In April 2005, I reviewed a great compilation called ASAP: The Afrobeat Sudan Aid Project, an album whose proceeds exclusively benefited an array of aid organizations working to alleviate the collateral suffering caused by the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region. Sadly, two-and-a-half years later, I am again reviewing a compilation-- this one is Causes 1-- whose proceeds benefit the same, with no clear end to the conflict in sight.

Darfur has been a showcase for modern human brutality for much of this decade, but just as depressing is that the international response has been a showcase for myopic ineptitude, lack of cooperation, and a general inability to do anything meaningful to end the war. The non-governmental organizations on the ground in Sudan-- this compilation gives much-needed funds to Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam America-- have had little help apart from a few failed agreements that no one other than ineffectual, unempowered "peacekeeping" forces has stepped forward to impose.

Causes 1, the first volley in what promises to be a series from Waxploitation, is aimed at Darfur, with 100% of the proceeds from sales going to the three aid organizations mentioned above. To emphasize the urgency of the cause, the Waxploitation people have announced that the CD version will be available only in a limited run, while the iTunes download version will be available for only 90 days. (Note: This record can be purchased directly through Waxploitation.) As I said when reviewing ASAP, the cause and organizations are worth your attention under any circumstances.

So, the disc: It's a mixture of rarities and exclusive tracks, primarily from popular indie bands such as Bright Eyes, the Shins, Death Cab for Cutie, Spoon, Bloc Party, and Animal Collective. The quality ranges quite a bit, but if you're reading this website there's probably at least one track that appeals to you. My favorite moments are the 1-2 of the fantastic, glistening "piano version" of Cornelius' "Wataridori" and Chris Vrenna's remix of David Sylvian's creepy "Late Night Shopping", which strengthens the original and sands off its more scattershot moments. Sylvian is an elder statesman on this disc, along with the Cure, who turn up with a pretty good live version of 1983's "The Walk" that replaces the original's synths with guitars dripping in delay. As you might have noticed, these tracks are fairly apolitical, and the same holds true with most of the rest.

The biggest exception is the (International) Noise Conspiracy's ho-hum nu-punk track "Washington Bullets", which offers a fairly by-the-numbers critique of American capitalism and foreign policy. Otherwise, it's pretty agnostic. Clint Mansell's remix of the Shins' "Turn on Me" gets rid of most of the vocals and focuses on the guitar while cutting up the drums into some interesting patterns. Animal Collective's opening live version of "Safer" is simply chaotic. The "middle version" of Spoon's "Rhythm & Soul" is inferior to the album version. Death Cab for Cutie deliver a surprisingly wonderful cover of Julian Cope's "World Shut Your Mouth". And Bloc Party's "Rhododendrons" (originally a "Hunting for Witches" B-side) is as good as anything on A Weekend in the City. The only true dud is Travis' seemingly topical (but actually not) cover of "Gimme Some Truth", in which Fran Healy weakly barks his way through one of John Lennon's bitchiest, most petulant tracks.

So here's where the conscientious consumer comes in. If you like any of these bands, you could do a lot worse than snagging this disc. Even if you're not interested in the record, there are other ways to donate to these organizations, and it's something everyone should consider doing (there are plenty of other NGOs that need operating funds, too). Either way, Causes 1 offers a low-impact way to get involved, and hopefully, I won't be reviewing a third Darfur benefit in another two years.