14 Sep Craft Recordings announces five exclusive titles for Record Store Day’s 2022 Black Friday
Craft Recordings proudly announces five exclusive releases for Record Store Day’s 2022 Black Friday event, taking place on November 25th at participating independent retailers. This year’s offerings include a variety of limited-edition pressings, including the first and only anthology of Korla Pandit’s Fantasy Records output, Genie of the Keys: The Best of Korla Pandit Townes Van Zandt’s broadly acclaimed 1987 album, At My Window; a 10th anniversary pressing of The Sword’s metal masterpiece, Apocryphon; and a collectible edition of Silverstein’s Arrivals & Departures (featuring a bonus 7-inch). Rounding out the lineup is Haunted High, the latest title from the hugely popular Jazz Dispensary series, featuring spaced-out cuts from Flora Purim, Mongo Santamaría, McCoy Tyner, and Barbara Lewis, among others. Details for each title below.
For a full list of participating Record Store Day retailers, visit RecordStoreDay.com.
Townes Van Zandt – At My Window (1-LP on Sky Blue vinyl)
The consummate “songwriter’s songwriter,” Townes Van Zandt’s influence has spread far and wide over the decades, crossing borders, generations, and genres. The Texas-born artist rose to fame in the ’70s, thanks to his blend of blues, country, and folk, paired with a poetic—yet starkly honest—brand of storytelling. He amassed a cult following of fellow songwriters, including Willie Nelson, Steve Earle, Bob Dylan, and Emmylou Harris—many of whom recorded their own renditions of his songs.
Van Zandt (1944–1997) battled demons throughout his life, but by the mid-’80s, the reclusive artist was finally enjoying a stable family life with his wife and young son. In March 1987, nine years after the release of his previous album, Flyin’ Shoes, Van Zandt was ready to return to the studio. The artist spared no detail, pairing up with an all-star lineup of talent, including producers Jack Clement and Jim Rooney and a host of Nashville’s best musicians. Among them were Mark O’Connor (fiddle, mandolin), Joey Miskulin (accordion), and Willie Nelson’s harmonica player, Mickey Raphael. Together, they recorded a reflective and intimate collection of songs about love and heartbreak, including the frequently covered “Snowin’ on Raton,” the melancholic “Buckskin Stallion Blues,” the groovy “Ain’t Leavin’ Your Love,” and the poignant title track.
Upon its release via Sugar Hill Records, At My Window was welcomed warmly by fans and music critics alike. The album, which marked Van Zandt’s only release of the ’80s, was broadly acclaimed. The New York Times proclaimed, “Nobody writes songs about love affairs gone wrong with as much tenderness and insight,” calling his work, “the direct, untrammeled expression of a man’s soul.” Limited to 6,000 copies, this 35th anniversary edition of At My Window has been newly remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio and pressed on Sky Blue vinyl.
Tracklist:
Side A:
1. Snowin’ On Raton
2. Blue Wind Blew
3. At My Window
4. For The Sake Of The Song
5. Ain’t Leavin’ Your Love
Side B:
1. Buckskin Stallion Blues
2. Little Soundance # 2
3. Still Lookin’ For You
4. Gone, Gone Blues
5. The Catfish Song
Silverstein – Arrivals & Departures (1-LP on Green Opaque Marble vinyl + 7-inch on Translucent Green vinyl)
Since their formation in 2000, Canadian five-piece Silverstein (named after the poet Shel Silverstein) has been at the forefront of the hardcore scene, thanks to their dynamic mix of melody and aggression—all blended with the unabashed earnestness of emo. After catching the ears of Victory Records, the band released two bestselling albums: 2003’s When Broken Is Easily Fixed and 2005’s Discovering the Waterfront. By the time that they began recording their third full-length, Arrivals & Departures, it was one of Alternative Press’ most anticipated titles of the year.
Released in 2007, Arrivals & Departures found the group exploring new sounds and expanding their repertoire. Working with producer and engineer Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, blink-182, The Starting Line), the band proved their versatility, broadening their work with pop melodies and plenty of catchy guitar hooks. Frontman Shane Told, meanwhile, delivered an impressive mix of emotive growls and clean vocals. Featuring singles “If You Could See into My Soul” and “Still Dreaming,” plus dynamic highlights such as “Sound of the Sun” and “Worlds Apart,” Arrivals & Departures debuted at No.25 on the Billboard 200 and drew praise from the press, including Exclaim!, Punknews.org, and AllMusic, who wrote, “Silverstein prove that the playing field for what is considered post-hardcore has been broadened considerably.” Absolute Punk declared it to be a “rewarding listen…. this is the Silverstein everyone has been waiting to hear.”
Newly remixed by Sam Guaiana and remastered by Mike Kalajian, this 15th anniversary edition of Arrivals & Departures is pressed on Green Opaque Marble vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket with an accompanying booklet. Limited to 5,000 copies, the LP also includes a bonus 7-inch on Translucent Green vinyl, featuring the tracks “Rain Will Fall” and “Falling Down” (both released on the limited edition of the original CD).
