Hear five Day of the Dead tracks; album pre-order launches today
DAY OF THE DEAD
A Grateful Dead Tribute
Benefiting The Red Hot Organization
Released May 20th 2016
Digital + CD Pre-Orders Available Now
With 5 Instant Downloads From:
The War On Drugs; Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends; Bruce Hornsby & DeYarmond Edison; Courtney Barnett and The National
On May 20th, 4AD will release Day of the Dead – a celebration of the Grateful Dead’s music created and curated by brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National. Today 5 of the album’s 59 tracks have been made available via instant grat with album pre-order, on streaming services and accompanied by a series of videos directed by Michael Brown, Nick Ciontea and Christopher Bartlett.
The five songs shared today include the first new music from The War On Drugs since 2014’s critically-acclaimed Lost In The Dream with a cover of the Grateful Dead’s 1987 hit ‘Touch of Grey’.Phosphorescent and Jenny Lewis combine with the backing of the in-house band (feature 4/5 of The National) that contributed to numerous recordings on the compilation, to cover 1971’s ‘Sugaree’. Former Grateful Dead member Bruce Hornsby collaborates Justin Vernon and DeYarmond Edison, Justin’s reunited first band including Phil and Brad Cook and Joe Westerlund of Megafaun, for ‘Black Muddy River’. Courtney Barnett puts her characteristic slant on ‘New Speedway Boogie’, off the back of numerous accolades for 2015’s GRAMMY-nominated album Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit. For today’s final taste of the full album, The National cover Bonnie Dobson’s‘Morning Dew’, a Grateful Dead staple since 1967, one of two songs that they contributed to the compilation.
PRE-ORDER LINKS FOR DAY OF THE DEAD
CD | iTunes | Amazon | Google Play | Spotify
The compilation is a wide-ranging tribute to the songwriting and experimentalism of the Dead which took four years to record, features over 60 artists from varied musical backgrounds, 59 tracks and is almost 6 hours long. Day of the Dead will be released digitally, on a 5 X CD, and as a limited edition vinyl boxed set. Additional details forthcoming. All profits will help fight for AIDS/HIV and related health issues around the world through the Red Hot Organisation, a 501(c)3.
More information on Day of the Dead can be found at 4AD.com/news/17/3/2016/dayofthedead ordayofthedeadmusic.com.
A Day of the Dead live performance will take place this summer at the second annual Eaux Claires Festival (August 12-13) featuring Jenny Lewis, Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent), Lucius, Will Oldham, Sam Amidon, Richard Reed Parry (Arcade Fire) , Matt Berninger (The National, EL VY), Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Bruce Hornsby, Ruban Nielson (Unknown Mortal Orchestra) and The National, who all appear on the record.
The War On Drugs – ‘Touch of Grey’
Directed by Michael Brown, Nick Ciontea and Christopher Bartlett
Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends – ‘Sugaree’
Directed by Michael Brown, Nick Ciontea and Christopher Bartlett
Bruce Hornsby & DeYarmond Edison – ‘Black Muddy River’
Directed by Michael Brown
Courtney Barnett – ‘New Speedway Boogie’
Directed by Michael Brown, Nick Ciontea and Christopher Bartlett
The National – ‘Morning Dew’
Directed by Michael Brown
ABOUT RED HOT ORGANISATION:
Red Hot is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) organisation dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS through pop culture. Its mission is to raise awareness and money around the AIDS crisis and related health issues. It was started in 1990 by Leigh Blake and John Carlin with the Cole Porter tribute album Red Hot + Blue, which raised millions of dollars, helped reduce the stigma around AIDS at the time and supported organisations and efforts such ACT UP and T.A.G., which took a stand and made the world pay attention and develop medication that let people with AIDS survive.
Over the past 25 years, over 500 artists, producers and directors have contributed to 20 compilation albums of original music, videos, events and media to keep people thinking about the implications of the AIDS epidemic as well as donate millions to organisations around the world.
FOLLOW DAY OF THE DEAD:
www.dayofthedeadmusic.com
twitter.com/DayoftheDead
facebook.com/DayoftheDead
instagram.com/DayoftheDead
Day of the Dead Press Materials:
beggars.box.com/DayoftheDead