A Dead Monster!

Mumford & Sons covering 'Friend of the Devil'? Kurt Vile and the Violators (featuring J Mascis) doing 'Box of Rain'? The Flaming Lips playing 'Dark Star'?

Very quietly over the last four years, the Dessner brothers, Aaron and Bryce (of The National fame), have been assembling Dead parts, creating their own take on Frankenstein's Monster, a giant, lumbering beast - a 5 CD, six-hour, 60+ artist Grateful Dead Tribute they're unleashing on the world on May 20th, a new entry in the Red Hot Organization's series of fundraising discs.

It looks (and, so far, sounds) pretty cool! 4AD released details and pre-order info this past week, as well as a sampling of songs. Check out Phosphorescent with Jenny Lewis and Friends doing "Sugaree" and The War On Drugs covering "Touch of Grey".

You can also sample the Dessner's band The National's cover of  'Morning Dew' right now, as well as Bruce Hornsby's and DeYarmond Edison's take on 'Black Muddy River' and Courtney Barnett doing 'New Speedway Boogie'.

Here's the 4AD Press Release, with the full list of cover tunes:

4AD - Various - Day of the Dead (Red Hot Compilation)

Day of the Dead was created and curated by brothers Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National.  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. You can see the full tracklisting below.

Day of the Dead will be released digitally, on a 5 X CD, and as a limited edition vinyl boxed set.

All profits will help fight for AIDS/ HIV and related health issues around the world through the Red Hot Organization, a 501(c)3. This is the 20th album of original music produced by Red Hot to further its mission. Day of the Dead is the follow up to 2009’s Dark Was The Night(4AD), a 32-track, multi-artist compilation also produced by Aaron and Bryce for Red Hot. Dark Was The Night has raised over $1.5 million for the organizations fighting AIDS to date.

The War on Drugs - Touch of Grey

Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends - Sugaree

Jim James & Friends - Candyman

Moses Sumney, Jenny Lewis & Friends - Cassidy

Bruce Hornsby and DeYarmond Edison Black - Muddy River

Ed Droste, Binki Shapiro & Friends - Loser

The National - Peggy-O

Kurt Vile and the Violators (featuring J Mascis) - Box of Rain

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Friends - Rubin and Cherise

Perfume Genius, Sharon Van Etten & Friends - To Lay Me Down

Courtney Barnett - New Speedway Boogie

Mumford & Sons - Friend of the Devil

Lucius - Uncle John’s Band

The Lone Bellow & Friends - Me and My Uncle

Lee Ranaldo, Lisa Hannigan & Friends - Mountains of the Moon

Anohni and yMusic - Black Peter

Bryce Dessner - Garcia Counterpoint

Daniel Rossen, Christopher Bear and The National (featuring Josh Kaufman, Conrad Doucette, So Percussion and Brooklyn Youth Chorus) - Terrapin Station (Suite)

Angel Olsen - Attics of My Life

Wilco with Bob Weir - St. Stephen (live)

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - If I Had the World to Give

Phosphorescent & Friends - Standing on the Moon

Charles Bradley and Menahan Street Band - Cumberland Blues

The Tallest Man on Earth & Friends - Ship of Fools

Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy & Friends - Bird Song

The National - Morning Dew

Marijuana Deathsquads - Truckin’

Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends - Dark Star

Nightfall of Diamonds - Nightfall of Diamonds

Tim Hecker - Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald

Lucinda Williams & Friends - Going Down The Road Feelin' Bad

Tunde Adebimpe, Lee Ranaldo & Friends - Playing in the Band

Local Natives - Stella Blue

Tal National - Eyes of the World

Bela Fleck - Help on the Way

Orchestra Baobab - Franklin’s Tower

Luluc with Xylouris White - Till the Morning Comes

The Walkmen - Ripple

Richard Reed Parry with Caroline Shaw and Little Scream (featuring Garth Hudson) - Brokedown Palace

Real Estate - Here Comes Sunshine

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Shakedown Street

Hiss Golden Messenger - Brown-Eyed Women

This Is the Kit - Jack-A-Roe

Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear - High Time

The Lone Bellow & Friends - Dire Wolf

Winston Marshall, Kodiak Blue and Shura - Althea

Orchestra Baobab - Clementine Jam

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider

Bill Callahan - Easy Wind

Ira Kaplan & Friends - Wharf Rat

The Rileys - Estimated Prophet

Man Forever, So Percussion and Oneida - Drums -> Space

Fucked Up - Cream Puff War

The Flaming Lips - Dark Star

s t a r g a z e - What’s Become of the Baby

Vijay Iyer - King Solomon’s Marbles

Mina Tindle & Friends - Rosemary

Sam Amidon - And We Bid You Goodnight

The National with Bob Weir - I Know You Rider (live)

Sounds like a very cool project for a worthy cause. I've already ordered one! You can pre-order the album digitally and get all the pre-release tracks. You can also pre order the CD from 4AD.