Dark Was The Night is the upcoming stunning new double CD set from the Red Hot Organization and 4AD. Honestly, and I never say this about compilations, let alone double records, but this thing could well be my favorite album of the year. Dark Was The Night was masterfully produced (and that’s not idle flattery, this thing really is a producer’s tour de force) by brothers Bryce and Aaron Dessner of The National, and it includes contributions from the following impressive roster of artists:

Andrew Bird, Antony, Arcade Fire, Beach House, Beirut, Blonde Redhead, Bon Iver, The Books, Buck 65, David Byrne, Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues, The Decemberists, Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, Devastations, Dirty Projectors, Kevin Drew, Feist, Ben Gibbard, Grizzly Bear, Iron & Wine, Jose Gonzalez, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Kronos Quartet, Stuart Murdoch, My Brightest Diamond, My Morning Jacket, The National, The New Pornographers, Conor Oberst, Riceboy Sleeps, Serengeti, Dave Sitek, Spoon, Sufjan Stevens, Gillian Welch, Yeasayer, and Yo La Tengo

After that intro, if you don’t want to hear it, then I think there must be something wrong with you (you can also ignore this next part I guess). Here are the details for the upcoming listening party on February 6:

Dark Was The Night Listening Party Friday, February 6 Stanton Public 17 Stanton Street (Bowery and Chrystie) New York, NY RSVP required The album will play from 8PM -10PM during which time there will be an open Budweiser bar. From 10PM until at least Midnight there will be DJ sets from members of The National, Blonde Redhead and Yeasayer and surprise guests. Make your own DWTN widget over here.

Full Dark Was The Night track listing after the jump. Dark was the Night will be officially released on Feb 17th, 2009. All proceed from the sale of this record go to charity.

THIS DISC
1 Knotty Pine – Dirty Projectors + David Byrne

2 Cello Song (Nick Drake) – The Books featuring Jose Gonzalez
3 Train Song (Vashti Bunyan recorded, written by Alasdair Clayre) – Feist Ben Gibbard
4 Brackett, WI – Bon Iver
5 Deep Blue Sea – Grizzly Bear
6 So Far Around the Bend – The National (arrangement by Nico Muhly)
7 Tightrope – Yeasayer
8 Feeling Good (popularized by 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 (based on original song “You are the Blood” by the Castanets) – 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