Topshelf Digest // May Updates
Good afternoon emo fans and allies, I want to get back into posting a monthly digest on our website to make sure you don't miss out on all of the fun and exciting goings on at Topshelf HQ. This month we've got updates from Really From, Olivia Kaplan, Gulfer, toe, Boyscott, and of course all of us in the (non-existent) office. Let's get started:
- Really From have successfully broken into the podcasting sphere with their new and very compelling self-titled show. The Really From Podcast explores some of the same questions that the Really From music explores, on culture, race, ethnicity, family, language, creative practice, and the way all of those topics and experiences intermingle. This month they've released 4 new episodes featuring guests Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Théo, Pictoria Vark, and Mike Park respectively. If you're interested in hearing these incredible creators dig in to their own histories and thoughts surrounding these topics in both insightful and entertaining ways give it a listen! Available everywhere you find your podcasts, and linked to Soundcloud above.
- Chris Lee-Rodriguez of Really From was also interviewed in Atwood Magazine for their article "Atwood Magazine Celebrates AAPI History Month 2021" - featured alongside a slew of inspiring artists. Give it a read!
- Olivia Kaplan released the third single from her forthcoming record Tonight Turns to Nothing. The song "Still Strangers" premiered over on Flood Magazine, and also comes with an accompanying studio video that perfectly captures the softness and intimacy of this spellbinding single.
- Olivia also provided our latest feature: a breakdown of five inspirations behind her debut album, out June 25. If you've enjoyed the singles out ahead of this full-length I'd recommend giving it a look, and spinning the Artist Selections playlist that Olivia curated with 32 tracks that have inspired her. We're less than a month away from her record release, let these little extras help you wile the hours away in the meantime.
- Our five new toe T-shirts are all shipping - get 'em while they're hot! toe are also featured on the cover image for Spotify's official Math Rock playlist which includes tracks from toe, LITE, tricot, Elephant Gym, El Ten Eleven, Giraffes? Giraffes!, standards, Rooftops, and Enemies. I think Spotify has a crush on us (⁄ ⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄ ⁄)⁄
- We've revived an old fan favorite product while supplies last: 10 CDs for $20! 'Tis the season to roll the windows down and drive across town (or across the country) so why not let us fill that stereo at a steep discount?
- We've been slowly uploading our full catalog to resonate.is, an artist and listener co-operatively owned streaming service attempting to shrink the gap between how artists are being paid for their work vs. how they should be paid for their work (aka they should be paid). Kevin has been contributing a lot to this community as it grows, and I (Mack) just signed up and started exploring, I'd recommend you do as well! The premise is quite cool: basically you buy credits, and those credits equal streams, every time you stream a song you get one step closer to owning it. Once you own the song you can listen to it as much as you want for free, in perpetuity, you've paid for it! A great way to browse and pay all at once without a huge financial commitment up front.
- We've re-pressed Goose Bumps, the iconic surf rock record from Boyscott to new "Swamp Galaxy" 12" vinyl - available as a co-release between yours truly and Babe City Records. You can pick up a copy here.
- Finally let's do some Gulfer updates: these beloved Montreal rockers gave us two new live videos recently for tracks "Nature Kids" & "Letters" - these are bonus tracks from their Audiotree International session, which also warrants a play whether you've heard it once or a dozen times already, I just love them.
- Last, but you know, certainly not least: Gulfer & Charmer released a 2 song split today with us, No Sleep Records, and Royal Mountain Records (I love a release with more labels attached than songs lmao). As Recommended Listen said: "There's beautiful personal wreckage in the post-truth and existential meltdown worlds of Gulfer and Charmer on the emo punk bands' new split."
Thanks for reading, thanks for listening, thanks for being cool. Free Palestine <3
other recent posts
- announcing our new UK shop
- Boyscott // Spellbound
- Peel Dream Magazine announce new album Rose Main Reading Room with the lush and gorgeous "Lie In The Gutter"
- Ekko Astral emerges from the D.C. punk scene with a new standalone single "baethoven"
- Thanya Iyer // West coast tour dates with Land of Talk
- Weatherday // Merch Sale and North American Tour with Panchiko and They Are Gutting a Body of Water