Dark Was The Night: Streamig Concert (NPR)

Photo by Natasha Ryan [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Remember that amazing compilation album that benefited the Red Hot organization? Well, a bunch of artists featured on Dark Was The Night came together for a concert at Radio City Music Hall on May 3rd. You probably weren't there (we certainly weren't), but the great great people at NPR (seriously, they're everywhere) have streaming audio of almost the entire concert... which featured a veritable Who's Who of critically-acclaimed musicians. Even better, you can download the concert as a podcast and take it with you wherever you go! Set-list [via Pitchfork] is below.

Dirty Projectors:
"Useful Chamber"
"Stillness Is the Move"
"Ambulance Man" [ft. David Byrne]
"Knotty Pine" [ft. David Byrne]

My Brightest Diamond:
"Feeling Good" (Nina Simone cover) [ft. the National]

The National:
"Vanderlylle Cry Baby"

Dave Sitek:
"With a Girl Like You" (The Troggs cover)

David Byrne:
"Don't Fence Me In" (Cole Porter cover)
"Dreamworld: Marco de Canavezes" [ft. Bon Iver]

Bon Iver:
"Brackett, WI"
"Blood Bank"
"Big Red Machine" [ft. the National]
"Flume" [ft. My Brightest Diamond]

Feist:
"Train Song" (Vashti Bunyan cover) [ft. Bon Iver]
"Someday Baby" (Bob Dylan cover)

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings:
"Not Gonna Cry"
"When I Come Home"
"Inspiration Information"
"100 Days, 100 Nights"

Dark Was the Night All-Stars/Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings:
"This Land Is Your Land"

A Good Cause AND Good Music!

In two weeks, 4AD is going to release the best compilation album ever... well, compiled. Not only is it being produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, but it's for a good cause!

"A total of thirty-two exclusive tracks have been recorded for the compilation, which will be available as a double cd, triple vinyl and download album, with profits benefitting the Red Hot Organization - an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS"

Double CD? Triple vinyl?? Download album??? Ok, that last part isn't that special, but seriously, if giving your money to a great cause isn't a good enough reason to buy this album the day it comes out (February 17th), then check out this unbelievable playlist! Some of the songs are new, some are reworkings of the artist's previous output, and a good number are covers. Each day, the album's MySpace page will be playing a different song until February 14th, so make sure to check back often.

With so much talent at the table, it's hard to pick favorites, but an early front runner would have to be Justin Vernon. "Big Red Machine" with Aaron Dessner is phenomenal, opening with strings and transitioning into a very National-esque piano-driven melody. But it's Vernon's multi-track vocals that completely mesmerize. Combined with his band's (Bon Iver) "Brackett, WI," Vernon stands tall among many of his peers, proving that his breakout 2008 album "For Emma, Forever Ago" was no fluke. Expect more thoughts on him in the near future...