Day Of The Dead, the forthcoming Grateful Dead tribute album which features 59 tracks and over five hours' worth of music curated and compiled by The National's Aaron and Bryce Dessner, is due to drop May 20. In advance of its release, the pair have shared the first five cuts: "Touch Of Grey" performed by The War On Drugs, Courtney Barnett's "New Speedway Boogie," "Sugaree" by Phosphorescent and Jenny Lewis, "Black Muddy River" by Bruce Hornsby and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon with DeYarmond Edison, and the National's own take on "Morning Dew."
The years-in-the-making tribute compilation includes covers by artists like the Flaming Lips, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Bela Fleck, Wilco with Bob Weir, Lucinda Williams, The Walkmen, Mumford & Sons, Tunde Adebimpe of TV On The Radio, Bruce Hornsby, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Perfume Genius, members of Grizzly Bear and dozens more.
Following the release of the five tribute tracks, Aaron Dessner tweeted: "These 5 are just a sampling, not favorites or singles."
These 5 are just a sampling, not favorites or singles. Can't wait for you to hear all 59 songs!!
— Aaron Dessner (@aaron_dessner) March 24, 2016
The War On Drugs' version of the Dead's 1987 classic "Touch Of Grey" marks the Philadelphia band's first new music following 2014's Lost In A Dream, JamBase reports. Listen, and watch the psychedelic visual directed by Michael Brown, Nick Ciontea and Christopher Bartlett, below.
Brown, Ciontea and Bartlett provided similar trippy visuals for each of the tribute tracks. Listen and watch below.
All profits from the tribute album will benefit the Red Hot Organization which according to its website works to fight AIDS with the help of pop culture, Rolling Stone reports. The album is available to preorder now via the project's website here.
