A long-gestating Grateful Dead tribute album helmed by New York indie greats The National will finally see release on May 20th through 4AD Records. Dubbed Day of the Dead, the project has been in the works for several years, and it’s easy to see why as the mammoth tracklist features 59 songs spanning over six hours.
Even more impressive is the list of musicians and bands who contributed to the album. Among them: Wilco, Mumford and Sons, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, The War on Drugs, The Flaming Lips, Anhoni, My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, Jenny Lewis, Bruce Hornsby, Phosphorescent, Courtney Barnett, Grizzly Bear members Ed Droste and Daniel Rossen, Sharon Van Etten, Local Natives, The Walkmen, Kurt Vile and the Violators, The Tallest Man on Earth, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Cass McCombs, Angel Olsen, TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan, Bill Callahan, Lucius, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Real Estate, Fucked Up, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, and Perfume Genius. And breathe.
For their part, The National contributed several songs to the album. Band members Aaron and Bryce Dessner served as producers, and also led a house band featuring fellow National bandmates Scott and Bryan Devendorf, Sam Cohen, Josh Kaufman, and Walter Martin. See the full tracklist below.
Day of the Dead will be available digitally, as a 5xCD set, and as a limited edition vinyl box set. All proceeds will benefit the Red Hot Organization and its fight against AIDS.
Several album contributors, including The National, Vernon, Lewis, Hornsby, Phosphorecest’s Matthew Houck, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy’s Will Oldham, and more, will stage a live performance of Day of the Dead at this year’s Eaux Claires Music Festival, set for August 12th – 13th in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Day of the Dead Artwork:
Day of the Dead Tracklist:
Thunder (Vol.1)
10. 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 (featuring J Mascis) – “Box of Rain”
09. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & 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 (featuring Josh Kaufman, Conrad Doucette, So Percussion and Brooklyn Youth Chorus) – “Terrapin Station (Suite)”
19. Angel Olsen – “Attics of My Life”
20. Wilco with 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. The 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 – “Going Down The Road Feelin’ 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 (featuring Garth Hudson) – “Brokedown Palace”
Sunshine (Vol. 3)
01. Real Estate – “Here Comes Sunshine”
02. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Shakedown Street”
03. Hiss Golden Messenger – “Brown-Eyed Women”
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 – “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 – “And We Bid You Goodnight”
20. The National with Bob Weir – “I Know You Rider (live)”
Watch The National perform “Peggy-O” at last year’s Treasure Island Music Festival:
