A couple of years ago, the National's Bryce and Aaron Dessner produced and curated the double-disc compilation Dark Was the Night, a benefit for the AIDS-fighting Red Hot Organization that featured just about every boldfaced name on the indie rock landscape. And now, Spinner reports that they've got a follow-up in the works, albeit one that will take an unexpected turn. The National bassist Scott Devendorf tells Spinner that the band is working on another Red Hot benefit: a tribute album dead-icated (sorry) to the Grateful Dead.

UPDATE: According to the Beggars Group, the Dessners are working on a sequel to Dark Was the Night, though no details have been confirmed.

Devendorf, who claims that he's "shadow curating" the record, mentions a few names of possible contributors, including minimalist composer Steve Reich: "[Reich is] actually an old friend of [the Dead's] Phil Lesh. They go back to younger days... Then there are newer, folky bands like Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver that are interested... 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. We're also trying to think of unusual [acts]. Crystal Castles would be awesome."

Devendorf also wrestles with the question of which Dead song the National will cover: "We're just figuring that out right now. Matt [Berninger] has got to sing it, so we're thinking a Phil song, 'Box of Rain' or 'Unbroken Chain,' something like that. For us, the frontrunner right now is 'Box of Rain' I think, but we'll see."

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