Celebrating several years of great music (and several decades of aimless, sometimes-enjoyable noodling), Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National have announced the track listing for their massive, music-star-studded tribute to the Grateful Dead. Titled—with a touch of near-literalism—Day Of The Dead, the six-hour set will come stuffed on five CDs, and feature performances from Dead fans ranging from Mumford & Sons to The Flaming Lips.
The 59 tracks in the set have been divided into three volumes, “Thunder,” “Lightning,” and “Sunshine,” celebrating the three weathers (or, really, two weathers and a sound effect) of the long-touring musical icons. Other artists involved in the project—which will likely go down as the “definitive tribute to The Grateful Dead produced by members of a band that also makes pretty great music videos for Bob’s Burgers”—include Courtney Barnett, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Lucinda Williams, Wilco, Bela Fleck, Marijuana Deathsquads, Stephen Malkmus, and roughly a thousand other people, because, again, there are 59 songs on this thing. You can tune into the vibe of the full track list—really read between the songs, you know?—right here:
Day Of The Dead track list
“Thunder” (Vol. 1)
1. The War on Drugs – “Touch of Grey”
2. Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends – “Sugaree”
3. Jim James & Friends – “Candyman”
4. Moses Sumney, Jenny Lewis & Friends – “Cassidy”
5. Bruce Hornsby and DeYarmond Edison – “Black Muddy River”
6. Ed Droste, Binki Shapiro & Friends – “Loser”
7. The National – “Peggy-O”
8. Kurt Vile and the Violators (featuring J Mascis) – “Box of Rain”
9. 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)
1. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – “If I Had the World to Give”
2. Phosphorescent & Friends – “Standing on the Moon”
3. Charles Bradley and Menahan Street Band – “Cumberland Blues”
4. The Tallest Man on Earth & Friends – “Ship of Fools”
5. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Friends – “Bird Song “
6. The National – “Morning Dew”
7. Marijuana Deathsquads – “Truckin’”
8. Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends – “Dark Star”
9. 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)
1. Real Estate – “Here Comes Sunshine”
2. Unknown Mortal Orchestra – “Shakedown Street”
3. Hiss Golden Messenger – “Brown-Eyed Women”
4. This Is the Kit – “Jack-A-Roe”
5. Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear – “High Time”
6. The Lone Bellow & Friends – “Dire Wolf”
7. Winston Marshall, Kodiak Blue and Shura – “Althea”
8. Orchestra Baobab – “Clementine Jam”
9. 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)”