Tag: National Public Radio

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Rakim: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

June 25, 2018 | Abby O’Neill — It had been nearly a decade since Rakim released new music, but that drought ended Friday when the godfather of rap lyricism and one half of the revered duo Eric B & Rakim released a new song, “King’s Paradise.” The track was written for Season 2 of Marvel’s Luke Cage, which premiered on Netflix the same day, but it wasn’t entirely new to select NPR staff; they heard it days earlier when the God MC performed at the Tiny Desk. The New York rap icon wasn’t the only legend in the building that [See More…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Jorja Smith: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Watch Jorja Smith play “On My Mind”, “Teenage Fantasy” and “Blue Lights” at the Tiny Desk. Did you know you can watch new Tiny Desk Concerts on npr.org ONE WEEK before they go up on YouTube? Click here: https://www.npr.org/tinydesk Follow NPR Music: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nprmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nprmusic June 11, 2018 | Sidney Madden — It’s a good thing the weather was gloomy the day Jorja Smith rolled in for her Tiny Desk concert. Even though the skies threatened rain and thunder, the overcast light lingering in our dimmed office space allowed the teardrop pendant lights, hung from the ceiling by her [See More…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Tom Misch: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

June 1, 2018 | Bobby Carter — I learned a few things while watching Tom Misch perform at the Tiny Desk that should’ve been obvious to a longtime fan like me: He produces beats with a live audience in mind. As much as his drums slap, guitar is the foundation for most of his songs and he showcases a burgeoning talent on the instrument throughout his set. I first caught wind of this UK wunderkind in 2014. Crafting his own instrumental projects and remixing tracks by artists ranging from Busta Rhymes to Lianne La Havas, Misch steadily garnered a dedicated [See More…]

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Juanes & Mon Laferte: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

May 23, 2018 | Felix Contreras — Colombian pop star Juanes and Chilean singer Mon Laferte recently wrapped up a sold-out tour of the United States, which (lucky for us) included a stop at the Tiny Desk. Laferte began the concert solo with the torch song “Pa’ Dónde Se Fue” (Where Did You Go?). She sang the break-up story with a smirk that belied the heartache hiding in her poignant lyrics. Then, after a short set break starring the Tiny Desk engineer Josh Rogosin, Juanes joined her to perform the duo’s sultry single, “Amárrame” (Tie Me Up). It’s rare to [See More…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Jorge Drexler: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

April 13, 2018 | Felix Contreras — Jorge Drexler is a poet with a gift for song. The Uruguayan singer-songwriter, like the iconic Latin American lyricists of the past (Mercedes Sosa, Victor Jara and Silvio Rodriguez, to name just a few), has that rare ability to surround multi-layered prose with music that lends an even deeper resonance to the words. Drexler has his share of fans here in the U.S., mostly Latin American expats and others whose grasp of the language allows them to appreciate the nuances of his storytelling. But, as if often the case with music performed in [See More…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Recording Drums At The Tiny Desk (With Josh Rogosin) 0 (0)

In honor of the fourth-ever Tiny Desk Contest, our intrepid Tiny Desk audio engineer Josh Rogosin goes deep on recording drums. The Contest closes at 11:59 p.m. ET on March 25, 2018, so get those last-minute submissions in to npr.org/tinydeskcontest! Remember: You don’t need to have fancy audio equipment to make a great entry — just be yourself, and let your music shine through. Good luck! NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concerts is a popular video series featuring live, intimate music performances by diverse artists, from major stars to up-and-coming musicians, recorded in the small workspace of Bob Boilen’s NPR office in [See More…]

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Cigarettes After Sex: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Dec. 13, 2017 | Bob Boilen — This comes close to the quietest Tiny Desk Concert we’ve ever had. The music Greg Gonzalez makes with his longtime bandmate Phillip Tubbs as Cigarettes After Sex is hushed. The common thread in these songs is minimalism, heard in both Greg’s guitar and Philip’s synth, that lay just under Greg Gonzalez’s barely audible, somewhat spoken singing. Yet, somehow, this sound that barely exists holds together because of the strong melodies in these songs. I find I sing them to myself over and over again. “K.,” the opening track to this Tiny Desk Concert [See More…]

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Tyler, The Creator: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Watch Tyler, The Creator play “Boredom”, “See You Again” and “Glitter”at the Tiny Desk. Did you know you can watch new Tiny Desk Concerts on npr.org ONE WEEK before they go up on YouTube? Click here: https://www.npr.org/tinydesk Follow NPR Music: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nprmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nprmusic Content advisory: The video above may contain language that is offensive to some. Dec. 11, 2017 | Sidney Madden — Tyler, The Creator’s Tiny Desk performance was a first for many reasons. It was the Los Angeles rapper’s first time performing at our offices, but moreover, it was the Tiny Desk’s first nighttime performance, a special [See More…]

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Tank And The Bangas: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Bob Boilen | March 10, 2017 — Out of over 6,000 entries — more submissions than we’ve ever received — Tank And The Bangas won, unanimously, this year’s Tiny Desk Contest. I fully expected their victory performance here at NPR headquarters in D.C. to be celebratory. I didn’t know we’d all end up in tears. This band combines R&B with hip-hop’s poetry and rollercoaster storytelling, with a flair and alchemy that could only come from New Orleans. Their winning song, “Quick,” mixes liquor and revenge — a sort of modern day take on a great folk tale, but peppered with [See More…]

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Bon Iver: Full Concert | NPR MUSIC FRONT ROW 0 (0)

On Dec. 4, just before Bon Iver took the stage at Pioneer Works, an old ironworks warehouse turned nonprofit arts and culture space, these prophetic words from Union Army officer Sullivan Ballou echoed off the Civil War-era brick walls: “Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.” A week after writing those lines, Ballou was mortally wounded, dying for a [See More…]