The Download

Halloween reeks of charity, so what better way to get into the spirit than with a UNICEF-posse cut produced by some of rock's biggest trick-or-treaters? We're talking Beck, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Arcade Fire, Sonic Youth, Malcolm McLaren, Sum 41, an Inuit throat singer named Tagaq — along with Elvira Mistress of the Dark and David Cross. OK, so maybe some of them are odd picks, but with their combined powers they are unstoppable as the North American Hallowe'en Prevention Initiative, a project of Vice Records. Available on iTunes, "Do They Know It's Halloween?" sucks the lifeblood from Christmas, circa 1984. Whereas holiday songs are easily forgettable, you can rest easy because the proceeds go to help needy children. Unless you hate children. You don't hate children, do you? www.iTunes.com