Thundercat at The Pageant, St. Louis

There was a feeling of funk, rhythm and soul in the air on November 16th at The Pageant in St. Louis, MO. Los Angeles-based road cat Stephen Bruner (also known by his stage name, Thundercat) rolled into town, breaking out his massive, unique signature six-string Ibanez TCB1006 to take his audience for an absolute ride. […]

A Day To Remember & Asking Alexandria ignite Hollywood

A Day To Remember brought the Re-Entry Tour to the legendary Hollywood Palladium in October, along with longtime tour pals Asking Alexandria. These two have been top favorites in the post hardcore era of the twenty-teens, and the turnout of the crowd spoke highly of how they still appeal to rock lovers everywhere today. The […]

X Ambassadors astounds The Danforth, Toronto

On a cold late-autumn evening in Toronto, we joined an enthusiastic throng of concertgoers lined up in front of The Danforth Music Hall. Having just stopped for an incredible burger and beer at local grill The Bullger (that’s a story for another day, but holy cow), the two of us were fired up for an […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: Harlette “Gemini (Acoustic)”

Canadian rock artists Harlette pack an uncontainable blend of style and sound with their newest music video release, “Gemini (Acoustic)”, premiering exclusively today on Top Shelf Music. With a sultry film noir aesthetic, singer-songwriters Michelle and Martina give us a pared-down version of their mid-2021 release. Featuring just the two singers and a red piano, […]

Anderson East leaves Nashville audience rejoicing

Friday night in downtown Nashville would be my first opportunity to experience two things I have had on my musical bucket list for quite some time. The first being to attend a concert at Ryman Auditorium, the venue that pretty much birthed Country Music. It’s a place so iconic and legendary they nicknamed it the “Carnegie […]

Blue Ridge Rock Fest 2021: Day Four

We finally made it to Day Four of Blue Ridge Rock Festival! We were hot and dragging ass a bit, but so ready for this amazing lineup to close out the fest. By the last day of any festival, you know the fastest food lines, the cleanest port-a-potties (we vote BRRF as the cleanest festival potties […]

Neal Francis comments on new ‘In Plain Sight’ LP

The writing process for new music always varies from artist to artist. Some, like Springsteen, can spend days locked inside a studio perfecting snare beats. Others, like Chicago native Neal Francis, can find themselves living inside a church for a year, immersed in “Well Tempered Clavier”. I guess you could say, when creating his sophomore […]

Gipsy Kings at San Diego’s Humphrey’s By the Bay

Gipsy Kings put on a great show at Humphrey’s By The Bay on November 3rd! The Latin pop group brought the same energy to San Diego that they started with 40 years ago and had most of the crowd standing and dancing at their seats. Even fans enjoying the show from their kayaks just outside […]

Eclectic Soundtrax Podcast, Ep. 61: James Desautels

Air date: November 24, 2021 On this episode of Eclectic Soundtrax, hosts Victor Ramos and Skunk Manhattan chat with virtuoso violinist, composer, producer, songwriter, arranger and conductor, James Desautels. From concert halls and music festivals to small clubs and intimate recording studios, “Jamie” has performed in 37 countries across five continents over a career spanning […]

Getting to know art punk band Gustaf

Some bands are exceptionally talented and some bands are just lucky; Brooklyn’s avant-garde art punk icons Gustaf are both. What began as a series of ‘fortunate’ events on the way to SXSW has blossomed into something quite magical for this group of five rock ‘n roll misfits. Not many artists can say that one of their […]

One psychedelic trip with Pigeons Playing Ping Pong in St. Louis

The earlier this month, I experienced a band for the first time. It was a band with a quirky name and an even quirkier onstage personality. They play a pretty intense version of electro-funk, mixed with a psychedelic-esque groove undertone that is unmistakable to their particular genre of music. All four of the band members […]

Blue Ridge Rock Fest 2021: Day Three

Let’s reminisce on Day Three of Blue Ridge Rock Festival! By Day Three, we had this parking two miles away and walking to get to the gates thing down. Truth be told, I kind of enjoyed it, just for the people we met along the way! We made the best of it, cracked jokes, chatted about […]

Punk in the Park 2021: Day One

On November 6th, Punk in the Park was held at the Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, CA. Saturday was headlined by Pennywise and included sets from 13 other kickass punk bands! For people that were 21+ with a tasting pass, you were able to enjoy unlimited samples for half the day from some regional breweries […]

Rock on the River 2021: two terrific days in Timmins, CAN

Welcome to a small town rock festival in the far-off north! It’s a place where friendly, happy-go-lucky organizers are as serious about good music as they are about making sure there’s enough cold beer to go around. And, it was a bigger than big rock lineup — we’re talking nationally acclaimed artists — The Arkells, […]

State Champs storms SOMA San Diego stage

The Pure Noise Records Tour hit San Diego’s SOMA in Point Loma on October 5th, bringing an evening of pent-up pop punk that we’ve all been dying for. With a lineup like State Champs, Four Year Strong, Real Friends, Just Friends and Bearings, it was some pretty fantastic noise all night! As the crowd began […]