Dark Was The Night (Red Hot Compilation)
Various Artists
Released:
Feb 2009
Label:
4ad
Here's how you can tell that the dense, graceful Dark Was The Night is a genius compilation: The third-to-last song is a duet between Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch. Exactly. There's no padding here, and rarely a dull track. (Decemberists, consider yourselves warned.) The belly of this beast rocks -- thanks to the New Pornographers and Sufjan Stevens, in part -- but its two gangly arms embrace the cream of the indie crop and the American folk tradition together, and that seemingly awkward bear-hug leads to some of the most imaginative and stirring covers -- and originals -- we've heard.
Play Album
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2:22Dirty Projectors + David Byrne
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3:53The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
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3:02Feist + Ben Gibbard
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4:02Bon Iver
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3:42The National
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3:18Yeasayer
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3:53My Brightest Diamond
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3:51Kronos Quartet
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4:55Antony
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4:38Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner
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7:53The Decemberists
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1:06Iron & Wine
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10:14Sufjan Stevens
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2:45Spoon
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4:06Arcade Fire
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2:42Beirut
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3:33My Morning Jacket
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4:05Sharon Jones & The Dap-kings
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3:26David Sitek
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3:35Buck 65 (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
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4:25The New Pornographers
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5:31Yo La Tengo
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2:55Stuart Murdoch
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8:37Riceboy Sleeps
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3:34Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
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4:44Andrew Bird
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5:53Conor Oberst + Gillian Welch
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3:28Blonde Redhead + Devastations
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3:57Kevin Drew
2009 The Red Hot Organization, licensed to 4AD Ltd