Listen to The Breeders, “We’re Gonna Rise”:

“Let me know if you need anything!”

During the course of my work sharing information about Oxfam, I hear that sentence so often that it’s almost become a generic sort of “goodbye”. Kind of a nicer way of saying “see you later.” It’s because Oxfam supporters in the music industry seem to be extra generous when it comes to making sure we are able to use their voices, and sometimes their art, to help with our work.

On Thanksgiving Eve last year, I had the amazing fortune of being able to see one of my favorite bands, The Pixies, play their famed “Doolittle” album from start to finish at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom. The Breeders, the band led by Pixie Kim Deal and her sister Kelley, are Oxfam supporters, most recently helping Oxfam volunteers host informational tables on the extensive tour to support their “Mountain Battles” album.

Kelley invited me to watch The Pixies’s set from the side of the stage with her (which to a huge fan like me was akin to winning the lottery), and afterward I was able to spend some time with Kelley and Kim, talking about Oxfam’s work around the world, the recent Rankin photo exhibit from the Congo, and even a lively discussion about where to get the best cupcakes in Manhattan.

As the evening ended and we all hit the street outside the venue to part ways, Kelley yelled to me, “Let us know if you need anything!”

Little did she and I know that I’d be calling in that favor quicker than hoped.

After January’s devastating earthquake in Haiti, our friends at FILTER and American Eagle Outfitters proposed a benefit CD, with 100% of proceeds going toward Oxfam’s relief and recovery work. I knew immediately that it was important that the album featured artists that support our work, and one of the first calls I made was to Kelley Deal.

“When The Breeders were approached by Oxfam America, our first response was ‘yes’ and our second was ‘what do you need?’ That’s a good indicator of the kind of respect that Oxfam America has…especially to musicians and artists. We just take it for granted that whatever project they are involved with will be one of quality, and more importantly, will result in a direct impact,” Kelley says.

So, one of the first tracks submitted for the album was The Breeders’ stirring “We’re Gonna Rise” (streaming above), a song that features a chorus that seems to speak directly to the situation:

We’re gonna rise
the sun shines
we’re gonna rise
feel a light on my face

The album also features a remarkable line-up of what Consequence of Sound calls “basically a who’s who in indie rock”.  Check out a track listing below, and pick up a copy here:

01. Beck – “Volcano” (acoustic version)
02. Snow Patrol – “You Will. You? Will. You? Will. You? Will.” (Bright Eyes cover)
03. Keane – “Black Burning Heart” (version français)
04. Air – “So Light Is Her Footfall” (Breakbot Remix)
05. Charlotte Gainsbourg – “Dandelion”
06. Julian Casablancas – “Long Island Blues”
07. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – “Am I Only” (Remix)
08. The Breeders – “We’re Gonna Rise”
09. Vampire Weekend – “Cousinz” (Toy Selectah Mex-More Remix)
10. Noah And The Whale- “Love of An Orchestra” (Chew Fu Fix)
11.  Camera Obscura – “The World is Full of Strangers”
12. Minus The Bear – “Broken China”
13. Of Montreal – “Take Me Out” (Live Cover Of Franz Ferdinand)
14. Busdriver – “Running Water”
15. Surfer Blood – “Take It Easy” (Drop the Lime Remix)
16. Grizzly Bear – “Boy From School”(Hot Chip cover)
17. AM – “Endings Are Beginnings” (Piano Mix)