Wonderfront 2019: Day Two

Day Two — let’s go! First off, kudos to Wonderfront for their festival companion app! I’ve never seen a more polished festival app that was intuitive, fast, reactive and a must-have for the festival-goer. I started my day with the app and a cup of Joe. Selecting all the acts I wanted to see then […]

Nahko And Medicine For The People at LA’s Fonda Theater

The Take Your Power Back Tour, featuring Nahko And Medicine For The People, came to The Fonda Theater in Los Angeles for two nights. It was one of the last stops on the tour and Ayla Nereo came along as the opener for the last few shows. Ayla started the night off with a dark […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: Kalalea “The One”

Kalalea brings the islands to life in his latest music video for “The One” — a track that premiered earlier in the year off Roots Musician Records. Hawaiian at heart, it’s only natural that Kalalea incorporates the beauty embedded in his island home as a metaphor for the woman who has stolen his heart. “You […]

Bret Bollinger at Jannus Live

On Friday November 1st, Jannus Live welcomed Bret Bollinger & the Bad Habits. Bret Bollinger is well-known from Pepper as the bassist and singer. Along with Bret was special guest Tunnel Vision and Roots of a Rebellion, who all put on one hell of a show. At the end, they even covered the stage together […]

An interview with Scrap Yard Aces

Scrap Yard Aces, a rock-reggae dub band from Huntington Beach, shares their success story with Top Shelf Music journalist Renee Simpson on their recently released album, Sense in This Time. Check out this intimate interview with the band! Can you tell us about the creative process for the new album? We wrote most of the […]

DUBBEST ‘Gold Fever’ album review

If you have not taken a moment to listen to one of reggae hottest upcoming bands, DUBBEST, you are seriously missing out on a musical experience reminiscent of true roots reggae. DUBBEST members, originally from Boston, are now residing in San Diego and have worked their way up through the ranks, currently finishing up a […]

Fortunate Youth at Pomona’s Glass House

On November 13th, Fortunate Youth kicked off their Live Life fall tour at the Glass House in Pamona. They were supported by Kash’d Out and Mike Love. Walking around the venue before the performances, it was great getting to see so many friends and catching up with people I hadn’t seen for a while. I […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: A-Mac & The Height “Where I’m At”

Denver-based hip hop-meets-funk band A-Mac & The Height is gearing up for an album release in February 2020, teasing fans with a funky, fresh sound in the leading single “Where I’m At” a few weeks ago. Not only that, but Top Shelf Music is happy to host the world premiere of the single’s music video […]

Jason J. rocks the reggae genre with ‘No Refuge’ EP

In case you missed it, Jason J.’s No Refuge EP is now available on all major streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Google Play, Soundcloud and more. The Guamanian singer-songwriter has made quite a name for himself within entertainment circuits after relocating to Los Angeles. Jason, a man of many talents, can be found running sound […]

Soultry Dubs impresses with ‘Soultry Sound’ album

Bursting onto the music scene from Long Beach, California, the progressive dub artist Soultry Dubs has released her debut album this month, making its way across the digital universe. The 13-track Soultry Sound is a psychedelically flavored album, with an all-female roster including appearances by Nattali Rize, Lion Child, Mpress Kandace, Sistren Kim and Ashley […]

KAABOO Del Mar 2019: Day Three

KAABOO Del Mar started Day Three 2019 with a big public announcement — this is the last KAABOO Del Mar day EVER! Never to fear: KAABOO is simply relocating due south to downtown’s Petco Park, rebranding in the process to KAABOO San Diego from here on out. With that in mind, attendees made the most […]

A chat with Katastro

Back in 2007 in Tempe, Arizona, four very different, yet similar friends got together to play some music and created the musical ear candy that is now Katastro. After working the music scene in Arizona to the point the band opened for renowned alt -hip hop band, Dirty Heads, Katastro picked up a fantastic opportunity […]

Dub Inc ‘Millions’ album review

Internationally-recognized French reggae band Dub Inc has been energizing their massive shows for more than 20 years. Their music pulls from different styles, including dancehall, dub, ska and hip hop, sung in a mixture of French, English and Kabyle. The band’s latest album, Millions, upkeeps their upbeat approach to their style of reggae, but with […]

One Love Cali Reggae Fest reveals massive lineup for 2020

A reggae rock lover travels the world and back for events that incorporate all their favorite artists. Imagine having virtually all reggae artists — from Jamaican reggae to island reggae to Cali reggae and back — all in one place. In one weekend. We cannot stress enough that this is the case for One Love […]

The Movement at Florida’s Jannus Live

October 26th, The Ways of The World Tour was at Jannus Live in St. Petersburg, featuring The Movement alongside The Badda Skat Band, The Elovaters and The Late Ones. It was an epic night, with over 1,500 fans packing in at Jannus Live for some of reggae’s best bands. With all their music delivering a […]