The National Plan Grateful Dead Tribute Album
The members of the National are in the process of putting together a charity compilation for the Red Hot Organization celebrating the music of the Grateful Dead. In a recent interview with Spinner, bassist Scott Devendorf says that he is “shadow curating” the benefit CD, which he hopes will offer fresh interpretations of the legendary band’s music.
Photos: The Hottest Live Performances from Coachella 2011
Aside from the National, who are mulling over the possibility of recording either the Dead’s “Box of Rain” or “Unbroken Chain,” other artists said to be involved with the project include Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver and minimalist composer Steve Reich. Devendorf says that he plans to avoid drafting other jam bands for the set, but he intends to enlist some unlikely groups, such as the electro punk band Crystal Castles.
Video: The National’s New Soundtrack Song ‘Think You Can Wait’
This would be the National’s second compilation in collaboration with the AIDS charity. The Red Hot Organization’s 2009 collection Dark Was the Night was curated and produced by band members Bryce and Aaron Dessner. That compilation featured a who’s who of indie rock stars including Sufjan Stevens, Feist, Spoon, the New Pornographers and a memorable collaboration between Dirty Projectors and David Byrne.