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Not just news posts anymore


We see this space as an opportunity to give a platform for our roster—but moreso, the individual people that comprise our roster—to speak on anything that's important to them, or to simply share anecdotes about their music. Our hope is that this will expand into a curated, open-ended hub for not just news and updates, but also recommendations, behind-the-scenes, "premieres" & exclusives, random musings, calls to action, and as a means for us to riff on what we think is important. Our logo is a speech bubble, after all.

Every post we've ever made going back to 2006 has been meticulously tagged and archived here for you. Use the 'by artist' dropdown or the filters to show posts that're more specific to what you're looking for, or just scroll down to peruse things chronologically. Thanks for reading!
 
 
an illustration by Madeline Dowd, showing whimsical people enjoying music in various ways i illustration by Madeline Dowd of Crisman.

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 →

 

Knifeplay // "Ryan Song"

Knifeplay

Knifeplay has offered us another track off their upcoming record. “Ryan Song” is out everywhere, along with its achingly beautiful music video. read more →

 

cool original // 'another second, a whole lifetime'

cool original

​The end of summer is also marking the end of cool original’s outtakes from “bad summer” series. Today we’re expanding the universe one last time with another second, a whole lifetime. read more →

 

we need your help // an important update regarding our warehouse and mail order operations

cool original

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 →

 

Introducing: Knifeplay

Knifeplay

Please welcome Knifeplay to our roster! We’re thrilled to announce that their new album ‘Animal Drowning’ is out October 19, and you can hear the first single “Promise” now. read more →

 

Introducing: JYOCHO

JYOCHO

We’re simply thrilled to share that we're partnering JYOCHO to release their album 'Let’s Promise to Be Happy' on cassette and vinyl! JYOCHO’s music exudes pure emotion. It’s chaotic, non-linear, poetic, and gorgeous. read more →

 

Thanya Iyer's Montreal Community // scene report

The Montreal music scene is AMAZING! There are so many incredible artists making innovative and creative music that sounds like no other! I’m really grateful to be a part of such a nourishing and nurturing community. read more →

 

Zenizen // the debut full-length 'P.O.C' is out now!

Zenizen

Zenzen’s debut full-length P.O.C (Proof of Concept) is out today! woo! This one’s been in the works for awhile, and we’re so stoked to finally share this brilliant album with you. All 12 tracks of far-reaching pop R&B grooves. Go listen to it in the sun today :-) read more →

 

Thanya Iyer // announcing the new EP 'rest' 🛋

Zenizen

Thanya Iyer invites us to examine our relationship with rest, step outside our comfort zones, and explore the art of mindful intention in her new EP. rest is out August 24 ~ you can hear the first single “leave the room and face the waves” now! read more →

 

Ratboys July shows + re-presses!

Ratboys

The Rats are playing their final gigs of the summer – and their last shows for awhile – this month! We've also got three new re-presses of their first three records. read more →

 

bad summer inspiration // a cool original playlist

Nathan Tucker, the voice behind cool original, put together a playlist of 30 tracks that inspired the new album outtakes from “bad summer”. It’s a tracklist of absolute TUNES (much like the album itself). read more →

 

spring sale 2022!

cool original

We're having a spring sale! And it's kinda huge, honestly. read more →

 

summer tours!!

cool original

It's gonna be a stacked summer. Weatherday, Sweet Pill, Bellows, Addy, Crisman, and Ratboys are all hitting the road soon! read more →

 

Zenizen // New single "Aja" + album announcement!

Zenizen

New Zenizen is here, and new Zenizen is coming. I’m extremely excited to tell you that Zenizen is releasing a new album! It’s called P.O.C (Proof of Concept) and it’s out July 27! Today, we have a new single off the upcoming album to listen to. read more →

 

cool original // announcing the new album + lead single!

cool original

we’re releasing a new cool original album! it’s called outtakes from “bad summer” and it’s out on may 18! there’s a single and music video for you to get into right now. read more →

 

Record Setter & Home Is Where do a split!

Record Setter

2 legendary bands, 4 songs, 1 split. Record Setter and Home Is Where's "dissection" lesson is out everywhere now, featuring two bangers from each band. read more →

 

Sweet Pill // new song "High Hopes" + music video !

Sweet Pill

The second Sweet Pill single is here! It's called "High Hopes" and it's a scorcher, I must say. Along with the release, the band also dropped a music video to accompany the song. read more →

 

Bellows // "Next of Kin" is out now! + new video for "My Best Friend"

Bellows

Next of Kin is officially out in the world, and I’m so excited for you all to finally hear it in full! It’s an honest record about loss – loss of family, beloved dogs, friendships, romantic love, loss of selfhood – but it’s whimsical, imaginative, and such a damn joy to listen to. read more →

 

Introducing: Sweet Pill

Sweet Pill

We’re ridiculously excited to announce the newest addition to the Topshelf family and roster, Sweet Pill! read more →

 

Topshelf Digest // February Updates

Sweet Pill

This month we’ve got updates from supernowhere, Bellows, Mal Devisa, Mid-Air Thief, Crisman, Olivia Kaplan, and Ratboys. read more →

 

supernowhere // new single "The Hand" + music video

supernowhere

Pulled along by some unknown force, Kurt’s dreamself, unencumbered by lucidity or agency, soared over grassy green hills peppered with strange brick-red homes. read more →

 

Crisman // *tour announcement*

Crisman

Crisman have announced that they're hitting the road this spring! Addy will be joining them on a couple dates ~ read more →

 

Introducing: Mal Devisa

Mal Devisa

A partnership a long time in the making, we’re thrilled to work with Mal Devisa to release her full catalog across all streaming services for the first time! 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 →

 

2021 Titles Guide

Our End of Year Sale runs through December 31! ALL 2021 Titles on ALL formats are 21% off // Here's a little guide to everything we put out this year. read more →

 

Zenizen // artist selections playlist

Zenizen

“Hey would you want to jump on this?” is one of my favorite questions. read more →

 

supernowhere // "Basement Window" + *Album Announcement*

Zenizen

Prompted by a dream of a snake in the basement of now defunct Seattle house venue Werewolf Vacation, “Basement Window” is about expressing an accusation of harm in cumulative iterations. read more →

 

Topshelf Digest // November Updates

Zenizen

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 →

 

End of Year Sale!

Zenizen

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 →