Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Perfume Genius and Sharon Van Etten, Jim James, More Cover Grateful Dead: Listen

The National‘s all-star Grateful Dead tribute, Day of the Dead, arrives May 20 via 4AD. Today, in advance of the 59-track, six-hour box set’s release, five more tracks have been unveiled. They come from Unknown Mortal Orchestra (“Shakedown Street”), Perfume Genius, Sharon Van Etten & Friends (“To Lay Me Down”), My Morning Jacket’s Jim James & Friends (“Candyman”), Bonnie “Prince” Billy & Friends (“Rubin & Cherise”), and Charles Bradley & Menahan Street Band (“Cumberland Blues”). Hear them all below. 

The compilation was produced by Aaron Dessner and co-produced by Bryce Dessner and Josh Kaufman. Several songs, including “To Lay Me Down,” “Candyman,” and “Rybin & Cherise,” 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.

In March, a bunch of covers from the record were released, including takes from the National, Courtney Barnett, the War on Drugs, Bruce Hornsby with Justin Vernon’s band DeYarmond Edison, and Phosphorescent with Jenny Lewis. Earlier this month, the National and Grizzly Bear members’ 17-minute cover of “Terrapin Station (Suite)” was released. 

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