The National’s Aaron and Bryce Dessner have announced the release of their long-in-the-works celebration of The Grateful Dead’s Music, ‘Day of the Dead’.
Described as “a wide-ranging tribute to the songwriting and experimentalism of the Dead which took four years to record”, ‘Day of the Dead’ features contributions from over 60 artists, 59 tracks and is almost six hours in length.
Reading like a who’s who of modern alternative music, contributions come from The National, Courtney Barnett, Mumford & Sons, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, ANOHNI, The War on Drugs, The Walkmen, Kurt Vile and J Mascis, Jenny Lewis, TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Real Estate, Perfume Genius with Sharon Van Etten, Fucked Up, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Bonnie “Prince Billy”, Stephen Malkmus, Angel Olsen, Lee Ranaldo, Cass McCombs and many, many more.
All profits will help fight for AIDS/HIV and related health issues around the world through the charity Red Hot Organisation. ‘Day of the Dead’ is the follow-up to 2009’s ‘Dark Was The Night’, a 32-track, multi-artist compilation also produced by Aaron and Bryce for Red Hot.
‘Dark Was The Night’ has raised over 1.5 million dollars for the organisations fighting AIDS to date.
A ‘Day of the Dead’ live performance will take place this summer at the second annual Eaux Claires Festival (August 12-13) featuring Jenny Lewis, Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent), Lucius, Will Oldham, Sam Amidon, Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire) , Matt Berninger (The National, EL VY), Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Bruce Hornsby, Ruban Nielson (Unknown Mortal Orchestra) and The National.
Set for release on May 20th, you can find the full track listing for ‘Day of the Dead’ below:
Day of the Dead:
Thunder (Vol. 1):
01 The War on Drugs: “Touch of Grey”
02 Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends: “Sugaree”
03 Jim James & Friends: “Candyman”
04 Moses Sumney, Jenny Lewis & Friends: “Cassidy”
05 Bruce Hornsby and DeYarmond Edison: “Black Muddy River”
06 Ed Droste, Binki Shapiro & Friends: “Loser”
07 The National: “Peggy-O”
08 Kurt Vile and the Violators: “Box of Rain” [ft. J Mascis]
09 Bonnie “Prince” Billy and Friends: “Rubin and Cherise”
10 Perfume Genius, Sharon Van Etten & Friends: “To Lay Me Down”
11 Courtney Barnett: “New Speedway Boogie”
12 Mumford & Sons: “Friend of the Devil”
13 Lucius: “Uncle John’s Band”
14 The Lone Bellow & Friends: “Me and My Uncle”
15 Lee Ranaldo, Lisa Hannigan & Friends: “Mountains of the Moon”
16 Anohni and yMusic: “Black Peter”
17 Bryce Dessner: “Garcia Counterpoint”
18 Daniel Rossen, Christopher Bear and the National: “Terrapin Station (Suite)” [ft. Josh Kaufman, Conrad Doucette, So Percussion and Brooklyn Youth Chorus]
19 Angel Olsen: “Attics of My Life”
20 Wilco and Bob Weir: “St. Stephen (Live)”
Lightning (Vol. 2):
01 Bonnie “Prince” Billy: “If I Had the World to Give”
02 Phosphorescent & Friends: “Standing on the Moon”
03 Charles Bradley and Menahan Street Band: “Cumberland Blues”
04 Tallest Man on Earth & Friends: “Ship of Fools”
05 Bonnie “Prince” Billy & Friends: “Bird Song”
06 The National: “Morning Dew”
07 Marijuana Deathsquads: “Truckin'”
08 Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends: “Dark Star”
09 Nightfall of Diamonds: “Nightfall of Diamonds”
10 Tim Hecker: “Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald”
11 Lucinda Williams & Friends: “Goin’ Down the Road Feeling Bad”
12 Tunde Adebimpe, Lee Ranaldo & Friends: “Playing in the Band”
13 Local Natives: “Stella Blue”
14 Tal National: “Eyes of the World”
15 Bela Fleck: “Help on the Way”
16 Orchestra Baobab: “Franklin’s Tower”
17 Luluc With Xylouris White: “Till the Morning Comes”
18 The Walkmen: “Ripple”
19 Richard Reed Parry with Caroline Shaw and Little Scream: “Brokedown Palace” [ft. Garth Hudson]
Sunshine (Vol. 3):
01 Real Estate: “Here Comes Sunshine”
02 Unknown Mortal Orchestra: “Shakedown Street”
03 Hiss Golden Messenger: “Brown Eyed Woman”
04 This Is the Kit: “Jack-a-Roe”
05 Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear: “High Time”
06 The Lone Bellow & Friends: “Dire Wolf”
07 Winston Marshall, Kodiak Blue and Shura: “Althea”
08 Orchestra Baobab: “Clementine Jam”
09 Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks: “China Cat Sunflower – I Know You Rider”
10 Bill Callahan: “Easy Wind”
11 Ira Kaplan & Friends: “Wharf Rat”
12 The Rileys (Terry and Gyan Riley): “Estimated Prophet”
13 Man Forever, So Percussion and Oneida: “Drums – Space”
14 Fucked Up: “Cream Puff War”
15 The Flaming Lips: “Dark Star”
16 s t a r g a z e: “What’s Become of the Baby”
17 Vijay Iyer: “King Solomon’s Marbles”
18 Mina Tindle & Friends: “Rosemary”
19 Sam Amidon & Friends: “And We Bid You Goodnight”
20 The National With Bob Weir: “I Know You Rider (live)”