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 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 and 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 line-up 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).
Tracklist:
Side A
1. Sound Of The Sun
2. Bodies And Words
3. If You Could See Into My Soul
4. Worlds Apart
5. My Disaster
Side B
1. Still Dreaming
2. The Sand Will Turn To Glass
3. Here Today, Gone Tomorrow
4. Vanity And Greed
5. Love With Caution
6. True Romance
Bonus 7-inch:
Side A
1. Rain Will Fall
Side B
2. Falling Down
The Sword – Apocryphon (1-LP on 180-gram Cosmic Yellow Swirl vinyl)
Not long after forming in the early aughts, The Sword found themselves at the forefront of the retro-metal movement, merging the classic doom metal of the ’70s with psychedelia and stoner rock. Over the next few years, the Austin, TX four-piece continued that trajectory, gaining flocks of fans around the globe (not to mention plenty of critical acclaim) with releases such as 2008’s Gods of the Earth and the 2010 concept album, Warp Riders. By 2012, however, members of The Sword were about to enter a fresh phase in their career.
An album of firsts, Apocryphon was the group’s debut on the label Razor & Tie, as well as their first recording with drummer Santiago “Jimmy” Vela III. It also marked The Sword’s first album without any instrumental tracks. Produced with J. Robbins (Against Me! Jawbreaker, The Promise Ring), Apocryphon found the band delving further into stoner rock and embracing an arena-sized sound—offering a throwback to the classic riffs of Black Sabbath and Thin Lizzy. Lyrically, the record was also a stylistic shift, with the band moving farther away from the fantasy worlds of their earlier albums. Instead, they ruminated on metaphysical ideas, focusing on such themes as the apocalypse and the mysterious cycle of life, death, and rebirth.
Featuring such favorites as “Arcane Montane,” “The Hidden Masters,” “The Veil of Isis,” and “Cloak of Feathers,” Apocryphon was a critical and commercial success. In addition to debuting at No.17 on the Billboard 200, the album drew rave reviews from the likes of the BBC, Magnet, AllMusic, Loudwire, and Consequence of Sound, which hailed Apocryphon as “heavy metal distilled to its purest form.” Lacquers for this 10th anniversary edition were cut by Daniel Krieger at SST, using Greg Calibri’s (Sterling Sound) original high-resolution master. Limited to 5,000 copies, the LP is pressed on 180-gram Cosmic Yellow Swirl vinyl and housed in a gatefold jacket featuring artwork by the award-winning comic book artist and penciller, J.H. Williams III.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. The Veil Of Isis
2. Cloak Of Feathers
3. Arcane Montane
4. The Hidden Masters
Side B
1. Dying Earth
2. Execrator
3. Seven Sisters
4. Hawks & Serpents
5. Eyes Of The Stormwitch
6. Apocryphon
Various Artists – Jazz Dispensary: Haunted High (1-LP on Pink Splatter vinyl)
The sought-after Record Store Day series, Jazz Dispensary, returns with Haunted High: a surreal collection of tunes that explore the furthest depths of outer space—and the human mind. Launch into the atmosphere with energizing music that will stimulate the senses, culled primarily from the mid-’70s catalogs of Flora Purim, Mongo Santamaría, McCoy Tyner, and more.
Haunted High takes off with “Phases,” a funk-fueled, instrumental jam from the Cannonball Adderley Quartet. The journey continues with Woody Herman’s spirited “La Fiesta,” followed by the expansive and mysterious sounds of McCoy Tyner’s “Desert Cry.” Stretching time and space is “Silver Sword,” a supremely trippy 1974 cut from Brazilian singer Flora Purim, featuring guitarist Carlos Santana at his prime. Mongo Santamaría’s engaging “Los Indios” opens Side B, while vibraphonist Cal Tjader blends Eastern influences with Afro-Cuban beats in 1979’s “Mambo Mindoro.” Two final tracks guide listeners back to Earth: Gene Ammons’ poignant rendition of “Strange Fruit” and Barbara Lewis’ soulful, 1969 performance of “The Windmills of Your Mind” (a ballad originally sung by Noel Harrison in 1968’s The Thomas Crown Affair).
Haunted High is pressed on Pink Splatter vinyl and housed in an eye-catching jacket, with embossed silver foil detail. As with all editions of Jazz Dispensary, this collectible release will be limited in numbers—with just 5,000 copies available worldwide. So, get onboard, buckle up, and lean back: This trip is about to get groovy.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. The Cannonball Adderley Quintet – “Phases”
2. Woody Herman – “La Fiesta”
3. McCoy Tyner – “Desert Cry”
4. Flora Purim – “Silver Sword”
Side B
1. Mongo Santamaria – “Los Indios”
2. Cal Tjader – “Mindoro”
3. Gene Ammons – “Strange Fruit”
4. Barbara Lewis – “Windmills of your Mind”
Korla Pandit — Genie of the Keys: The Best of Korla Pandit (1-LP on Blue Opaque vinyl)
In the golden age of TV, Korla Pandit led viewers on fantastical journeys to faraway places with his mesmerizing, instrumental music. Dubbed the “Godfather of Exotica,” Pandit claimed to hail from New Delhi, where he was born to a French opera singer and an Indian government worker. After his death in 1998, however, it was revealed that Pandit was actually John Roland Redd—an African American artist from St. Louis, MO. A prodigious piano and organ player, Redd relocated to Los Angeles in the early ’40s, where he conceived of a new identity in order to join the Musicians Union, which did not allow Black artists at the time. Redd’s new musical persona not only brought him acceptance, but also allowed him to stand out from his peers. For the rest of his life, he assumed the role of Korla Pandit—on and off stage.
Initially, Pandit was a staple on L.A. radio, but in 1949, the musician brought his act to the small screen. Korla Pandit's Adventures in Music marked the first all-music program on TV and featured the artist playing the piano and the Hammond B3 organ (often simultaneously) while staring hypnotically at the camera. Although he refrained from speaking at first, Pandit soon integrated spirituality into his shows, discussing Eastern religions, mysticism, and Zen philosophy. As his popularity grew, the artist also enjoyed a prolific recording career—releasing 13 albums with Fantasy Records between 1958 and 1963, including Tropical Magic (1959), Hypnotique (1961), Music for Meditation, and Music of Hollywood (both 1962).
Genie of the Keys: The Best of Korla Pandit presents 16 choice cuts from this era—and marks the very first anthology of the artist’s Fantasy Records output. Featuring Pandit’s inspired blend of Eastern, Latin, and South Pacific musical traditions, the collection includes such original compositions as “Procession of the Grand Moghul,” “Turkish Dance,” and his iconic “Magnetic Theme,” which opened Korla Pandit’s Adventures in Music. The collection also offers a variety of pop covers, including “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Polka Dots and Moon Beams,” and “Speak to Me of Love.”
Genie of the Keys features newly remastered audio by the GRAMMY®-winning engineer, Paul Blakemore, with lacquers cut by Dave Polster at Well Made Music. This inaugural edition is pressed on Blue Opaque vinyl and limited to 4,000 units.
Tracklist:
Side A
1. The Magnetic Theme
2. España
3. Turkish Dance
4. Procession Of The Grand Moghul
5. Kartikeya
6. Moonglow
7. Lotus Love
8. Speak To Me Of Love
Side B
1. Brazilian Baion
2. There’s A Small Hotel
3. Ode To A Lotus Blossom
4. Jalousie
5. Song of India
6. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
7. C’est Magnifique
8. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
