Blood Money is the latest release from Jamaican reggae singer Protoje. The song lyrics provide hard-hitting, raw and unapologetic commentary on the current state of Jamaica, touching on recent grievances and social injustices that have afflicted Jamaican society. Protoje describes the air of discrimination, classism, and oppression prevalent in the Jamaican political landscape, calling out […]
Category Archives: Top Shelf Reggae
Dirty Heads at SOMO Village | Top Shelf Reggae
A sell-out crowd came out last week to experience Dirty Heads, SOJA, The Green and RDGRNGLD at the SOMO Village in Rohnert Park. Packed with 3,000 fans, the show was the venue's first sell-out since Second Octave began hosting outdoor concerts there two summers ago. RDGLDGRN was a great addition to this epic lineup, helping to […]
DARENOTS unleash “Murda Whistle” video | Top Shelf Reggae
Toronto-based band DARENOTS are at it again, this time visually displaying their antics in the video for their latest single, “Murda Whistle”. Set to black-and-white and featuring disorienting blurs, the video weaves between an insider look of the band members themselves and what life is like for them on the road. Specifically, what life is […]
Experiencing Katchafire’s Legacy Tour | Top Shelf Reggae
New Zealand natives and legendary roots reggae band Katchafire has been busy traveling the nation this past year on their Katchafire Legacy Tour: Celebrating Twenty Years of Fiyah! The tour started in the spring of 2017, where they hit several states spanning from the east to west coast with Hawaiian reggae band, Inna Vision. This […]
Jimmy Cliff celebrates “Life” in new video | Top Shelf Reggae
Dr. Jimmy Cliff is renowned to be reggae's first global superstar, garnering himself a GRAMMY, the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame and numerous other merits along the way. Now at the age of 69, Cliff continues his commendable career by celebrating the present in his new “Life” single and music video. The track hit digital […]
Stick Figure “In This Love” official video | Top Shelf Reggae
Stick Figure released a music video for “In this Love” off of their latest album Set in Stone, in support of their New Year’s Eve show announcement. “In This Love,” comes from the musical imagination of Scott Woodruff and creates a vibrant sonic soundscape and the music video reflects just that. The Rasta gradient overlay […]
Introducing the 1st Annual Desert Oasis Music Festival | Top Shelf Reggae
The Empire Polo Club in Indio, California is not only home to year-round polo tournaments, but also to a handful of choice music festivals since 1993 – most notably Coachella and Stagecoach. Tucked away in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, the grounds transform annually into a cultural experience immeasurable to any other (depending on […]
The Broken Crowns Tour with Matisyahu and Common Kings | Top Shelf Reggae
Internationally recognized reggae artist Matisyahu has announced his upcoming “The Broken Crowns Tour” featuring support from Orange County rock-reggae outfit Common Kings and brand new Matisyahu produced project Orphan. Matisyahu had this to say about the new group: “Orphan is a new band I signed currently living and making music out of my home. All […]
A sit down with Easy Star All Stars at Cali Roots 2017 | Top Shelf Reggae
Kristy Rose of Top Shelf Reggae catches up with Easy Star All Stars before their premiere set at the 8th Annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival. The band's Cali Roots performance kicks off an entire west coast tour, so learn the details about that, their next project and their thoughts on chilaquiles. And, don't forget […]
Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley – R.O.A.R. video | Top Shelf Reggae
Coming this July 21, youngest son of reggae legend Bob Marley, Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley will release Stony Hill, the artist's first solo album since 2005’s Grammy Award winning Welcome to Jamrock. In advance of the album release, Damian Marley has shared a brand new video for the single “R.O.A.R.” and fall tour announcement. Tickets […]
Cali Roots 2017: Day Three | Top Shelf Reggae
