The last time members of the National curated a compilation for the Red Hot Organization, they put together the mammoth Dark Was the Night, which raised over $1 million to fight AIDS. Now, the National are curating another charity compilation, this time entirely dedicated to Grateful Dead covers.
"We're actually working on a new compilation record, like we did the Dark Was the Night record, that's going to be a Grateful Dead covers record," bassist Scott Devendorf recently revealed to Spinner.
The project is still in its early stages -- the National haven't even called dibs on their favourite Grateful Dead track yet -- but the organizers have already managed to rustle up interest among some high-profile peers. This includes pioneering minimal composer Steve Reich, along with "newer, folky bands like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver."
If you were worried that the prospect of a Grateful Dead covers album might attract the likes of Dave Matthews Band and String Cheese Incident, then you needn't fret. "It's not going to be like jam bands cover the Dead. There are so many cover bands. I think half of the record will be reinterpreting it," Devendorf explained. "We're also trying to think of unusual [acts]. Crystal Castles would be awesome."
We would like to nominate Animal Collective to record a genre-busting cover. After all, the group sampled "Unbroken Chain" for their song "What Would I Want? Sky" back in 2009 with fantastic results. And then there's the Decemberists, who covered the Dead's "Jimmy Row" earlier this year.
"We're actually working on a new compilation record, like we did the Dark Was the Night record, that's going to be a Grateful Dead covers record," bassist Scott Devendorf recently revealed to Spinner.
The project is still in its early stages -- the National haven't even called dibs on their favourite Grateful Dead track yet -- but the organizers have already managed to rustle up interest among some high-profile peers. This includes pioneering minimal composer Steve Reich, along with "newer, folky bands like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver."
If you were worried that the prospect of a Grateful Dead covers album might attract the likes of Dave Matthews Band and String Cheese Incident, then you needn't fret. "It's not going to be like jam bands cover the Dead. There are so many cover bands. I think half of the record will be reinterpreting it," Devendorf explained. "We're also trying to think of unusual [acts]. Crystal Castles would be awesome."
We would like to nominate Animal Collective to record a genre-busting cover. After all, the group sampled "Unbroken Chain" for their song "What Would I Want? Sky" back in 2009 with fantastic results. And then there's the Decemberists, who covered the Dead's "Jimmy Row" earlier this year.
