What makes this compilation almost impossible to avoid is the rich sturdy list of indie artist it takes advantage of. Produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, its aim is the benefit of the Red Hot organization - an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Go and buy the record a.s.a. you can anyhow but that's not the point. The double disk, unlike many other similar compilations earns a wealthy 31-track material from the kind that hasn't been heard or at least you can say seldom heard.

Well if you want names, too many to mention. But I can't stop screaming them out everywhere: David Byrne, The Books, Jose Gonzales, Feist, Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie), Bon Iver, Grizzly Bear, The National, Yeasayer, My Brightest Diamond, Antony (Hegarty) and Bryce Dessner, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), The Decemberists, Iron & Wine, Sufjan Stevens and if that's not enough go mad with the second disk containing tracks from Spoon, Arcade Fire, Beirut, My Morning Jacket, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, David Sitek (TV On the Radio), The New Pornigraphers, Yo La Tengo, Stuart Murdoch, Riceboy Sleeps, Cat Power, Andrew Bird, Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Gillian Welch, Blonde Redhead, Devastations and Kevin Drew. There've I've said it.

Now what can we possibly miss here? Indie music fans have all their needs now go and pray for the AIDS to vanish but before that, rest your bones beside the fire as this eclectic gallery of sound unfolds its sound. Most similar compilations come with such tracks least likely to hear. They simply offer their worst works but luckily that's not the case here on Dark Was the Night. The Decemberists offer their best on an eight minute epic "Sleepless" just the way Sufjan Stevens gives away everything on his 10 minute opus "You Are the Blood", a mixed recipe of everything Sufjan has accomplished so far from his electronic Enjoy Your Rabbit to the depth of his gospel soul. Feist and Ben Gibbard join hands on an exquisite cover of Vashti Bunyan's "Train Song". The ship will continue to sail with a vibrant combination of covers, original songs as well as wise duets. Take the Books collaboration with Jose Gonzales on a Nick Drake's "Cello Song" (a bit weird but isn't that what you craved for all along?) The compilation will be released on February 16th through 4AD, so the wait is almost over. This is what Aaron Dessner has written about the album:

As we invited friends and peers to contribute, our collective social awareness became apparent: anyone that had the time was willing to donate their time and their music to the Red Hot cause. But there were many different stories behind each song: some we had heard live and knew had to be on the record (The Books "Cello Song", My Brightest Diamond's "Feelin Good"); close friends whose arms we knew we could twist enough to give us special tracks (Arcade Fire, and Sufjan Stevens); bands we asked who were too busy but had solo projects or side projects they could include (Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio and Jonsi Birgisson of Sigur Ros); songs we had always imagined certain artists singing (Cat Power's "Amazing Grace" and Antony's "I Was Young When I Left Home"); and dream collaborations (David Byrne and The Dirty Projectors, Feist with Grizzly Bear and Ben Gibbard, and my own song with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver).
In the end, there was enough great music to produce two discs-one dark and homegrown with almost classical arrangements of folk themes; the other more bright and evocative of the best of independent rock music at the beginning of the 21st century. "Dark Was The Night" and the Dore illustrations for Milton's Paradise Lost, which make up the art imagery in this booklet, evoke a "fallen" world of struggle, but also the capacity of art to inspire us to rise above the obstacles put in our path. Our nights may be dark, but music gives us inspiration and hope of brighter days to come.