Call to action: visa fee increases for international artists
The US Department of Homeland Security has proposed rate increases that would make touring in the United States for international artists significantly more expensive. read more →
our whole store is back up!! it's time for a sale :-) read more →
we're unloaded in Portland! + Kickstarter backer rewards artwork // an update on our inventory
after driving 2200 miles in 36 hours (lololol) we are now unloaded and now officially 100% in Portland! read more →
hello from Texas!! // an update on our inventory
today was a big day. we have officially gotten our inventory back! five of us are down in Austin loading up a truck read more →
we did it!! // an update on our inventory
One month ago we were completely overcome with despair, but with your support, we're now more optimistic than ever about the future of our record label. read more →
we need your help // an important update regarding our warehouse and mail order operations
the mail order fulfillment company we partnered with, Awesome Distro, has gone bankrupt. they have abruptly shut down, owing us tens of thousands of dollars in revenue and forcing us to relocate 17 years worth of inventory immediately with no advance notice. read more →
We're having a spring sale! And it's kinda huge, honestly. read more →
Topshelf Digest // February Updates
This month we’ve got updates from supernowhere, Bellows, Mal Devisa, Mid-Air Thief, Crisman, Olivia Kaplan, and Ratboys. read more →
Bellows // Five Inspirations Behind the Art of "Next of Kin"
"On the back cover of the album, I’ve dramatized this idea to a petulant extreme: NEXT LOVE, NEXT FRIEND, NEXT DOG, NEXT FAMILY, NEXT BELIEF, etc. Like, I think I wanted to extrapolate outward about the limits of the future-oriented model for life, always impatient for the next thing – is anything so important there can be no next of it? No replacement?" read more →
Zenizen // artist selections playlist
“Hey would you want to jump on this?” is one of my favorite questions. read more →
Topshelf Digest // November Updates
November has been absolutely stacked here at Topshelf HQ. And so the digest is here for you to... digest. This month we’ve got updates from Bellows, Lunarette, Gregory Uhlmann, and Ratboys! read more →
Starting today, our full shop is 21% off until midnight PST Monday 11/29 ! 2021 titles will be 21% off through the end of the year! read more →
Lunarette // Behind the Album Art
"Going with Beya was a very easy and unanimous decision. The brilliance of her color choices, the soft textures and the amount of detail that spans the entirety of all of her pieces were so alluring." read more →
Bandcamp Friday // we share our recommendations!
Will, Sarah, Kevin, and Mack share what we've been picking up on Bandcamp recently <3 read more →
supernowhere // artist selections playlist
"...we wanted to look back at our time in the small yet vibrant Burlington, Vermont independent music scene..." read more →
We're looking for a fall intern to assist with our fall release schedule. We're accepting applications through September 10, check out the post for more details! read more →
Gregory Uhlmann // New live video + curated playlist
drank a little too much last night / forgot my keys / didn’t turn off the lights read more →
Olivia Kaplan // Behind the Album Art
"Maybe someone will stumble upon this record and find it rewarding in some way, like finding a mermaid tail where they thought they’d find a wet sock." read more →
Lunarette // Artist Curated Playlist
"Here are some songs that we got into from this past year, a year we obviously did not expect. Each of us got into sounds that have informed our evolving musical perspectives, and while varying, I find that they all feed off each other." read more →
Gulfer & Charmer Do a Split
"The whole idea of finding a band because another band you like has some kind of connection with them is a cool way to get your hands on new music. When I first got familiar with labels like Topshelf and Count Your Lucky Stars, I would always make sure to check the splits they would put out. It was a cool insight into what was happening in the scene in the States at the time - what bands were interacting with each other and who was supporting who." read more →
Topshelf Digest // May Updates
"There's beautiful personal wreckage in the post-truth and existential meltdown worlds of Gulfer and Charmer on the emo punk bands' new split." read more →
Olivia Kaplan // Five Inspirations
Skip stones with Olivia Kaplan as she connects dots of inspiration around her debut record "Tonight Turns to Nothing" -- out June 25. read more →
Ten Years of Ratboys // A Timeline
"Happy Birthday, Ratboy" celebrates 10 years of Ratboys - use this timeline to get familiar with the band's full history, accompanied by some adorable archival photos! read more →
Olivia Kaplan // Curated Playlist
"I love the way she owns her shit while leveling her lovers so eloquently..." read more →
In Photos // Ten days touring Japan with Ratboys
Back in 2018, Ratboys embarked on a short tour of Japan's Honshu island and Kevin tagged along. We gave everyone cameras to document the trip, and now present this gallery with some rousing anecdotes. read more →
Tancred // Self-Titled Album Livestream
"I’m very excited to play these songs now, some of which will be for the first time, and solo acoustic, the way each was originally written. These songs are raw and I can’t wait to present them that way." read more →
"Take Your Pick" w/ Jer from Skatune Network
"That show lives rent-free in my head for the rest of my life." ~ hit a skank down memory lane with Jer from Skatune Network, as they pick 5 of their favorite Topshelf releases read more →
"I love when an album feels like you could live inside it." A home studio tour with addy ~ read more →
2020 Music Videos in Review
I thought it would be fun to look back on this year in music videos, thinking we must have had a hand in releasing 9 or 10..... little did I realize that my fragile grasp on time has erased large swathes of the last year selectively (is this relatable?) read more →
Bellows // Quarantine Bookclub with Oliver
My favorite story in this collection, “Real Women Have Bodies”, revolves around a mysterious plague that makes women become incorporeal — certain women wake up to find they’ve become slightly translucent and then gradually lose their physical bodies before just disappearing into thin air...
Animation by Sarah Alvarez read more →
