dark was the night.

I'm just going to say this bluntly: I hate most music reviews. I hate that people say that this new artist sounds like someone plus so and so with a hint of that person from twenty years ago. I hate when they breakdown every single track and label it as sensational or a deviation from their earlier stuff. If the music is good, it's good. And that's all there is to it, in my eyes.

That said, I gave this compilation a shot because I recognized some of my favorite names on the track list, and I wasn't disappointed. Dark Was the Night, a two disc, thirty-one track compilation produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, was released on February 17th. Its executive producer was John Carlin, founder of the Red Hot Organization. This organization has been producing albums for the sole purpose of raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS for twenty years. According to Wikipedia, they have donated more than seven million dollars so far.

Dark Was the Night is their latest compilation and features the following artists and many more: Sufjan Stevens, Feist, Bon Iver, Ben Gibbard, Iron & Wine, Cat Power, and Conor Oberst. If you'd like a preview, I got a snazzy little widget on the side with three of my favorites. Hopefully you'll like it as much as I do, and contribute to this worthwhile cause. Enjoy!