Since 2011, The National have mentioned that they have been busy working on a Grateful Dead tribute album. In November of last year, the American indie rock band finally added more details about the album they’ve been working on for years. Recently, they announced a lot more information about the album, most notably that it will be released this year, on May 20th to be exact, via 4AD. Not only that, but also that several artists will be contributing to the tribute album, Day of the Dead. The compilation was produced by Aaron Dessner and co-produced by Bryce Dessner and Josh Kaufman. It will be available digitally, as a 5-CD set, and as a limited edition vinyl box set.

This ginormous album box set will feature 59-tracks, to a total of six hours of playing time. The album is a benefit for the nonprofit Red Hot, which aims to raise awareness and stop HIV/AIDS. Day of the Dead will feature several big artists, including 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 even more!

As if that wasn’t enough, The National recently contributed to the Global Citizen compilation album and they’re about to go on tour in just a couple days. And two of the members of The National joined forces with a member of Beirut to form a trio called LNZNDRF.

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)”