Category: Music

Stephen Thompson | December 15, 2023 Tiny Desk concerts involve challenges and constraints that aren’t always immediately apparent: The crowd stands closer than many artists expect, it’s truly a working office and not a soundstage, in-ear monitors are a no-no and so on. The guideline that caught Alvvays off-guard came in the form of our limit on reverb and other vocal sweeteners, which get used to glorious effect on 2022’s Blue Rev, but are otherwise frowned-upon at the Tiny Desk. The restriction forced the Toronto band — and recent first-time Grammy nominee — well outside its comfort zone. But it [See More…]

Ashley Pointer | December 13, 2023 “I grew up playing classical music and it’s so special to get to play my songs almost in this chamber-like setting,” Laufey says in her performance. Accompanied by a string quartet, the singer-songwriter’s modern jazz-pop love songs soared at the Tiny Desk, the intimacy of our little corner only heightened its impact. Laufey’s music undeniably bridges the gap between jazz and younger, mainstream audiences coming to the genre. Her sophomore album, Bewitched, broke Spotify’s all-time streaming record for a jazz debut ever in the platform’s history and resulted in her first Grammy nomination. She [See More…]

Hazel Cills | December 11, 2023 The last time Olivia Rodrigo performed a Tiny Desk concert, it was two years ago, in a deserted DMV office, back when pandemic precautions meant artists sadly couldn’t play the real Desk. But this year, the singer-songwriter returned, bringing a handful of songs from her wildly fun sophomore album to the NPR Music office. “It’s much cooler to be here,” Rodrigo says. “I was saying earlier, I’ve never been starstruck by a room before.” Many of the songs on GUTS, which earned a special recommendation on NPR Music’s Best Albums of 2023 list, blow [See More…]