Anohni, Terry Riley, and Tim Hecker Are Contributing to a Grateful Dead Tribute

The long persevering indie rock group The National have gathered some of their favorite musicians to put together Day of the Dead, the first major Grateful Dead tribute album since 1991's Deadicated (which featured Elvis Costello and the Indigo Girls). While mostly a rock and folk oriented tribute, a few electronic artists have made the cut, including the singer Anohni, minimal music pioneer Terry Riley, and ambient noise composer, Tim Hecker, whose contribution is anything but a traditional cover.

"Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald" isn't a rendition of a song, but a utilization of a songwriting process. Diehard Deadheads may recognize the name as the producer who assembled the Dead's experimental LP Grayfolded. For the album, Oswald used a process he called "Plunderphonics" in which he took hundreds of live recordings of the band's classic song "Gray Star" and condensed them all down into two new one-hour compositions. The first of these new tracks was called "Transitive Axis," hence Hecker's title.

Hecker is joined by an all-star indie line-up that would make most millennials blush with excitement. Day of the Dead will span 59 tracks, and will be over six hours long. Buying a copy also benefits Red Hot, the HIV/AIDS not-for-profit.

Day of the Dead is out on May 20 with 4AD. Check out the tracklist below.

Day of the Dead tracklist:

Thunder (Vol. 1):

1. The War on Drugs: "Touch of Grey"
2. Phosphorescent, Jenny Lewis & Friends: "Sugaree"
3. Jim James & Friends: "Candyman"
4. Moses Sumney, Jenny Lewis & Friends: "Cassidy"
5. Bruce Hornsby and DeYarmond Edison: "Black Muddy River"
6. Ed Droste, Binki Shapiro & Friends: "Loser"
7. The National: "Peggy-O"
8. Kurt Vile and the Violators: "Box of Rain" [ft. J Mascis]
9. 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):

1. Bonnie "Prince" Billy: "If I Had the World to Give"
2. Phosphorescent & Friends: "Standing on the Moon"
3. Charles Bradley and Menahan Street Band: "Cumberland Blues"
4. Tallest Man on Earth & Friends: "Ship of Fools"
5. Bonnie "Prince" Billy & Friends: "Bird Song"
6. The National: "Morning Dew"
7. Marijuana Deathsquads: "Truckin'"
8. Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends: "Dark Star"
9. 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):

1. Real Estate: "Here Comes Sunshine"
2. Unknown Mortal Orchestra: "Shakedown Street"
3. Hiss Golden Messenger: "Brown Eyed Woman"
4. This Is the Kit: "Jack-a-Roe"
5. Daniel Rossen and Christopher Bear: "High Time"
6. The Lone Bellow & Friends: "Dire Wolf"
7. Winston Marshall, Kodiak Blue and Shura: "Althea"
8. Orchestra Baobab: "Clementine Jam"
9. 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)"