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TSR
283

Boyscott
Spellbound

 
 
 

In the Spellbound sonic universe, enchanting hooks about friendship and growing up in New Jersey orbit driving verses that prize brevity, never laboring longer than necessary. On lead single “Rocky Road,” Boyscott explore the mental gymnastics required for a career in music, pulling on the threads of fear and excitement they experienced in their early tours. Such reflection is abundant on Spellbound: “Arthur Kill” refers to the peculiar beauty of a boat graveyard in the Arthur Kill tidal strait; where “Lima” interpolates a song that stuck with Hermo since high school. All told, Spellbound continues what Boyscott started with Goose Bumps, honing their pristinely arranged indie pop morsels into a fully realized sound that vindicates the near ten-year wait. more info→

10 tracks

available on:
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/ cassette
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Parannoul


After the Magic

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Parannoul - After the Magic Across the album’s ten songs, Parannoul plunges yet deeper into his diverse pool of influences, coming back to the surface with a record that captures and extends the magic of its predecessor. Unexpected flashes of orchestral ambient and glitched-out electronica meld seamlessly with Parannoul’s signature passages of noisy, distortion-laden shoegaze, offering a real time glimpse into the maturation of one of indie rock’s most exciting artists. more info →

On music discovery:

When writing about a song or album, the convention is to use the present tense. A piece of music, although representative of and influenced by the era in which it was created, is ultimately always experienced in ~the present~. We built this website while pondering ways that we could, at every turn, focus on discovery by bringing music we released years ago relevantly back into the present, challenging how we collectively talk and think about “new” music. Discovering new music is exciting, but so is discovering music that’s simply

new to you.

It’s our hope that you'll enjoy digitally crate digging through this online home of ours, finding and connecting with the 250+ albums we’ve released with 140+ artists from all around the world over the last 16 years. Directly below are a few of our favorites to get you started.

However you’ve found yourself here presently, thanks so much for stopping by! We couldn’t do this without your support and enthusiasm.

-All of us at Topshelf

 
i illustration by Dylan England of Del Paxton.
t   toe - For Long Tomorrow

For Long Tomorrow

toe
Knifeplay - Animal Drowning

Animal Drowning

Knifeplay
o Weatherday - Come in

Come in

Weatherday
p   Gulfer - S/T

S/T

Gulfer
A Great Big Pile of Leaves - Pono

Pono

A Great Big Pile of Leaves
s Record Setter - I Owe You Nothing

I Owe You Nothing

Record Setter
h e Sweet Pill - Where the Heart Is

Where the Heart Is

Sweet Pill
l   Ratboys - Happy Birthday, Ratboy

Happy Birthday, Ratboy

Ratboys
Elephant Gym - Dreams

Dreams

Elephant Gym
f   Mid-Air Thief - Crumbling

Crumbling

Mid-Air Thief
NOW I SEE THE LIGHT (2024), toe’s fourth full-length album, is a bridge between the experimental restraint of their later work and the explosive abandon of their earlier output. From the opening tracks, toe balance serpentine passages against meditative repetition. On “LONELINESS WILL SHINE,” “サニーボーイ・ラプソディ,” and “NOW I SEE THE LIGHT,” Hirokazu reprises his role as part-time vocalist, breaking the band yet further from the instrumental work that formerly defined them. As a whole, NOW I SEE THE LIGHT closes the loop between early and late toe, giving them a clean slate for their new outlook. more info →

Sobs


Air Guitar

  cd
/ vinyl
/ cassette
/ digital
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TSR252

Dedicated to the power of pop music, Sobs are Singapore’s premier indiepop propagandists. A thirty-minute trip for the post-Internet consumer, Air Guitar calibrates inventive pop hooks for the indie rock lover, instantly accessible yet intricately arranged. more info →

 

Ratboys / T.V.NOT JANUARY


Split 7

vinyl
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TSR276

This 7" vinyl features an exclusive track from both Ratboys and T.V.NOT JANUARY, released in honor of the bands' 2024 Japan tour.

more info →

 

Gulfer


Third Wind

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TSR268

While Vincent Ford and Gulfer’s other founding member, bassist David Mitchell, no longer contribute the majority of songwriting they once did, morsels of their original sound remain. Signature wistful vocals and oblique-yet-nimble guitars are still a fixture, as are thematic elements that touch on burnout, climate crisis, and losing touch with a difficult reality. But Third Wind’s stylistic turns are emphasized by deeper texture and simpler songwriting, influenced by the reemergence of 90s alternative and shoegaze. more info →

 

announcing our new UK shop

today we’re excited to announce our partnership with Devil Dog Distro in the UK. if you live in the UK, Europe, or even western Asia, you are now able to purchase Topshelf titles significantly faster and more affordably. in the coming months, we’ll be stocking the shop with our newer titles, but in the meantime, we’re running a huge sale to celebrate, with lots of buy-one-get one deals, mystery items, and discounts from 20-70% off. read more →

 

Peel Dream Magazine announce new album Rose Main Reading Room with the lush and gorgeous "Lie In The Gutter"

Peel Dream Magazine

Please welcome Peel Dream Magazine to the Topshelf roster! Their new album, Rose Main Reading Room, is a lush, inviting headphones record; the kind of album made to accompany city bus rides and rainy-day solo trips to accidental destinations. read more →

 

Ekko Astral emerges from the D.C. punk scene with a new standalone single "baethoven"

Ekko Astral

We're very hype to have Ekko Astral on the roster with their new song "baethoven"! These DC punks bring crashing drums, fuzzed-out guitar riffs, and a bewitching + frantic voice to our roster. Listen and check out their upcoming tour dates with Ted Leo read more →

 

other recent updates:

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