Tag: NPR

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Panteón Rococó: Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

From jazz and Tejano to norteño and ska, ‘El Tiny’ returns with a takeover from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 for Latin Music Month. Felix Contreras | October 1, 2026 Panteón Rococó has been at the forefront of Mexican ska for over three decades. With lyrics that stare down its country’s toughest sociopolitical struggles, the band’s skankin’ grooves slide easily between cumbia and Afro-Caribbean rhythms. At El Tiny, the music and the message is heard loud and clear. After “Arreglame el Alma,” lead singer Dr. Shenka greets the crowd and launches into “1993…,” a devastating testimonial about the countless desaparecidos [See More…]

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YEИDRY: Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

From jazz and Tejano to norteño and ska, ‘El Tiny’ returns with a takeover from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 for Latin Music Month. Anamaria Sayre | September 22, 2026 Born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Italy and now having lived in many other parts of the world, YEИDRY’s music sounds exactly like her experience. She effortlessly moves through bachata, jazz, merengue and ballads, building a sound that is authentically herself. YEИDRY’s entire career is born from navigation and exploration of her mixed identities. In fact, she told me that her voice didn’t quite fit until she tried singing [See More…]

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Mon Laferte: Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

From jazz and Tejano to norteño and ska, ‘El Tiny’ returns with a takeover from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 for Latin Music Month. Anamaria Sayre | September 15, 2026 Mon Laferte makes art in confrontation. In every new project, the Chilean-Mexican artist aims to contradict, expose or challenge norms; she takes the assignment of performing in an office space as no exception. “For Your Consideration” opens Laferte’s Tiny Desk with a cutting jazz number. Laced with critiques of the capitalist grind, her flank of corporate-outfitted musicians numbly nod along beside her. Song after song, she performs strength and insecurity [See More…]

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Tori Kelly: Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Ashley Pointer | September 10, 2026 When Tori Kelly pulled up to the Desk, her band already mid-rehearsal, she immediately got to work and filled our room with her commanding voice. She had arrived. And with her, she carried genuine joy and light. Backed by an all-woman band of Tiny Desk alumnae, Kelly effortlessly moves through songs from her latest album, God Must Really Love Me. The record captures Kelly in the present: reflecting on her faith journey and navigating life as a new mom. She also drops some gems for the day one’s, including brief tastes of “Nobody Love” [See More…]

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Mon Rovîa: Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Isabella Gomez Sarmiento | September 1, 2026 Mon Rovîa’s voice is like a balm: soft, clear, soothing. He uses that voice to tackle difficult, yet poignant vignettes — of battles fought internally and others observed in the world around him. Born in Liberia during the country’s civil war, Mon Rovîa was adopted by an American missionary family and spent his childhood moving around before eventually settling in Tennessee. His debut album, Bloodline, untangles that complicated lineage through ukulele- and guitar-driven folk melodies in music he describes as “Afro-Appalachian.” At the Tiny Desk, backed by his full band, Mon Rovîa glides [See More…]

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Isaiah Rashad: Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Bobby Carter | August 25, 2026 Isaiah Rashad put everything into this Tiny Desk. And in the weeks leading up to the show, we came together to define what “everything” meant for this occasion. So much has happened since The Sun’s Tirade in 2016, and through the music, Rashad wanted to talk about it all. As a result, the pride of Chattanooga crafts a performance that feels like a debut for longtime fans and newcomers alike. Rashad’s music comprises just as much blues as hip-hop, and his strength lies in raw vulnerability, which he consistently expresses through honest songwriting. Album [See More…]

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‘Weird Al’ Yankovic: Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Stephen Thompson | August 20, 2026 For “Weird Al” Yankovic — pop parodist, comedy lifer, occasional movie and TV star, and improver of countless adolescences — coming up with a fresh set of songs for the Tiny Desk was never going to be an issue. The singer and should-be Rock and Roll Hall of Famer has a massive arsenal of parodies, pastiches and originals at his disposal. And the band he’s brought to the Tiny Desk has grown from the lean, unplugged configuration that graced our stage in 2010 to a high-spirited and electrified crowd of players. Yankovic focused on [See More…]

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John Primer | KNKX Studio Session 0 (0)

John Primer is one of the last traditional blues players with a direct link to the original world of Chicago blues. He played guitar with some of the city’s best-known musicians, including Willie Dixon, Magic Slim and Muddy Waters, for whom he served as guitarist and bandleader from 1980 to 1983. Primer has been nominated for three Grammy Awards and has been inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame. He’s made 17 albums of his own and has played on hundreds more. His new album, Tribute to Theresa’s Lounge, honors the legendary Chicago blues club where he was bandleader for [See More…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Audrey Hobert: Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Elle Mannion | August 13, 2026 Audrey Hobert loves a comedic bit. In concert, she’ll stand on a tall ladder hidden by a taller trench coat. Or bounce on a mini trampoline. Or dribble basketballs. Knowing that she’s inspired by comedian (and musician) Steve Martin, this all makes more sense. But take away those tricks in a setting like the Tiny Desk, and Hobert’s catchy pop songs are just as captivating. Hobert arrived with a debut album last year, Who’s the Clown?, already with a distinct songwriting voice. The Los Angeles artist has a knack for putting words to the [See More…]

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Death Cab for Cutie: Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Robin Hilton | August 11, 2026 Death Cab for Cutie has always had a gift for making the ordinary feel breathtaking, bringing clarity to complicated feelings in plainspoken and universal ways, with a sound that is singularly its own. For this performance, the band’s second at the Tiny Desk, the members recreate that sound almost entirely on acoustic instruments, including a nearly 100-year old zither. The band opens with “Pep Talk” and “Stone Over Water” from Death Cab’s latest album, I Built You a Tower, both stirring reflections on aging and surviving regret, before turning to two older cuts: “Title [See More…]