War Child Heroes - Various Artists - Album Review

War Child is an organisation that raises money for children living in poverty in the world's most dangerous war zones. For more info on this worthy cause, visit the website http://www.warchild.org/uk.

The idea behind this new compilation was getting 15 music legends to choose one of their tracks to be covered by an artist they think will do it justice. There are some interesting choices here with some tracks improving on the orignal. Elbow do a very faithful version of U2's "Running to Stand Still" from The Joshua Tree which is one of Bono's favourites and a highlight from the album. David Bowie selected former collaborators TV on the Radio to add their unique flavour to the classic song "Heroes" and was no doubt pleased with the result. Iggy Pop also chose a former collabrator in Peaches to tackle the classic punk track "Search and Destroy" and the song fits her style perfectly adding some fuzzy synth and thumping drums to great effect. Beck turns Bob Dylan's "Leopard Skin Pill Box Hat" from a laid-back blues song to a funky electronic rock track like only Beck can. Other highlights feature Lily Allen with some help from Mick Jones on The Clash's "Straight to Hell, Franz Ferdinand's live take on Blondie's "Call Me", Yeah Yeah Yeah's version of The Ramones' "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" and Bruce Springsteen's Atlantic City covered by The Hold Steady. A solid and unique album with the profits going to a wortthwhile cause make it a great purchase.

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

Dark Was the Night - Various Artists - Album Review

Dark Was the Night is an excellent double cd featuring 31 exclusive tracks including a number of covers. The profits for this release go to benefit the Red Hot Organization – an international charity dedicated to raising money and awareness for HIV and AIDS through popular culture. This is is their 20th year of releasing compilations and this is the 20th release.

It features a who's who of alternative artists, the highlights being tracks by The Arcade Fire, Spoon, Bon Iver, My Morning Jacket, The Decemberists and Stuart Murdoch from Belle and Sebastian fame. My favourite track on the album is Conor Oberst and Gillian Welch's beautiful rendition of the Bright Eyes track "Lua". Below is the tracklist and a few choice selections provided by the website.

THIS DISC
1 Knotty Pine – Dirty Projectors + David Byrne
2 Cello Song (Nick Drake) – The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
3 Train Song – Feist + 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 (Nina Simone) – My Brightest Diamond
9 Dark Was the Night (Blind Willie Johnson) – Kronos Quartet
10 I Was Young When I Left Home (Bob Dylan) – Antony + Bryce Dessner
11 Big Red Machine – Justin Vernon + Aaron Dessner
12 Sleepless – The Decemberists
13 Stolen Houses (Die) – Iron and 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 (Shuggie Otis) – Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
6 With A Girl Like You (The Troggs) – Dave Sitek
7 Blood Pt 2 – Buck 65 Remix (featuring Sufjan Stevens and Serengeti)
8 Hey, Snow White (Destroyer) – The New Pornographers
9 Gentle Hour (Snapper) – Yo La Tengo
10 Another Saturday (traditional song) – Stuart Murdoch
11 Happiness – Riceboy Sleeps
12 Amazing Grace (traditional song) – Cat Power and Dirty Delta Blues
13 The Giant Of Illinois (Handsome Family) – Andrew Bird
14 Lua – Conor Oberst + Gillian Welch
15 When the Road Runs Out – Blonde Redhead + Devastations
16 Love vs. Porn – Kevin Drew