4AD presents Dark Was the Night, featuring David Byrne, Sufjan Stevens, Kronos Quartet & more

On February 17th, 2009, 4AD will release Dark Was the Night, a two-disc compilation that will benefit the Red Hot Organization, a charity that raises money for AIDS/HIV awareness (you may remember them from those No Alternative and Red Hot comps in the ’90s).

Given that Dark Was the Night is being put out by the seminal 4AD label, you’d think that the track listing would be pretty impeccable… and, well, you’d be right. The comp features such luminaries as David Byrne, Sufjan Stevens, The National, Kronos Quartet, Feist, Yo La Tengo, Antony, and Gillian Welch, to name but a few.

Disc 1

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

Disc 2

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

Starting January 15, 4AD has been previewing a track from the comp each day on MySpace, and they’ll continue to do so until February 15.