R.E.M., the War on Drugs, MJ Lenderman Contribute Unreleased Recordings to Hurricane Helene Comp

Unreleased recordings by R.E.M., MJ Lenderman, the War on Drugs, Feist, Waxahatchee, and more than 100 other artists make up a newly released benefit compilation, Cardinals at the Window. Proceeds from the megacomp, available on Bandcamp, will help provide aid to victims of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina.

Other artist who contributed tracks to Cardinals at the Window include Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Angel Olsen, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Sharon Van Etten, Jeff Tweedy and Karly Hartzman, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, Sylvan Esso, Fleet Foxes, Little Brother, Archers of Loaf, Iron & Wine, the Avett Brothers, and Jason Isbell. The unreleased recordings include demos and live versions of songs, as well as never-before-released songs.

R.E.M.’s contribution to the compilation is a live rendition of “King of Birds” recorded in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1988. Iron and Wine submitted a cover of the Bee Gees’ “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart.” And Waxahatchee and Sluice each contributed covers of songs by Gillian Welch specifically for the comp.

Three organizations will receive money from sales of the compilation: Rural Organizing and Resilience, which offers people education, outreach, empowerment, and mutual aid; BeLoved Asheville, which provides food, housing, medical, and mental health care to people in need; and the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina, which distributes capital to those in need. There’s also a Cardinals at the Window website, part of Music’s Promise organization, that allows people to donate separate from purchasing the compilation.

“There were just so many folks who, like us, had witnessed the destruction of these holy places from the outside and felt their hearts trying to break out of their chests,” musician and community organizer Libby Rodenbough, who helped organizer the compilation, said in a statement. Rodenbough was on tour with the Dead Tongues when the storm hit her home. “It was instant, the way people signed on. They also feel what I feel, that these mountains are the cradle of some deep and ineffable magic.”

Hurricane Helene made landfall in the “big bend” region of Florida on Sept. 27 and made its way north, dumping water along Western North Carolina. About half of the 200-plus people who died as a result of the storm were in the state, and hundreds were still unaccounted for as of last Friday, according to NBC News. Communities in the area have been working together to help one another in the region. “Asheville talks a lot about community,” Sarah Brown, a West Asheville resident, told Rolling Stone last week. “We’re meeting neighbors we’ve never met. We’re meeting folks that never would have stopped by and said hello otherwise. It’s pretty breathtaking.”

