NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Season 2015

Not Rated

National Public Radio brings many different musicians in to play a short concert in the office.

Where to Watch Season 2015

84 Episodes

Trey Anastasio
E1
Trey AnastasioThe Phish star was in town to put on a huge show, but the songs here feel more personal than that.
Daniel Lanois
E2
Daniel LanoisThe producer presides over an all-instrumental, free-form trio with Brian Blade and Jim Wilson.
Rubblebucket
E3
RubblebucketEven without its confetti cannon, the band brings a fun mix of brass and brash to the NPR offices.
Bobby Bare Jr.
E4
Bobby Bare Jr.The Nashville singer writes with acidic wit in lines worthy of his old mentor, Shel Silverstein.
John Reilly & Friends
E5
John Reilly & FriendsReilly sings and plays guitar alongside Tom Brosseau and Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark.
Mucca Pazza
E6
Mucca PazzaWith 23 members, the performance-art marching band is the biggest ever to play the Tiny Desk.
Until The Ribbon Breaks
E7
Until The Ribbon BreaksThe band strips down its electronic sound with the aid of a spaghetti strainer and a paint bucket.
Zola Jesus
E8
Zola JesusWith her huge voice and an assist on trombone, Nika Roza Danilova offers up a curious combination.
Dan Deacon
E9
Dan DeaconThe Tiny Desk becomes a DJ booth for an office space dance party.
Phox
E10
PhoxThe Wisconsin band performs three of its warm, accessible songs in the NPR Music offices.
Aurelio
E11
AurelioAurelio weaves intricate layers of acoustic guitar to capture the feel of African and the Caribbean.
Fantastic Negrito
E12
Fantastic NegritoThe singer beat out nearly 7,000 other submissions to win NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert Contest.
Matt Haimovitz & Christopher O'Riley
E13
Matt Haimovitz & Christopher O'RileyThe duo plays visionary Beethoven, heartbreaking Janáček and Glass that unfolds like a lullaby.
Punch Brothers
E14
Punch BrothersBefore the wide-ranging band plays, the audience sings "Happy Birthday" to mandolinist Chris Thile.
Anonymous 4 With Bruce Molsky
E15
Anonymous 4 With Bruce MolskyThe a cappella quartet, with banjo and fiddle, offers popular songs from the Civil War era.
Sylvan Esso
E16
Sylvan EssoPerformed softly in the light of day, these three songs feel fresh and lovable.
Death Cab For Cutie
E17
Death Cab For CutieIn a beautifully stark performance, the band plays two songs from Kintsugi and two older favorites.
Beach Slang
E18
Beach SlangJames Snyder's euphoric punk anthems become raw and uplifting confessionals in this acoustic set.
Chadwick Stokes
E19
Chadwick StokesStokes' songs feel familiar; they're old friends before you're done hearing them for the first time.
Rosa Díaz
E20
Rosa DíazThe singer's lyrics reflect deeply felt emotions in this performance with cellist Daniel de Jesus.
Jessie Ware
E21
Jessie WareThe young English singer brings warmth to electronic music and a swooning quality to her own pop.
DakhaBrakha
E22
DakhaBrakhaThe Ukrainian acoustic quartet's music encompasses sounds and rhythms from around the world.
José González
E23
José GonzálezThis soft-spoken Swedish singer left an imprint at the Tiny Desk that was gentle and long lasting.
Diego El Cigala
E24
Diego El CigalaThe singer has been called "the Sinatra of flamenco." His expressive style draws on jazz.
Vijay Iyer Trio
E25
Vijay Iyer TrioIyer's working band transforms selections from throughout the pianist's deep and varied catalog.
Eskmo
E26
EskmoFound objects are percussion instruments in the hands of a man who's part musician, part magician.
Bellows
E27
BellowsThese are enchanting songs, with the power to drift in your head for days.
Camané
E28
CamanéA star in his native Portugal, Camané evokes melancholy with a silky baritone and elegant phrasing.
Young Fathers
E29
Young FathersIntense, hip-hop-infused poetry is reduced to just the essentials in this two-song, four-minute set.
Jason Vieaux And Yolanda Kondonassis
E30
Jason Vieaux And Yolanda KondonassisWatch the Grammy-winning guitarist and acclaimed harpist play music influenced by Africa and Asia.
Madisen Ward And The Mama Bear
E31
Madisen Ward And The Mama BearThe mother-son duo's songs are memorable and singable even days after you hear them.
Frank Fairfield
E32
Frank FairfieldA young man with an old musical soul has a spellbinding voice and fluid fiddle playing.
Genevieve
E33
GenevieveSee a singer with a powerful voice and extremely encouraging message.
Anna & Elizabeth
E34
Anna & ElizabethIf you've never thought your tastes would lean to mountain music, breathe deep and soak it all in.
The Prettiots
E35
The PrettiotsThe clever trio shares its love of everything from Law & Order to old-school girl groups.
Strand Of Oaks
E36
Strand Of OaksTimothy Showalter's music is filled with bite and sometimes regret, but also a good deal of warmth.
Hop Along
E37
Hop AlongFrances Quinlan's raspy voice whispers one moment, then lets loose a gut-punching howl the next.
Oddisee
E38
OddiseeThe charismatic Brooklyn-via-D.C.-area rapper creates just the right amount of space in his music.
And The Kids
E39
And The KidsThe trio's music is full of life, with dissonant sounds that still feel suited for singalongs.
Christopher Paul Stelling
E40
Christopher Paul StellingBest witnessed live, Stelling's music is steeped in tradition yet filled with vitality and soul.
Girlpool
E41
