Curing AIDs, one triple vinyl at a time.
So maybe you don’t buy albums, maybe you’re one of those so called “pirates” out there sailing the web taking what’s not yours. Well it’s time to reconsider this terrible habit that you’ve formed, and buy at least one album in 2009. But what album should I buy Erik?! Well my friends, despite stellar releases from the likes of Animal Collective and Andrew Bird already this year there is without a doubt an answer to that question.
Dark Was The Night is that album. All proceeds go to world AIDs research and cure development through co-operation with the Red Hot organization. The album is a collaboration of 32 exclusive tracks released on double cd or triple vinyl on February 17th on 4AD records. So yeah, it’s pretty obvious why you should be buying this album. But what’s so special about this other than that’s for a good cause Erik?!
Let me guide you again, dear friends. For starters the tracklist enlists some of, if not every indie giant in the music industry. I mean come on, they even got Sufjan to come out of hiding for this amazing compilation. Let me give you the rundown:
Andrew Bird, Antony + Bryce Dessner, Arcade Fire, Beach House, Beirut, Blonde Redhead + Devastations, Bon Iver, Bon Iver & Aaron Dessner, The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez, Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti), Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues, The Decemberists, Dirty Projectors + David Byrne, Kevin Drew, Feist + Ben Gibbard, Grizzly Bear, Grizzly Bear + Feist, Iron & Wine, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Kronos Quartet, Stuart Murdoch, My Brightest Diamond, My Morning Jacket, The National, The New Pornographers, Conor Oberst & Gillian Welch, Riceboy Sleeps, Dave Sitek, Spoon, Sufjan Stevens, Yeasayer, Yo La Tengo.
Easy to see that it’s an exhausting list, and that it truly does cover almost everybody influential in the industry. And if that list isn’t reason enough to buy this album than nothing probably will be. Come on folks, it’s all for a great cause and Dark Was The Night is shaping up to be absolutely amazing so go out and shell out 20 bucks for an album once in your life and enjoy the feeling of walking out of the store with a tangle album while also contributing to a great cause.
4Ad is giving everyone an advanced look at every track on the album in the following weeks too before the album officially releases on shelves. Each week 4Ad is releasing a track or two on their website or on different blogs around the web, and a few tracks have already been featured. Two of them in particular grabbed my attention and have been on play non stop around my room, Sufjan Stevens’ track “You Are The Blood” and The Dirty Projectors + David Byrne’s “Knotty Pine.” The two tracks are are pretty stellar pieces that are different from the normal catalogue tracks heard from each artist, but it’s a good change for both parties involved. Sufjan’s track is over 10 minutes long and changes pace at so many different points it’s hard to describe it as one thing or another.
Check them out for yourself though, and be sure to keep your eye out for the release on February 17th. Please, I urge you to do the right thing, if only for this once.
mp3s: Sufjan Stevens “You Are The Night” and The Dirty Projectors + David Byrne “Knotty Pine”
Dig Deeper: 4Ad Records Red Hot Organization
It’s always amazed me that Sufjan Stevens doesn’t get more play in the remix scene. His multi-instrumental masterpieces would act as the perfect backdrop in various mash-ups and mixtapes, but alas, there aren’t many other people out there with the same opinion. So when I came across this mix I was quite interested. Pitting Sufjan’s Illinoise against some of Hip-Hop’s finest, Tor presents fans like myself with a nice twist on an old favorite. It’s a hard sell as an entire album, but listening to one track here or there is a delight. So check it out and see what you think, you can download it all for free below. Enjoy!
Ashtmatic Kitty has been on a role lately. The record label, run by indie-glorified Sufjan Stevens, has been busy with releases in early ’09 and late ’08, and has managed to curate tons of attention with the release of two rising artists. The Welcome Wagon and DM Stith are those two acts, gaining attention at rapidly increasing rates. And for good reason, whether it’s the almost quirky nature of their music, the comfortability that each offer, or the familiarity that oozes from each track. 
MIND INVERSION 