The final day of California Roots 2017 had arrived, but what a Sunday Funday it turned out to be! With the best music on the horizon, everyone arrived at the Monterey Fairgrounds stoked. First up was Ballyhoo!, followed by RDGLDGRN on the Bowl Stage and Roots of Creation kicking off the OG Stage. Jah9 poured […]
The Holdup release new single “Solid” | Top Shelf Reggae
Since the critical acclaim success of their 2011 debut album titled Still Gold, reggae and music lovers have been clamoring and anxiously waiting for new music from California based reggae band The Holdup. Since releasing their debut album the band has garnered a great deal of commercial success and moved on to sell tens of […]
Pepper, Tribal Seeds & FY team up for Nice Dreams Summer Tour | Top Shelf Reggae
What’s summer without good music? Every year, there is always a landslide of outstanding summer shows to keep any reggae-rock lover busy (and consequently broke). It gets to a point where choosing one over the other can prove to be quite challenging, for reggae FOMO is the WORST. This summer season, however, Pepper, Tribal Seeds, […]
A talk with Tribal Theory at Cali Roots 2017 | Top Shelf Reggae
Kristy Rose of Top Shelf Reggae catches up with Tribal Theory at the 8th Annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival in Monterey, California. With their new single “Part Time Lovers” out and their Blackout Tour concluded, the band talks about what's ahead. For more Cali Roots 2017 coverage, check out the daily photo galleries, […]
Cali Roots 2017: Day Two | Top Shelf Reggae
Day Two was upon us. The initial nerves of Day One had subsided to nothing but good vibes, and what better way to start the day than with some morning yoga? Whether you were just entering the Monterey Fairgrounds for the first time, or you started the party with a raging Day One, the 8th […]
Top Shelf sits down with DARENOTS at Cali Roots 2017 | Top Shelf Reggae
With their latest EP Strange Love now available on all digital outlets as of June 16th, the DARENOTS sure do have a crazy year in store! Kristy Rose of Top Shelf Reggae had the pleasure of catching up with the Canadian boys after their set at the 8th Annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival. […]
The Movement returns with new single “Siren” ft. Stick Figure | Top Shelf Reggae
The Movement is set to release new single “Siren” featuring Stick Figure on June 30th. The new single is the lead track to the upcoming seventh album from The Movement and will be released with Rootfire Cooperative. Flip on the TV or scroll through Facebook and get ready to be bombarded with negativity and lies. […]
Christos DC’s announces fourth album release | Top Shelf Reggae
Raised by parents who sang opera and taught voice professionally, Washington, D.C native Christos DC will release his fourth album titled Tessera, on July 28th through Honest Music. “Love is the frequency of which the Creator works through one another” It was Christos' great respect for the music coming out of Kingston, Jamaica that led […]
9 Mile Roots “Premonition” official video | Top Shelf Reggae
Guest post by Josh Behun, bassist and vocals for 9 Mile Roots “Premonition” was filmed with the idea of portraying our high-energy stage show on a small screen. Our goal was to capture all of the antics and emotions that are typically spread out on display across a large stage and compress it all into a […]
Ammoye to shed “The Light” | Top Shelf Reggae
Jamaican/Canadian chanteuse Ammoye blends real-world issues with uplifting messages in her latest full-length album, The Light. Although the 17-track album has yet to hit digital outlets, Ammoye is already nominated for three Junos (the Canadian equivalent to the GRAMMYs), and is ready to take the world by storm. Each track represents Ammoye’s deep-rooted self worth, […]
Jesse Royal interview at Cali Roots 2017 | Top Shelf Reggae
Kristy Rose of Top Shelf Reggae recently interviewed reggae revival sensation Jesse Royal at this past California Roots Festival. Jesse Royal has his debut album dropping shortly, so he talks about what this means for his music, his fans, and his next move. For more Cali Roots 2017 coverage, explore our site for photos, interviews, […]
Lion Heights “Same Situation” album review | Top Shelf Reggae
