After several years in the works, the National‘s massive Grateful Dead tribute is finally here. Day of the Dead, a 59-track, six-hour-long all-star box set, is out May 20 via 4AD. Like the 2009 compilation Dark Was the Night, also spearheaded by Aaron and Bryce Dessner, Day of the Dead is a benefit for Red Hot, the HIV/AIDS not-for-profit. The project features Dead covers by the National, Wilco, the Flaming Lips, Courtney Barnett, Anohni, the War on Drugs, Bruce Hornsby with Justin Vernon’s band DeYarmond Edison and Megafaun, Bill Callahan, 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, members of Grizzly Bear, Phosphorescent, Terry Riley and his son Gyan, Stephen Malkmus, Lucinda Williams, Angel Olsen, Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo, Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan, Cass McCombs, Arcade Fire’s Richard Reed Parry, the Band’s Garth Hudson, Caroline Shaw, and many others. Find the tracklist below.
The compilation was produced by Aaron Dessner and co-produced by Bryce Dessner and Josh Kaufman. Several songs feature the house band: the Dessners, Scott and Bryan Devendorf (also of the National), Kaufman, Conrad Doucette, Sam Cohen, and Walter Martin (the Walkmen). Day of the Dead will be available digitally, as a 5xCD set, and as a limited edition vinyl box set.
It was previously announced that an all-star Day of the Dead set would take place at this year’s Eaux Claires (August 12-13), the festival co-curated by Aaron Dessner and Justin Vernon. The lineup has now been announced. The National will be joined by Vernon, Jenny Lewis, Phosphorescent’s Matthew Houck, Will Oldham, Sam Amidon, Richard Reed Parry, Lucius, Bruce Hornsby, and UMO’s Ruban Nielson.
Below the tracklist, find quotes from Bill Callahan, Tunde Adebimpe, and Will Oldham about Day of the Dead and the Grateful Dead’s influence.
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)”
Bill Callahan:
I feel like the Dead managed to show the bridge from the past to the future in a respectful way. Much more so than someone like the Stones who felt like pillagers to me. The Dead breathed life into the old songs, expanded the lungs of the old songs.
Tunde Adebimpe:
They’re one of the great, ‘do everything’ bands, take from whatever you want and warp it into something new. I’m sure that some ofthe space rock and psyche jam DNA of the band has seeped into what we do.
Will Oldham:
I have worked with a few people whose minds are brilliant and complicated, musically. There’s something about the Dead that allows these big-brained pickers to just chill the fuck out and feel good about it. There’s basic types of song forms and melodies that I have an affinity for, and the Grateful Dead have helped other people find their ways into these musics. So it isn’t as hard to establish connections with folks out there that might not otherwise share some of what I am digging into.
