NPR Tiny Desk Concerts (2008)

Episodes

1. 1 1. Trey Anastasio2015-01-05The Phish star was in town to put on a huge show, but the songs here feel more personal than that.
2. 2 2. Daniel Lanois2015-01-03The producer presides over an all-instrumental, free-form trio with Brian Blade and Jim Wilson.
3. 3 3. Rubblebucket2015-01-20Even without its confetti cannon, the band brings a fun mix of brass and brash to the NPR offices.
4. 4 4. Bobby Bare Jr.2015-01-27The Nashville singer writes with acidic wit in lines worthy of his old mentor, Shel Silverstein.
5. 5 5. John Reilly & Friends2015-02-03Reilly sings and plays guitar alongside Tom Brosseau and Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark.
6. 6 6. Mucca Pazza2015-02-10With 23 members, the performance-art marching band is the biggest ever to play the Tiny Desk.
7. 7 7. Until The Ribbon Breaks2015-02-17The band strips down its electronic sound with the aid of a spaghetti strainer and a paint bucket.
8. 8 8. Zola Jesus2015-02-23With her huge voice and an assist on trombone, Nika Roza Danilova offers up a curious combination.
9. 9 9. Dan Deacon2015-02-25The Tiny Desk becomes a DJ booth for an office space dance party.
10. 10 10. Phox2015-03-02The Wisconsin band performs three of its warm, accessible songs in the NPR Music offices.
11. 11 11. Aurelio2015-03-07Aurelio weaves intricate layers of acoustic guitar to capture the feel of African and the Caribbean.
12. 12 12. Fantastic Negrito2015-03-09The singer beat out nearly 7,000 other submissions to win NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert Contest.
13. 13 13. Matt Haimovitz & Christopher O'Riley2015-03-14The duo plays visionary Beethoven, heartbreaking Janáček and Glass that unfolds like a lullaby.
14. 14 14. Punch Brothers2015-03-16Before the wide-ranging band plays, the audience sings "Happy Birthday" to mandolinist Chris Thile.
15. 15 15. Anonymous 4 With Bruce Molsky2015-03-28The a cappella quartet, with banjo and fiddle, offers popular songs from the Civil War era.
16. 16 16. Sylvan Esso2015-03-20Performed softly in the light of day, these three songs feel fresh and lovable.
17. 17 17. Death Cab For Cutie2015-04-06In a beautifully stark performance, the band plays two songs from Kintsugi and two older favorites.
18. 18 18. Beach Slang2015-04-10James Snyder's euphoric punk anthems become raw and uplifting confessionals in this acoustic set.
19. 19 19. Chadwick Stokes2015-04-13Stokes' songs feel familiar; they're old friends before you're done hearing them for the first time.
20. 20 20. Rosa Díaz2015-04-17The singer's lyrics reflect deeply felt emotions in this performance with cellist Daniel de Jesus.
21. 21 21. Jessie Ware2015-04-20The young English singer brings warmth to electronic music and a swooning quality to her own pop.
22. 22 22. DakhaBrakha2015-04-25The Ukrainian acoustic quartet's music encompasses sounds and rhythms from around the world.
23. 23 23. José González2015-04-29This soft-spoken Swedish singer left an imprint at the Tiny Desk that was gentle and long lasting.
24. 24 24. Diego El Cigala2015-05-01The singer has been called "the Sinatra of flamenco." His expressive style draws on jazz.
25. 25 25. Vijay Iyer Trio2015-05-04Iyer's working band transforms selections from throughout the pianist's deep and varied catalog.
26. 26 26. Eskmo2015-05-08Found objects are percussion instruments in the hands of a man who's part musician, part magician.
27. 27 27. Bellows2015-05-11These are enchanting songs, with the power to drift in your head for days.
28. 28 28. Camané2015-05-15A star in his native Portugal, Camané evokes melancholy with a silky baritone and elegant phrasing.
29. 29 29. Young Fathers2015-05-19Intense, hip-hop-infused poetry is reduced to just the essentials in this two-song, four-minute set.
30. 30 30. Jason Vieaux And Yolanda Kondonassis2015-05-22Watch the Grammy-winning guitarist and acclaimed harpist play music influenced by Africa and Asia.
31. 31 31. Madisen Ward And The Mama Bear2015-05-26The mother-son duo's songs are memorable and singable even days after you hear them.
32. 32 32. Frank Fairfield2015-05-29A young man with an old musical soul has a spellbinding voice and fluid fiddle playing.
33. 33 33. Genevieve2015-06-01See a singer with a powerful voice and extremely encouraging message.
34. 34 34. Anna & Elizabeth2015-06-08If you've never thought your tastes would lean to mountain music, breathe deep and soak it all in.
35. 35 35. The Prettiots2015-06-15The clever trio shares its love of everything from Law & Order to old-school girl groups.
36. 36 36. Strand Of Oaks2015-06-19Timothy Showalter's music is filled with bite and sometimes regret, but also a good deal of warmth.
37. 37 37. Hop Along2015-06-22Frances Quinlan's raspy voice whispers one moment, then lets loose a gut-punching howl the next.
38. 38 38. Oddisee2015-06-26The charismatic Brooklyn-via-D.C.-area rapper creates just the right amount of space in his music.
39. 39 39. And The Kids2015-06-30The trio's music is full of life, with dissonant sounds that still feel suited for singalongs.
40. 40 40. Christopher Paul Stelling2015-07-06Best witnessed live, Stelling's music is steeped in tradition yet filled with vitality and soul.
41. 41 41. Girlpool2015-07-10The charming duo performs three of the simple, direct songs from Before The World Was Big.