There is a slight novelty aspect to the way the four-piece Texan band Lion Heights dazzle their listeners on their latest release to the world titled Same Situation. Their musical chops are undeniably, flashy versions of what you would hear come out of legendary artists like Bob Marley or Gregory Isaacs. The 11 track album loosely pays tribute […]
J Boog embarks on new tour. Drops new music video. | Top Shelf Reggae
J Boog, the Southern California raised artist embarked on his North American tour which started on June 8th in Pier Six Concert Pavillion in Baltimore, MD. The trek will make notable stops at the The Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA as well as performing at numerous festivals including Summerfest in Milwaukee and Reggae on the […]
Day One Cali Roots 2017 | Top Shelf Reggae
The 8th Annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival was finally here! 2017 got good vibes going the minute the gates opened with high-energy, prime performances by SYNRGY, Skanks Roots Project, and Passafire. By midday, the Monterey fairgrounds was packed to capacity with vibrant reggae lovers who had traveled near and far to enjoy Day […]
The 24th Annual Rototom Sunsplash | Top Shelf Reggae
Reggae is universal. It transcends international borders like no other musical genre. Whether in the form of Caribbean dancehall, island dub, American reggae-rock, African dance, or UK reggae ska, there’s a significant reggae backbeat embedded in Western culture. And, there is a rising number of reggae festivals popping up in Asian countries as well! For […]
Double Tiger announces debut full-length album | Top Shelf Reggae
Double Tiger, or better known as Jay Spaker of John Brown’s Body has spent the last five years processing and writing his emotions. And now, he’s finally ready to share them with the rest of the world. His debut full-length album titled Sharp & Ready is set to be released on celebrated label Easy Star […]
Kash’d Out talks “The Hookup” at California Roots 2017 | Top Shelf Reggae
Top Shelf Reggae had the awesome opportunity to sit down with Kash'd Out while they were atttending California Roots 2017! Their brand-new full-length LP The Hookup happened to hit digital outlets while the Florida boys were at the festival, so tune in as they talk about their onsite album antics, their upcoming tour, and what's next for the band. Tags: videos, […]
Catching up with Collie Buddz at Cali Roots 2017 | Top Shelf Reggae
Kristy Rose from Top Shelf Reggae had the pleasure of sitting down with master, Mr. Collie Buddz at the festival of all reggae festivals, California Roots 2017. Learn about the new Collie Buddz Good Life album, his summer 2017 tour, and what's next for the Bermuda native. Tags: videos, interview, collie buddz, california roots, cali roots, […]
The 8th Annual California Roots Music & Arts Festival | Top Shelf Reggae
Well, it happened – another magical weekend in Monterey came and went. Memorial Day Weekend at the Monterey Fairgrounds has become commonly known as the 'Coachella of reggae music', something 'indescribable' and 'an experience of a lifetime'. Ever since the premiere Cali Roots back in 2010, the festival has morphed and coagulated into something so […]
Crucial Blend “Full Grown” EP review | Top Shelf Reggae
When this San Diego based trio bring their skills together, you know you’re in for a three-ring sonic circus. Crucial Blend's brand new 5-track EP titled Full Grown brings audible tricks and exciting melodies driven by reggae influences with ska-punk roots and a touch of hip-hop. Opener “Cali Sun” incorporates all of that, starting with […]
New SOJA single “Bad News” | Top Shelf Reggae
It's been awhile since we've heard anything new from Virginia natives SOJA. Their 2016 release Live From Virginia was a nice little additional to their library, however fans are getting antsy for new music. Released on YouTube on May 24th, SOJA unleashed their new single titled “Bad News” announcing it on social media, “There are […]
Watch the live stream of Caliroots 2017 | Top Shelf Reggae
For those who can’t make it to one of the most anticipated weekends of the year, California Roots is bringing it’s iconic festival to your home with the help of innovative technologies from live streaming Venice, California based company, LiveList. From their website, LiveList states that it was built with the belief that live music […]