Matador Records to Release "Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010"

Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010 is Matador's first city-specific compilation since releasing New York Eye & Ear Control back in 1991. The album consists of 19 songs (18 of them previously unreleased) from mostly Austin artists (except for 2 from Denton). Due out 1/26, pre-order it here. (via)

Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010 Tracklist:

Follow That Bird! - The Ghosts That Wake You
The Young - Blister
Woven Bones - Spirits Roam
Flesh Lights - Crush On You
Dikes Of Holland - Little City Girl
Tre Orsi - The Engineer
The Distant Seconds - Akron Bureau
Kingdom Of Suicide Lovers - Hoboken Snow
Elvis - Mommy's Little Soliders

Love Collector - First 48
Bad Sports - Can't Remember Your Name
Wild America - Drink It Dry
Harlem - Beautiful & Very Smart
The Stuffies - No One's Gonna Miss You
The Golden Boys - Older Than You
No No No Hopes - Nobody's Fool
The Teeners - Nazi's On Film
The Persimmons - The Notice
Lost Controls - Entirely Wired For Sound

Dark Was The Night - A Red Hot Compilation :: w/ Tracklisting

Dark Was The Night is an upcoming 4AD release that features numerous amazing artists benefitting Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS.  Red Hot was founded on the premise that even without a cure, AIDS remains a preventable disease, and music is a great vehicle to raise money and awareness for it.  Featuring production by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National, the compilation will be released on February 17th.  John Carlin, the founder of Red Hot Organization was the executive producer.  It will be available as a double cd/triple vinyl/download.  A list of their other CDs can be found here.

Since it's inception in 1989, Red Hot has donated nearly 7 million dollars for AIDS relief around the world.  More info on Red Hot Organization can be found here.

Dark Was The Night also has a Myspace that is streaming a new song everyday from the compilation through February 1st.

THIS DISC: 

1. "Knotty Pine" - Dirty Projectors + David Byrne (mp3)
2. "Cello Song" - The Books featuring Joses Gonzalez
3. "Train Song" - Feist and Ben Gibbard
4. "Brackett, WI" - Bon Iver
5. "Deep Blue Sea" - Grizzly Bear
6. "So Far Around The Bend" - The National
7. "Tightrope" - Yeasayer
8. "Feeling Good" - My Brightest Diamond
9. "Dark Was The Night" - Kronos Quartet
10. "I Was Young When I Left Home" - Antony with Bryce Dessner
11. "Big Red Machine" - Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner
12. "Sleepless" - The Decemberists
13. "Die" - Iron & Wine
14. "Service Bell" - Grizzly Bear + Feist
15. "You Are The Blood" - Sufjan Stevens

THAT DISC: 

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

*************************************************************************

4AD is also giving away its 2008 album sampler for free, no less.  It includes songs by TV on the Radio, Bon Iver, Department of Eagles, and others.  Download it here.

New War Child Compilation Features Covers From Some Awesome Bands

For the new War Child compilation album, the concept is simple.  The biggest legends in music history selected one of their own personal favorite songs and nominated a band from this generation to create a modern twist on that classic song.  The album entitled Heroes, named after the David Bowie song (covered by TV on The Radio) is in support of a great cause that largely goes unnoticed, children who live with the horrible affects of war.

The album was recorded over six months in studios in London, Manchester, Paris, Berlin, New York and Los Angeles. It was mastered at Abbey Road studios in London.  It will be released in the UK by Parlophone and internationally by EMI on February 16th.  The U.S. version (different order on the tracklisting and one extra song, Adam Cohen's cover of Leonard Cohen's "Take This Waltz") will get a release date of February 24th via Astralwerks.  Canadians can get their hands on it March 3rd via Quebecor.  Heroes is War Child's fifth album, dating back to 1995's legendary Help album.  War Child's albums have won awards at the Brit Awards, as well as from Q and NME.

The tracklist in full: (U.S. Version)

1. Beck: "Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat" (Bob Dylan cover) :: info ::
2. The Kooks: "Victoria" (Kinks cover) :: info ::
3. The Hold Steady: "Atlantic City" (Bruce Springsteen cover) :: info ::
4. Hot Chip: "Transmission" (Joy Division cover) :: info ::
5. Lily Allen ft. Mick Jones: "Straight to Hell" (Clash cover) :: info ::
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" (Ramones cover) :: info ::
7. Franz Ferdinand: "Call Me" (Blondie cover) :: info ::
8. Duffy: "Live and Let Die" (Paul McCartney cover) :: info ::
9. Estelle: "Superstition" (Stevie Wonder cover) :: info ::
10. Rufus Wainwright: "Wonderful / Song for Children" (Brian Wilson covers) :: info ::
11. Scissor Sisters: "Do the Strand" (Roxy Music cover) :: info ::
12. Peaches: "Search and Destroy" (The Stooges cover) :: info ::
13. Adam Cohen: "Take This Waltz" (Leonard Cohen cover)
14. Elbow: "Running to Stand Still" (U2 cover) :: info ::
15. The Like: "You Belong to Me" (Elvis Costello cover) :: info ::
16. TV on the Radio: "'Heroes'" (David Bowie cover) :: info ::

Guy Garvey of Elbow commented:  "War Child do exactly what it says on the tin.  These kids shouldn't be in such circumstances in the first place, but they are, son thank god someone's doing something about it."

Sir Paul McCartney said: "I have been supporting War Child since 1995. Their work with children in war zones saves lives and their work with those who take decisions that help them to do something about it saves even more lives. The breadth of talent on this project is amazing; it's great that so many people gave their time, energy and support to this initiative. I urge everyone to support War Child."

A little more info on War Child:  War Child is an international charity, founded in 1993 and works in the world's most dangerous war zones including Iraq, Afghanistan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. War Child aims to protect children who are hit hardest by war and its consequences.  66% of people who die in conflict are childen.  How sad is that?  For more information, go to warchild.org.uk.