42. 42 42. Songhoy Blues2015-07-17See a Malian band that fuses African music with Western rock.
43. 43 43. Kate Tempest2015-07-21A celebrated English playwright and rapper deploys storytelling and poetry.
44. 44 44. Paul Weller2015-07-28See the beloved Britpop veteran perform songs from his new album, Saturns Pattern.
45. 45 45. Shamir2015-07-31The singer's disco-infused funk and soul gets stripped down to a lone voice with a guitar.
46. 46 46. SOAK2015-08-03Irish singer-songwriter Bridie Monds-Watson makes the most of a single voice and an acoustic guitar.
47. 47 47. Terence Blanchard Feat. The E-Collective2015-08-05The New Orleans trumpeter's funky new band creates dance music to ward off despair.
48. 48 48. Torres2015-08-10Mackenzie Scott's music channels Patti Smith and PJ Harvey while hinting at further growth.
49. 49 49. Restorations2015-08-14The Philly rock band's big-hearted songs are stripped down to a few guitars and a MiniKorg.
50. 50 50. Kacey Musgraves2015-08-17The country singer plays four songs from Pageant Material, plus the set-closing "Follow Your Arrow."
51. 51 51. Son Lux2015-08-21The trio blows up its sound by adding off-duty, civilian horn players from the U.S. Marine Band.
52. 52 52. Caroline Rose2015-08-24Rose plays music as if she's just met her new best friend: It's fresh, fun and enthusiastic.
53. 53 53. Eskimeaux2015-08-28There's lighthearted, almost childlike beauty in the way Gabrielle Smith puts words to song.
54. 54 54. Mitski2015-08-31Mitski's music is dark and even scary, but glimmers of beauty peek through.
55. 55 55. Happyness2015-09-04If you're a fan of dark, incredibly dry, wry humor, you've just found Happyness.
56. 56 56. Leon Bridges2015-09-08Bridges is easy to love and hard to resist, with purity in his voice that's untouched by modern pop.
57. 57 57. Sam Lee2015-09-11The singer found his voice by finding and preserving old British, Irish and Scottish folk songs.
58. 58 58. Watkins Family Hour2015-09-18With help from Fiona Apple, two Nickel Creek alums gather a band to perform old and new songs.
59. 59 59. Gina Chavez2015-09-22The Austin singer-songwriter performs with intense openness, directness and warmth.
60. 60 60. Joan Shelley2015-09-25As technology rules the day, here's a reminder that a single voice can carry deep emotion.
61. 61 61. The Internet2015-09-29The R&B band might just be the oddest thing to come from the hip-hop collective Odd Future.
62. 62 62. Lianne La Havas2015-10-02The singer is soulful yet playful, raw and vulnerable in a commanding kind of way.
63. 63 63. Deqn Sue2015-10-05She came so close to winning NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert Contest, we just had to see her play.
64. 64 64. Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah2015-10-09The trumpeter presents his emotionally charged, jazz-hybridized "stretch music" in performance.
65. 65 65. Andra Day2015-10-13Day's songs feel candid and vulnerable, but not understated.
66. 66 66. Oh Pep!2015-10-16The band's clever, thoughtful music fits in everywhere from Nashville to its hometown of Melbourne.
67. 67 67. Paolo Angeli2015-10-19The Sardinian guitarist has a whole toy shop aboard his instrument.
68. 68 68. Beauty Pill2015-10-23In Beauty Pill, life whirs with plunderphonic glee and riffs are funky from the inside out.
69. 69 69. The Suffers2015-10-27The 10-piece band can barely fit all its horns, guitars, percussion and energy behind one desk.
70. 70 70. Diane Coffee2015-11-02Conjuring David Bowie, Diane Coffee's Shaun Fleming swaggered and shimmied behind the Tiny Desk.
71. 71 71. Chris Stapleton2015-11-05 · 15mWith his wife Morgane, the country singer-songwriter sings patient, detailed songs of devotion.
72. 72 72. My bubba2015-11-06My bubba is a duo of women whose quirky, delicate, sweetly sung folk songs are a delight.
73. 73 73. Aurora2015-11-09At 19 and on the cusp of her first album, the Norwegian singer performs with a sense of discovery.
74. 74 74. Rahim AlHaj2015-11-13The oud player's wordless music tells powerful stories about life's blessedness and fragility.
75. 75 75. Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats2015-11-17At the Tiny Desk, Rateliff's body-shaking Southern-style soul takes on a more laid-back sound.
76. 76 76. The Wild Reeds2015-11-20Great singers aren't easy to come by, so finding three in one band is something special.
77. 77 77. Youth Lagoon2015-11-23Trevor Powers' new songs are expansive and self-assured, a transition reflected in this performance.
78. 78 78. Teddy Abrams2015-11-30Hear a young conductor, composer and pianist play Beethoven and his own jazzy pieces.
79. 79 79. Protomartyr2015-12-04The Detroit band's loud, screeching, grousing rock can be profound, poetic and bewildering.
80. 80 80. The Oh Hellos2015-12-08The nine-piece band bursts with anthemic joy, even as its songs convey darkness and loneliness.
81. 81 81. Land Lines2015-12-11The Denver band's mysteriously swirling music is singular, new and adventurous.
82. 82 82. Shakey Graves2015-12-14When the singer breaks out his guitar and suitcase drum, a rush of adrenaline hits the room.
83. 83 83. Son Little2015-12-18A modernistic bluesman with a taste for electronics appears with just his acoustic guitar.
84. 84 84. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings2015-12-21Watch the soul star perform "Silent Night" and two originals — one for Christmas, one for Hanukkah.