Cardinals at the Window Track List

1. The War on Drugs, “Harmonia’s Dream (Live from New York)”
2. Angel Olsen, “Can’t Wait Until Tomorrow (Live at Echo Mountain)”
3. Sluice, “Hard Times”
4. S.G. Goodman feat. Bonnie “Prince”Billy, “Nature’s Child”
5.  Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, “Smilin’”
6. Rosali, “Hey Heron”
7. Luke Schneider, “Vapor Ascensus”
8. Fleet Foxes, “Blue Ridge Mountains (Live from The Spring Recital)”
9. Floating Action, “We Live Inside A Dream”
10. The Dead Tongues, “Daylily (Demo)”
11. Lambchop, “Is There a Doctor in the House?”
12. R.E.M., “King of Birds (Live in Greensboro, 1989)”
13. Little Brother feat. BeMyFiasco x Denaine Jones, “The Way”
14. Yasmin Williams, “Untitled”
15. Setting, “Night Divers”
16. Magic Tuber Stringband, “Flotsam”
17. Weirs, “The Carolina Lady”
18. Tyler Childers, “Bus Route (Live)”
19. Waxahatchee, “Wrecking Ball”
20. Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, “Hashtag (Live from Newport Folk Festival 2024)”
21. Oak City Slums, “Electric Trible”
22. Shirlette Ammons, “Corner Pocket (Small Pond Sessions)”
23. Helado Negro, “Running (Live at Drop of Sun)”
24. William Tyler, “Near a Thousand Tables”
25. Sylvie, “On The Wind”
26. John Andrew & The Yawns, “Talking To Me”
27. Keven Louis Lareau, “Your Tender Loving Care”
28. Spencer Cullum, Sean Thompson & Rich Ruth, “Levon’s Bark”
29. Geologist & D.S., “Route 9 Falls”
30. Daniel Bachman, “Lovers On The Turnpike”
31. The Avett Brothers, “Cheap Coffee (Live)”
32. Terry Allen & The Panhandle Mystery Band, “Rainy Day”
33. Jason Isbell, “Children of Children – Live At The Ryman 10/15/17”
34. Dawes & Hiss Golden Messenger, “Haunted House”
35. Deer Tick, “Time To Leave”
36. The Nude Party, “Fallin’ Rain”
37. Tim Heidecker, “Property (Live at Dynasty Typewriter)”
38. Chuck Johnson, “Arctic Halo”
39. Laraaji, “Music Laughter Episode Track 78”
40. Universal Light, “Minor Suite”
41. Feist, “Borrow Trouble (Demo)”
42. Kevin Morby, “American Holly”
43. Jeff Tweedy (feat. Karly Hartzman), “How Hard It Is For Desert To Die (Live from Solid Sound)”
44. Mipso, “Cornfields”
45. Danny Paul Grody, “Distant Blue”
46. Real Estate, “Pink Sky”
47. Real Companion, “Long Leaf Overtime (iPhone Demo)”
48. Sam Evian, “Long, Long, Long”
49. The Go-Betweens, “Ashes On The Lawn”
50. M. Duffy, “Easy and Down”
51. Indigo De Souza, “Hungry & Croaking”
52. BeMyFiasco, “Take My Strong Hand”
53. Marta Salogni, “For Vibraphone and Tapes”
54. Pachyman, “NYC”
55. Skylar Gudasz, “Lean Closer To Me Now”
56. Lou Hazel, “Bulldog”
57. Blue Cactus, “The Gift (Demo)”
58. Nathan Bowles, “Gadarene (Tarboro)”
59. Drive-By Truckers, “Baggage (Live, 2018)”
60. MJ Lenderman, “Pianos”
61. American Aquarium, “Crier (Live at Red Rocks 5/9/24)”
62. The Hold Steady, “Certain Songs (Live at 9:30 Club)”
63. H.C. McEntire, “Dovetail (Get Down Version)”
64. Futurebirds, “5am (Live from Moodright’s)”
65. Fust, “The Highlands of the Heart”
66. Joseph Allred, “Marion”
67. Libby Rodenbough, “Oh What A Beautiful Morning”
68. Uwade, “Belvedere”
69. Iron & Wine, “How Can You Mend a Broken Heart”
70. Tyler Ramsey, “New Lost Ages (A Parkway Session, from Asheville)”
71. Bahamas, “Say What You Like (Live at Massey Hall)”
72. Water Liars, “Swannanoa (Demo Version)”
73. Joseph Decosimo & Jake Xerxes Fussell, “Bob Wills Stomp (Live at Nightlight 7.26.22)”
74. Lonnie Holley (with Jacknife Lee), “Tonky’s Rocket Ship”
75. Sophie Thatcher, “My Friend”
76. Riggings, “Strep Season”
77. Etran De L’Aïr, “Ighre Massina (Live at Madame Lou’s)”
78. the Mountain Goats, “Hand of Death”
79. Superchunk, “Wild Loneliness (Live for the Current)”
80. Archers of Loaf, “Great Holding Down”
81. Hotline TNT, “Candle”
82. Karly Hartzman, “Baby Me (Demo)”
83. Squirrel Flower, “Finally Rain (Live in St. Louis)”
84. Object Hours, “Street Scene (Live at Shadowbox)”
85. Adeem The Artist, “Freight Train (From DR Byen)”
86. Sy Smith, “Bigger Than The Work”
87. Hayden Pedigo, “John Frusciante’s Trailer House”
88. Little Mazarn & Jonathan Horne, “Lightning in the Water (Live at the Historic Dry Creek Cafe 10/17/21)”
89. Carpenter / Cohen, “Monuments”
90. Jenks Miller & Rose Cross NC, “Summerland”
91. Christopher Paul Stelling, “Me and I”
92. Matthew E. White, “Shine a Light (Solo Piano)”
93. James Elkington, “MEQZ”
94. Rich Ruth, “Super 8”
95. Darien Brockington, “Only One (Zo! & Tall Black Guy Remix)”
96. Sylvan Esso, “One More”
97. Sonny Miles, “Silverpieces”
98. pat junior, “U.D.O.”
99. Flock of Dimes, “Potential”
100. Fancy Gap, “Starlight Motel”
101. Carlitta Durand, “Slip Up”
102. Wye Oak, “No Good Reason”
103. Eric Slick, “Another Sunset”
104. RIBS, “The Blues II”
105. Lydia Loveless, “Loser”
106. Julianna Riolino, “Don’t Put Me In The Middle”
107. Mary Lattimore, “I’ll See You Tomorrow”
108. BCNC, “PB Yards”
109. Wood Ear, “Ex Winter”
110. Eli Winter Trio, “Dayenu (Live)”
111. Little Wings, “Honey Bird’s Power Outage”
112. Sharon Van Etten, “Weather”
113. Boulevards, “Mad Man”
114. The Foreign Exchange, “Can’t Turn Around (Nicolay’s Hostile Takeover Mix)”
115. Daughter of Swords, “Alone Together”
116. Tune-Yards, “Hypnotized (Live from Brooklyn)”
117. Calexico, “Across The Wire (Live from Tollhaus)”
118. The Decemberists, “William Fitzwilliam (Live)”
119. Bill Orcutt, “Sad And Familiar”
120. Ethan Baechtold, “small talk between friends”
121. Watchhouse, “Harvest Moon”
122. Sarah Louise, “Dancing and Keening (My Body is a Part of the Earth)”
123. Wet Tuna, “So Much Vibe in the World (A Sweet Pond Nug)”
124. Sunburned Hand of the Man with Mazozma, “JJ Fale”
125. David Michael Moore, “A Little Spanish Delight”
126. Les Savy Fav, “Four Divided By One”
127. Six Organs of Admittance, “Sunrise at Sunset”
128. Mind Over Mirrors, “Rushing Airglow”
129. Eric Bachmann, “Wicked Little Dream”
130. Wooden Wand, “Sky Blue Aster (Homegrown Version)”
131. Edsel Axle, “Wipe Your Eyes and See”
132. House Band, “Three”
133. Tropical Fuck Storm, “Chameleon Paint (Live at Lincoln Hall)”
134. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, “Change (Demo 4)”
135. Phish, “Sand (Live at Reynolds Coliseum, 1999)”