When it comes to uncompromising, experimental music, Sonic Youth has made quite the career of it. Most recently, the band was chosen to curate the upcoming “All Tomorrow’s Parties” festival, to be held in mid-March.

The group has assembled an impressive roster of bands, a veritable who’s who of indie/avant-garde music. And to further promote and document the festival, a compilation CD recently was released, “All Tomorrow’s Parties 1.1,” featuring 12 unreleased tracks from 12 of the performing bands and artists.

Old touring pals Sonic Youth and Unwound contribute the first two tracks on the album. Sonic Youth’s dark, edgy instrumental track “Fauxhemians” kicks off the album and is followed by a reworked version of “Behold the Salt” (the original version was on Unwound’s double album from last year, “Leaves Turn Inside You”). The updated version edits out Justin Trosper’s eerie guitar work. Both tracks are buoyed by thick basslines and light, jazzy drumming. Unwound’s slight reworking doesn’t improve on the original, but Sonic Youth’s new contribution serves as a reminder that the band still is a major player in the indie world.

Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus offers the album’s most disappointing track, “Good Kids Egg.” The mid-tempo track has Malkmus sounding uninspired; it lacks his usual clever and cheeky lyrics, that along with his usual first-rate guitar playing have come to define his songs. Any track off his solo self-titled 2001 debut would have been a better choice.

Two tracks that stand out are covers: Cat Power’s stripped-down version of Robert Johnson’s “Come On In My Kitchen” and Papa M’s faithful rendition of Cat Stevens’ “How Can I Tell You.” Although Chan Marshall’s guitar playing is rudimentary, her mournful, hushed voice makes up for her lack of technical wizardry. (Marshall has a knack for covering songs and making them her own – for further proof consult 2000’s “The Covers Record.”)

On “How Can I Tell You,” ex-Tortoise and Slint guitarist David Pajo offers a straightforward acoustic cover version that features Will Oldham, formerly of Palace. Oldham adds the minimal background vocals that augment Pajo and his guitar work.

In all, the compilation offers somewhat of a sneak peek at the upcoming festival, and a hint of the directions these artists are taking in their musical careers. This CD is a must-have for the those whose listening tastes fall below the radar.