GirlpoolThe charming duo performs three of the simple, direct songs from Before The World Was Big.
Songhoy Blues
E42
Songhoy BluesSee a Malian band that fuses African music with Western rock.
Kate Tempest
E43
Kate TempestA celebrated English playwright and rapper deploys storytelling and poetry.
Paul Weller
E44
Paul WellerSee the beloved Britpop veteran perform songs from his new album, Saturns Pattern.
Shamir
E45
ShamirThe singer's disco-infused funk and soul gets stripped down to a lone voice with a guitar.
SOAK
E46
SOAKIrish singer-songwriter Bridie Monds-Watson makes the most of a single voice and an acoustic guitar.
Terence Blanchard Feat. The E-Collective
E47
Terence Blanchard Feat. The E-CollectiveThe New Orleans trumpeter's funky new band creates dance music to ward off despair.
Torres
E48
TorresMackenzie Scott's music channels Patti Smith and PJ Harvey while hinting at further growth.
Restorations
E49
RestorationsThe Philly rock band's big-hearted songs are stripped down to a few guitars and a MiniKorg.
Kacey Musgraves
E50
Kacey MusgravesThe country singer plays four songs from Pageant Material, plus the set-closing "Follow Your Arrow."
Son Lux
E51
Son LuxThe trio blows up its sound by adding off-duty, civilian horn players from the U.S. Marine Band.
Caroline Rose
E52
Caroline RoseRose plays music as if she's just met her new best friend: It's fresh, fun and enthusiastic.
Eskimeaux
E53
EskimeauxThere's lighthearted, almost childlike beauty in the way Gabrielle Smith puts words to song.
Mitski
E54
MitskiMitski's music is dark and even scary, but glimmers of beauty peek through.
Happyness
E55
HappynessIf you're a fan of dark, incredibly dry, wry humor, you've just found Happyness.
Leon Bridges
E56
Leon BridgesBridges is easy to love and hard to resist, with purity in his voice that's untouched by modern pop.
Sam Lee
E57
Sam LeeThe singer found his voice by finding and preserving old British, Irish and Scottish folk songs.
Watkins Family Hour
E58
Watkins Family HourWith help from Fiona Apple, two Nickel Creek alums gather a band to perform old and new songs.
Gina Chavez
E59
Gina ChavezThe Austin singer-songwriter performs with intense openness, directness and warmth.
Joan Shelley
E60
Joan ShelleyAs technology rules the day, here's a reminder that a single voice can carry deep emotion.
The Internet
E61
The InternetThe R&B band might just be the oddest thing to come from the hip-hop collective Odd Future.
Lianne La Havas
E62
Lianne La HavasThe singer is soulful yet playful, raw and vulnerable in a commanding kind of way.
Deqn Sue
E63
Deqn SueShe came so close to winning NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert Contest, we just had to see her play.
Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah
E64
Christian Scott aTunde AdjuahThe trumpeter presents his emotionally charged, jazz-hybridized "stretch music" in performance.
Andra Day
E65
Andra DayDay's songs feel candid and vulnerable, but not understated.
Oh Pep!
E66
Oh Pep!The band's clever, thoughtful music fits in everywhere from Nashville to its hometown of Melbourne.
Paolo Angeli
E67
Paolo AngeliThe Sardinian guitarist has a whole toy shop aboard his instrument.
Beauty Pill
E68
Beauty PillIn Beauty Pill, life whirs with plunderphonic glee and riffs are funky from the inside out.
The Suffers
E69
The SuffersThe 10-piece band can barely fit all its horns, guitars, percussion and energy behind one desk.
Diane Coffee
E70
Diane CoffeeConjuring David Bowie, Diane Coffee's Shaun Fleming swaggered and shimmied behind the Tiny Desk.
Chris Stapleton
E71
Chris StapletonWith his wife Morgane, the country singer-songwriter sings patient, detailed songs of devotion.
My bubba
E72
My bubbaMy bubba is a duo of women whose quirky, delicate, sweetly sung folk songs are a delight.
Aurora
E73
AuroraAt 19 and on the cusp of her first album, the Norwegian singer performs with a sense of discovery.
Rahim AlHaj
E74
Rahim AlHajThe oud player's wordless music tells powerful stories about life's blessedness and fragility.
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
E75
Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night SweatsAt the Tiny Desk, Rateliff's body-shaking Southern-style soul takes on a more laid-back sound.
The Wild Reeds
E76
The Wild ReedsGreat singers aren't easy to come by, so finding three in one band is something special.
Youth Lagoon
E77
Youth LagoonTrevor Powers' new songs are expansive and self-assured, a transition reflected in this performance.
Teddy Abrams
E78
Teddy AbramsHear a young conductor, composer and pianist play Beethoven and his own jazzy pieces.
Protomartyr
E79
ProtomartyrThe Detroit band's loud, screeching, grousing rock can be profound, poetic and bewildering.
The Oh Hellos
E80
The Oh HellosThe nine-piece band bursts with anthemic joy, even as its songs convey darkness and loneliness.
Land Lines
E81
Land LinesThe Denver band's mysteriously swirling music is singular, new and adventurous.
Shakey Graves
E82
Shakey GravesWhen the singer breaks out his guitar and suitcase drum, a rush of adrenaline hits the room.
Son Little
E83
Son LittleA modernistic bluesman with a taste for electronics appears with just his acoustic guitar.
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
E84
Sharon Jones & The Dap-KingsWatch the soul star perform "Silent Night" and two originals — one for Christmas, one for Hanukkah.