Best...Compilation...Ever

I've been meaning to post about this for a while now, but better late than never, I suppose. I'm generally wary of compilation CDs. They often have a lot of filler by bands I've never heard of and maybe a few tracks that are keepers. But when I saw the artists on the Dark Was the Night compilation that came out this past February (I told you I was late), my brain almost melted. Check it out:
THIS DISC

1 Knotty Pine – Dirty Projectors + David Byrne
2 Cello Song (Nick Drake) – The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
3 Train Song (Vashti Bunyan recorded, written by Alasdair Clayre) – Feist + Ben Gibbard
4 Brackett, WI – Bon Iver
5 Deep Blue Sea – Grizzly Bear
6 So Far Around the Bend – The National (arrangement by Nico Muhly)
7 Tightrope – Yeasayer
8 Feeling Good (popularized by Nina Simone) – My Brightest Diamond
9 Dark Was the Night (Blind Willie Johnson) – Kronos Quartet
10 I Was Young When I Left Home (Bob Dylan) – Antony + Bryce Dessner
11 Big Red Machine – Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner
12 Sleepless – The Decemberists
13 Stolen Houses (Die) – Iron and Wine
14 Service Bell – Grizzly Bear + Feist
15 You Are The Blood – Sufjan Stevens

THAT DISC
1 Well-Alright – Spoon
2 Lenin – Arcade Fire
3 Mimizan – Beirut
4 El Caporal – My Morning Jacket
5 Inspiration Information (Shuggie Otis) – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
6 With A Girl Like You (The Troggs) – Dave Sitek
7 Blood Pt 2 (based on original song “You are the Blood” by the Castanets) – Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
8 Hey, Snow White (Destroyer) – The New Pornographers
9 Gentle Hour (Snapper) – Yo La Tengo
10 Another Saturday (traditional song) – Stuart Murdoch
11 Happiness – Riceboy Sleeps
12 Amazing Grace (traditional song) – Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
13 The Giant Of Illinois (Handsome Family) – Andrew Bird
14 Lua – Conor Oberst + Gillian Welch
15 When the Road Runs Out – Blonde Redhead + Devastations
16 Love vs. Porn – Kevin Drew

Not only are many, many of my favorite artists on here, but a lot of them are collaborating with each other. I mean, c'mon, The Books and Jose Gonzalez covering one of Nick Drake's best songs? That track alone should make any musically inclined person salivate.

And here's the thing: none of these songs are throw-aways. There are some covers, but they're really well chosen covers. A lot of these are originals that you won't hear anywhere else, and they're not crap-ass songs that were clearly trimmed off albums. The National, The Decemberists, Spoon, Sufjan Stevens, The New Pornographers all contribute some stellar original tracks--some of their best songs.

And here's another thing: it's all for a good cause. Proceeds go to the Red Hot Organization, which raises money and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Remember AIDS? Yeah, it's still around, and the number of new cases is going up again. Since this is a charity album, I encourage you to actually go out and BUY the album. I'm certainly not going to send you any free tracks. And if you find someplace to download it for free, you are stealing from people with AIDS. How does that make you feel, Mr. I-Don't-Pay-For-My-Music?

The bottom line is, if you have don't have this album yet, you should get it. Now. Stop wasting time and buy it on Amazon or download it from iTunes or do whatever you kids do these days (as long as you actually pay for it).