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…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

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…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

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…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Billy Corgan: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Nov. 20, 2017 | Robin Hilton — Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan is a complicated guy. In the years since that iconic and much-beloved rock band broke up in 2000, Corgan has continued to put out music under various names and projects – including several releases as Smashing Pumpkins, with different lineups – while often stumbling through a bumpy minefield of his own making. To the head-scratching surprise of some longtime fans, he’s gotten heavily involved in pro wrestling, talked conspiracy theories during several appearances on The Alex Jones Show (warning of weaponized zombies in one interview), and, over the [See More…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Natalia Lafourcade: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Watch Natalia Lafourcade play 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 Oct. 27, 2017 | Felix Contreras — Natalia Lafourcade is a successful singer-songwriter whose voice and music live on the edge of pop, but maintain a distinct independence. A few years ago, while Lafourcade was traveling Brazil, she felt a great nostalgia for her native Mexico and its folk music. When she finally returned home, she immediately called some friends for the [See More…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Maggie Rogers: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert 0 (0)

Stephen Thompson | August 7, 2017 — Maggie Rogers became a viral star on the strength of a video in which Pharrell Williams raves about a demo of what’s become her signature song, “Alaska.” Since then, Rogers has signed a label deal, toured extensively and released a sweetly approachable, inventively arranged EP called Now That The Light Is Fading. For her Tiny Desk debut, Rogers performed all three of the EP’s best-known songs, opening with the recent singles “On + Off” and “Dog Years,” the latter of which she calls “a song for all the pups.” Then, after dismissing her [See More…]

Music NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

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…]