R.E.M., Phoebe Bridgers, Hayley Williams and more appear on the new compilation Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy, available on Friday for 24 hours only as part of the Bandcamp Fridays series.
The star-studded, 40-track comp boasts previously unreleased songs, demos, covers and remixes. It includes a live version of R.E.M.’s “Begin the Begin” from 1989, Williams’ Broadcast cover of “Colour Me In” and Bridgers’ voice memo of “Chinese Satellite” from her new album, Punisher.
Weyes Blood recorded a rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “River,” while the National’s Matt Berninger covered the Cure’s “In Between Days.” Angel Olsen contributed a remix of her song “All Mirrors,” and Death Cab for Cutie included a live version of “The New Year.” My Morning Jacket, Soccer Mommy, Sharon Van Etten, Thurston Moore, Courtney Barnett, Frankie Cosmos and more are also featured.
All of the comp’s proceeds will be given to Fair Fight, a voters’ rights organization that promotes fair elections around the country through voter education, election reform and combating voter suppression. The collection was executive produced by Dave Eggers, Jordan Kurland and Darius Zelkha, Christian Stavros and Josh Rosenfeld.
“It’s going to come down to bringing out and protecting the vote this fall, so the work Fair Fight does is crucial,” Eggers said in a statement. “Jordan and I figured a painless way to raise some money would be to ask musicians to donate unreleased tracks, people pay a few bucks for them, and maybe we can edge toward a functioning democracy again.”
Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy Tracklist:
1. Hayley Williams – Colour Me in (Broadcast Cover)
2. Tycho x Ben Gibbard – Only Love Will Save This Place (Demo Version)
3. R.E.M. – Begin The Begin (Live in Hampton, VA 1989)
4. Matt Berninger – In Between Days (The Cure Cover)
5. Grouplove – Hardware Store
6. Rostam – Half-Light (Acoustic)
7. Soccer Mommy – Girl Next Door (Saving Jane Cover)
8. Flume x Eprom – Nor. 7
9. clipping. – Chapter 319 (Jonathan’s Full Stop Remix)
10. My Morning Jacket – Bring the Power Back Home
11. Sudan Archives – War
12. Helado Negro – Us Meeting Them
13. Death Cab for Cutie – The New Year (Live in Seattle, WA 2020)
14. Jeff Tweedy – Whisper
15. Sharon Van Etten – malibu, driving down the one (demo)
16. Weyes Blood – River (Joni Mitchell Cover)
17. Thurston Moore – L’Ephemere
18. The Decemberists – Death-Defying (Hoodoo Gurus Cover, Live in Australia 2016)
19. Tegan and Sara – God Help Yourself (Demo)
20. Best Coast – Our Deal (Live in Studio 2020)
21. Poolside x Todd Edwards – Getting There From Here (Instrumental)
22. Jamila Woods – HEAVN (Slot-A Remix)
23. Robin Pecknold – Hammond Song (The Roches Cover)
24. Beverly Glenn-Copeland – Dream On (1977 Studio Recording)
25. Devendra Banhart – Taking a Page (Demo)
26. Phoebe Bridgers – Chinese Satellite (Voice Memo)
27. Real Estate – People’s Parties (Joni Mitchell Cover)
28. Sylvan Esso – Ferris Wheel (Live In-Studio)
29. Josh Ritter – Someday (In Progress)
30. Laura Jane Grace & The Devouring Mothers – Vancouver Divorce (Gord Downie Cover)
31. Alex G – Skull Eyes (True Widow Cover)
32. Frankie Cosmos – Another Piece
33. King Tuff – Evergreen (Demo)
34. Superchunk – Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing (Minutemen Cover)
35. Jay Som – Time Off Work
36. Angel Olsen – All Mirrors (Johnny Jewel Chamber Remix)
37. Gilligan Moss – Ultraparadíso (Campfire Edit)
38. Bhi Bhiman – Takin’ It Easy
39. Courtney Barnett – Sunday Roast (Live in Estes Park, CO 2020)
40. Preservation Hall Jazz Band – One Hundred Fires (Live in Seattle, WA 2019)
From Rolling Stone US
