, yet these two dedicated news reporters aren’t giving up, assembling what few bits and pieces of music […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: Wisdom and Sound “No Negative Vibes”

Reggae music has always been rooted in delivering vital messages of moral principle, preservation and sociopolitical advocacy. These are the ideologies that invigorate the music of Wisdom and Sound, the work of Andrew Mencher, best described as conscious reggae of the modern era. Fusing together the sounds of reggae, hip hop and rock, Mencher’s latest […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Ghost Rock “Morning Light”

Ghost Rock is a new, up-and-coming three-piece soulful roots reggae band from San Jose, California. Consisting of lead singer Vince Gadduang, lead guitarist Nick Santana and drummer Danny Flores, Ghost Rock puts on a high-intensity performance. They have an astonishing sound, amplified by singer Gadduang. Within the first few seconds of seeing them live, the […]

AZ Roots 2020: Day Two

Bright and sunny, Day Two Arizona Roots Fest 2020 started off with a bang as eccentric reggae rockers of 4th & Orange warmed up the main stage for another whole day of music. Artikal Sound System members, playing later in the evening, greeted festival returnees at front gates, twirling meet-and-greet signs wildly while ZeeCeeKeely kicked […]

TSM #HotList: March 29th, 2020

We’re proud to present Top Shelf Music Artist #Hotlist with your host Alexia Johnson, March 29th Edition! This time, our lineup features Blarre Bianchi & Iam Christarz, DJ Greenguy and Reime Schemes, Fantan Mojah and Rome (of Sublime With Rome) with Duddy B (of Dirty Heads)! With so much going on in the world right […]