Tag: NPR Music

Mitra I. Arthur | July 22, 2024 “I finally made it to Tiny Desk,” singer-songwriter Norah Jones excitedly declares during her performance. Her first Tiny Desk experience was a solo piano and vocal (home) concert, which reflected all the meditative, sonic hallmarks of performing in isolation. Since her juggernaut debut album, Come Away With Me, was released in 2002, she has crafted intimate songs that showcase her beguiling vocals. In the course of building her genre expansive catalog, she has racked up nine Grammy awards and collaborations with as varied a group as you can imagine, from Herbie Hancock and [See More…]

Anamaria Sayre | July 19, 2024 Puerto Rican rapper Álvaro Díaz’s fresh take on his greatest hits at the Tiny Desk brought all the sal and soul of the Isla to NPR. Opening with jazzy piano and synth riffs that evoked a sweet ocean breeze on “Todo Bien,” he quickly set the tone for the concert, throwing a shout-out to his mama, the inspiration for the track. Switching to “Chicas de la Isla,” he used smooth, electric guitar and stunning background vocals for a rendition of the first song he ever made, conveying a relaxed energy fit for a jam [See More…]

Maia Stern | July 17, 2024 Trey Anastasio is no stranger to the Tiny Desk, having performed a solo set in 2015. Bassist Mike Gordon and drummer Jon Fishman also performed for our Tiny Desk (home) concert series in 2020 with guitarist Leo Kottke. And now, finally, we get a full Phish Tiny Desk concert. The set began with “Sigma Oasis,” which included a little musical reference to the All Things Considered theme song. The band continued with “Evolve,” a track from its 16th studio album released last week. Before the band’s final song, Anastasio and Gordon warmed up their [See More…]

Anamaria Sayre | July 15, 2024 Ever the queen of self-assured experimentation, Spanish-Argentine artist Nathy Peluso brought all of her genre-bending, vocal powerhouse energy to her Tiny Desk concert. Playing with the flow of urban sounds and salsa beats, the singer showcased the most jazzy, feel-good, playful parts of her discography in the acoustic space. Hopping from up-tempo tracks like “LEGENDARIO” with leading percussion and bass, to the soulful and wildly skilled vocal performance of “ENVIDIA,” Peluso delivered a versed ode to Latin American and Spanish rhythms. Peluso is a master of the unexpected, and from first note to last [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk is giving the ladies their flowers. We’re releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women artists, from veterans who’ve paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths. Bobby Carter | June 28, 2024 We conclude 2024’s Black Music Month celebration at the Tiny Desk with the catalyst for the all-female lineup, SWV. Year after year, I’ve begged who I consider the greatest girl group ever to come play the Desk. Like the other Black women we’ve hosted this month, SWV has yet [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk is giving the ladies their flowers. We’re releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women artists, from veterans who’ve paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths. Ashley Pointer | June 26, 2024 The Tiny Desk has humbled many artists, but Flo Milli strutted into NPR HQ and behind the Desk with the unwavering confidence of an OG. While her appearance gave soft and feminine, clothed in blush pink with baby’s breath scattered throughout her hair, Milli’s lyrical prowess sliced like a [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk is giving the ladies their flowers. We’re releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women artists, from veterans who’ve paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths. Mitra I. Arthur | June 14, 2024 After a moment of praise in her set, Kierra Sheard said jokingly, “I don’t wanna make this Tiny Desk Sunday morning service.” That ability to unapologetically speak on faith in any location, even the Tiny Desk, is a hallmark of Gospel music and a strength of Sheard’s. Since [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk is giving the ladies their flowers. We’re releasing nine Tiny Desk concerts from Black women artists, from veterans who’ve paved the way for what we hear today in Black music, to those who are carving out their own paths. Bobby Carter | June 3, 2024 To hear Tems tell the audience that she was shy came as a surprise to me. As a performer, she captivates us with such ease and exudes confidence when she’s not, so to see her blushing as the crowd roared was sweet to witness. Unlike most artists who’ve performed [See More…]

Bobby Carter | May 31, 2024 The vibrancy that bounces off the screen while watching Sean Paul’s Tiny Desk concert is undeniable. Hearing his voice just a few feet away was an overwhelming experience, and I overheard a few NPR staffers in attendance who agreed. “He sounds just like the record!” they said, moving like nobody was watching. Admittedly, we don’t host enough dancehall artists at the Tiny Desk so there was an element of surprise at play. But the Jamaican superstar’s catalog boasts some of the world’s biggest party anthems; it should’ve been a no-brainer when working with that. [See More…]