Tag: NPR

Lars Gotrich | July 2, 2025 Two guitars. Two voices. Fifteen years since the duo last stopped by the Tiny Desk, not much has changed in how they present themselves, right down to their preferred guitar tuner. This is how it’s been, with some variation, for over three decades, in the timeless music of Gillian Welch and David Rawlings. And, yet, everything changes when you listen deeper and live longer. Behind the Desk, facing each other, the ballad “Empty Trainload of Sky” achieves an auditory illusion as their guitars chug and vocal harmonies swirl surrealistic imagery across a classic American [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture. Felix Contreras | June 25, 2025 Did we really squeeze the big sound of Living Colour behind the Tiny Desk? Yes, we did. And, yet, the band lost none of its intensity at a slightly lower volume. Living Colour starts with “Cult of Personality,” the shot heard around the world, but spends the rest of the set celebrating 35 years of Time’s Up. The album planted a flag for Black rock bands inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture. Bobby Carter | June 23, 2025 Five years ago, Alex Isley gave us a Tiny Desk (home) concert to remember … and ever since, I’ve wanted to bring her into the office for a proper shoot. To preserve everything in her vocal cords, the LA native remained silent until it was time to perform, even pensive as she approached the Desk. Still, her eyes gleamed with enthusiasm for the moment that she and her fans had anticipated for years. [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture. Bobby Carter | June 20, 2025 Before he stepped behind the Tiny Desk, Beenie Man contemplated our office space. The man born Moses Anthony Davis is accustomed to performing at maximum velocity, touching every part of a big stage … and here were but a few square feet for him to move. Nevertheless, the king of dancehall brings Kingston to Washington, D.C. As an exemplar of longevity, he pauses to remind us just how long he’s been at it: [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture. Mitra I. Arthur | June 17, 2025 Once the Tiny Desk logo fades away, one of the things you’ll notice is a wall of amps. Robust sound has always been a hallmark of bassist Stanley Clarke’s musicality; he reminded our audio team not only to pay attention to what the soundboard says but also if it sounds good. Clarke’s storied career has been awash with showcases in his virtuosity on the acoustic and electric basses. He’s worked with fellow [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture. Ashley Pointer | June 13, 2025 CeCe Winans’ voice transcends genre, race and generations — something incredibly rare in the gospel and Christian music realms. Her Tiny Desk concert, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of her solo debut Alone in His Presence, is a moving journey through the many eras of her monumental career. Winans laughed when she told me, “Ashley, you had me working today!” She dusted off songs she hadn’t performed in decades to craft this moment. [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture. Bobby Carter | June 10, 2025 Wiz Khalifa’s Kush & Orange Juice came out 15 years ago. To honor the anniversary, the Pittsburgh emcee assembled a group of Tiny Desk veterans, Pennsylvania natives and his DJ to reimagine highlights from the classic mixtape, plus tracks from Kush & Orange Juice 2, its similar, yet more mature follow-up. Something was happening during the entire show and lots of us in the room could feel it. We were waiting for him [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture. Alanté Serene | June 6, 2025 When Amerie arrived at the Tiny Desk, her enthusiastic energy and bright smile was an instant mood boost. The warm entrance felt fitting for an artist whose music embodies the soul of summer: bold percussion, breezy vocals and the feeling of endless possibilities. When her sophomore album Touch dropped in 2005, it introduced a national audience to the infectious rhythms of go-go. Rooted in Washington, D.C., go-go is known for its layered percussion, [See More…]

This Black Music Month, Tiny Desk honors the anniversaries of landmark albums that have shaped the course of music and culture. Bobby Carter | June 2, 2025 Bay Area ambassador E-40 moves with the energy of an up-and-coming emcee, but he’s been around a minute. To put it 40 Water’s way: “I’ve been doing this since Kermit the Frog was a pollywog!” Our biggest hurdle to clear was packing in three decades of music at the Tiny Desk, but 40 Fonzarelli and his band clocked weeks of rehearsal to make sure this office was rockin’. E-40’s sophomore solo album In [See More…]

Felix Contreras | May 27, 2025 Based on real-life events and people, Buena Vista Social Club features many characters and lots of great Cuban music. It takes such skill to reflect music of a bygone era, even more to sound fresh and vibrant night after night for months at a time. Scaled down for the Tiny Desk, the show is no less magical. Before it was a Broadway musical racking up Tony Award nominations, the Buena Vista Social Club was a second chance. After the Cuban Revolution, many of the country’s beloved musicians were lost to time, but in 1996, [See More…]