[damien lisa]

review http://www.brooklynvegan.com/five-no...tribute-album/

15. Lee Ranaldo, Lisa Hannigan & Friends – Mountains of the Moon: I don’t care how too-cool of an indie kid you are for the Grateful Dead, you are not too cool for any member of Sonic Youth. Lee Ranaldo’s been praising this band for a long time, and hearing him take on “Mountains Of The Moon” is a real treat. While 1969’s Aoxomoxoa is best known for “St. Stephen” and “China Cat Sunflower,” the album is equally memorable for being the time the Dead took most advantage of the studio-as-instrument. Some of their finest psychedelic nuggets are on this album, and the folky “Mountains of the Moon” is one of the best. It’s no surprise that Lee pulls this off expertly.

24. Tallest Man on Earth & Friends – Ship of Fools: Maybe I’m just looking in the wrong places, but it feels like I don’t hear as much about The Tallest Man on Earth as I did in the late ’00s / early ’10s. That’s unfortunate, ’cause he’s still highly talented and this cover reaffirms that. It’s another that you could mistake for a Tallest Man original if you didn’t know any better, but with plenty of justice done to the Dead’s version.

38. The Walkmen – Ripple: At the risk of sounding like a contrarian, I just have no interest in The Walkmen post-Bows + Arrows, and this cover reminds me why. How do they take the one Dead song that indie rock fans already like and turn it into this whimsical, jaunty mess? Sorry, pass.