Joey Willis

Finally!, the debut from Jake Sherman and Abe Rounds (Jake and Abe), feels like an intimate jam session where the magic of groove and melody takes center stage. This project, seven years in the making, leans heavily into funk, jazz, and soul, but what sets it apart is the dynamic way these genres are deconstructed and reshaped into something wholly unique. Sherman’s wizardry on the keys and Rounds’ masterful rhythmic precision blend into a sonic adventure that feels timeless yet undeniably fresh.

When Hallowed Ground was released in 1984, Violent Femmes were already known for their self-titled debut’s raw, stripped-down punk-folk energy. But rather than serving more of the same, the band took a sharp left turn, delivering an album that is darker, more complex, and undeniably polarizing. With Hallowed Ground, the band embraced a more experimental sound infused with gospel, country, and avant-garde elements with Gordon Gano’s cryptic, often unsettling songwriting. The result is a record that challenges as much as it rewards. As the divisive album celebrates its fortieth anniversary, Craft Recordings is giving it a wide vinyl release for the first time in over a decade, remastered from the original tapes.

Blind Gary Davis, also known as Reverend Gary Davis, was a towering figure in the world of American music. Born in 1896, Davis lost his sight at a young age but developed a remarkable ability to channel his experiences into music. Self-taught on the guitar, he mastered the intricate fingerpicking style of the Piedmont blues tradition and blended it with his deep spiritual faith, creating a unique sound that was both virtuosic and deeply emotive. Finding a home in the burgeoning folk revival of the 1950s and 1960s culminated in his unforgettable performance at the inaugural Newport Folk Festival in 1959, which catapulted him to national prominence and paved the way for the recording of Harlem Street Singer the following year. Released in 1960 and recorded in a single three-hour session by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder, Harlem Street Singer captures Davis at his creative and technical peak. As part of their Bluesville series, Craft Recordings is reissuing Harlem Street Singer on 180-gram pressed at Quality Record Pressings.

Jimmy Reed’s I’m Jimmy Reed is the kind of record that feels less like a debut and more like a mission statement. Released in 1958 on Vee-Jay Records, this collection of blues standards laid the groundwork for a musical career that would stretch far beyond the boundaries of its genre. Reed’s unassuming style, a hypnotic groove, conversational lyrics, and deceptively simple instrumentation, offers a refreshing sense of intimacy, as though he’s playing directly for you in a smoke-filled Chicago dive bar. While I’m Jimmy Reed

When Sixteen Stone hit the shelves in December 1994, it catapulted Bush into the stratosphere of alternative rock fame. Their mix of post-grunge aggression, melodic accessibility, and Gavin Rossdale’s brooding charisma made them an international sensation. Despite not gaining much traction in their native Britain, Sixteen Stone

For over two decades, Norma Jean has been a trailblazer in the metalcore scene. Originating in Atlanta, Georgia, the band emerged in the early 2000s with a sound that blended unrelenting aggression, chaotic arrangements, and introspective lyricism. Taking their name from Marilyn Monroe’s birth name, Norma Jean quickly gained a reputation for their fearless experimentation and relentless live shows. The critical and commercial success of their fifth album Meridional in 2010 marked a high point in their career and found the band at a critical juncture as to how to expand on this success. With Wrongdoers, their sixth studio album, they managed to expand their sound without losing their edge, creating one of their most ambitious and enduring records to date. While the band’s chaotic energy and raw power remain intact, Wrongdoers

In 1994, Born Jamericans burst onto the scene with their debut album Kids From Foreign, an electrifying blend of dancehall reggae and hip-hop that not only captured the essence of the duo’s Jamaican heritage but also redefined cross-genre collaboration. Comprising Mr. Notch (Norman Howell) and Edley Shine (Horace Payne), the American-born duo created a sound that bridged cultures and resonated deeply with audiences worldwide. The production, helmed by the legendary Chucky Thompson, is steeped in ’90s flavor but avoids sounding dated. Thompson, known for crafting hits for icons like Mary J. Blige and Usher, brings a polished yet authentic touch to the record, allowing Born Jamericans’ unique vocal interplay to shine. This record, now celebrating its 30th anniversary, is being reissued on vinyl for the first time in 25 years by Craft Recordings for Record Store Day Black Friday. It is being pressed on classic black vinyl and cut from its original analog tapes by Phillip Rodriguez at Elysian Mastering.

Joe Bataan’s Riot! is a landmark in the history of Latin soul, a genre that captures the cultural hybridity and restless energy of late 1960s New York City. Already a rising star in Fania Records’ roster with the release of his debut album, Gypsy Woman, the sophomore release of Riot!

Founded in Austin, TX almost two decades ago, White Denim has always been a band driven by transformation. Once known for their raucous, genre-blurring live shows and feverishly tight musicianship, the Texas-born group, now led almost entirely by James Petralli, has taken a sharp turn with 12. This album was written and produced by Petralli in his Los Angeles home, where he relocated during the pandemic. As Petralli took on the role of home-schooling his kids he found that had more time to create new sounds but less freedom to collaborate in person, so 12 leans into experimentation born of necessity. With remote collaborations and a more solitary creative process, 12 reveals both the rewards and risks of reinvention.

W4RP Trio has already made their mark as one of the most daring chamber groups in the game, blending elements of modernist classical, tango, and jazz into something wholly their own. On Sermon of the Matriark, W4RP Trio—pianist Mikael Darmanie, violinist Josh Henderson, cellist Ju-Young Lee and drummer/percussionist/composer Rick Martinez—team up with spoken word artist LiKWUiD (Faybeo’n Mickens) for a genre-defying masterwork. This album boldly blends orchestral elegance, jazz improvisation, and hip-hop’s raw intensity, creating a soundscape that honors the strength and resilience of women across the African diaspora. W4RP Trio describe the album as a bridge between the legendary and the everyday, connecting figures like the African warrior princess Yennenga and Harriet Tubman to the matriarchs of modern communities.