NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Season 2018

Not Rated
National Public Radio brings many different musicians in to play a short concert in the office.

Where to Watch NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts • Season 2018

128 Episodes

  • Open Mike Eagle
    E1
    Open Mike EagleThe indie rap denizen behind one of 2017's most inventive albums came to the nation's capital to represent all the Brick Body Kids who Still Daydream.
  • Lo Moon
    E2
    Lo MoonThe LA band's signature sound is intimate and demonstrative, haunting yet uplifting, an old-fashioned rock beat under glimmering guitar and keys. And at the Tiny Desk, it was at ease.
  • The Weather Station
    E3
    The Weather StationOne of the joys of listening to The Weather station is the tension and release in the group's enchanting music. It's what made the band's most recent album one of Bob Boilen's favorite of 2017.
  • Julien Baker
    E4
    Julien BakerJulien Baker's Turn Out The Lights brought her much-deserved critical acclaim and wider attention in 2017. Before its release we asked her to make a rare return to the Tiny Desk for something special.
  • Daniil Trifonov
    E5
    Daniil TrifonovWatch the young Russian musician, who The Times of London calls “the most astounding pianist of our age,” play a smart, Chopin-focused concert on a grand piano, precisely wedged behind the Tiny Desk.
  • Artists From The 'Take Me To The River' Tour
    E6
    Artists From The 'Take Me To The River' TourMore than a dozen artists gather behind the Tiny Desk to celebrate Memphis soul in a joyful, triumphant performance.
  • AHI
    E7
    AHIThe Ontario-based singer has a gruff but sweet voice with openly honest words behind soulful tunes of hope.
  • The Lemon Twigs
    E8
    The Lemon TwigsBrothers Brian and Michael D'Addario seem like they beamed into the Tiny Desk from the year 1971, untouched by the 21st century.
  • Amadou and Mariam
    E9
    Amadou and MariamThe Malian musicians, who've been playing together for nearly 40 years, bring some of the most lyrical melodies and joyful sounds we've ever had at the Tiny Desk.
  • St. Vincent
    E10
    St. VincentThe singer performed at the Tiny Desk without a warmup or soundcheck, with just her acoustic guitar and un-amplified voice, letting the wordplay in her songs shine through.
  • George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars
    E11
    George Clinton & The P-Funk All StarsGeorge Clinton brought his family, both immediate and extended, to the Tiny Desk for a set of classic cosmic slop.
  • Barbara Hannigan
    E12
    Barbara HanniganEavesdrop on a beautiful recital of German songs from fin de siècle Vienna, when music was transitioning from the swells of romanticism to the uncharted waters of modernism.
  • Jamila Woods
    E13
    Jamila WoodsIn three songs celebrating black ancestry and self-love, Woods demonstrated just how adept she is at creating songs rich with philosophical meaning that also move and groove.
  • Alice Smith
    E14
    Alice SmithThe beloved singer-songwriter premiered three new songs while turning NPR's headquarters into a Harlem speakeasy.
  • Vicente García
    E15
    Vicente GarcíaThis under-the-radar singer from the Dominican Republic is starting to turn some heads. You'll see why in this Tiny Desk performance.
  • Hurray For The Riff Raff
    E16
    Hurray For The Riff RaffThe music of Hurray For The Riff Raff builds bridges, unites people and forms communities. It's a spirit singer Alynda Segarra and the rest of the band bring to this memorable Tiny Desk performance.
  • Ibeyi
    E17
    IbeyiLisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz never fail to mesmerize. Watch the twin sisters perform a four-song set at the Tiny Desk.
  • The Crossrhodes
    E18
    The CrossrhodesThe Crossrhodes showed up to the Tiny Desk with game faces on, bringing with it a locally cultivated, globally appreciated energy.
  • Marlon Williams
    E19
    Marlon WilliamsMarlon Williams has a heart-stopping voice, is in love with a good, traditional blues or country tune, and writes songs about vampires and horror films.
  • Nick Hakim
    E20
    Nick HakimThe music of Nick Hakim occupies a space and time that feels out of this world, with songs that explore the quietude of inner thoughts.
  • Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo
    E21
    Betsayda Machado y Parranda El ClavoThe Afro-Venezuelan collective brings the boisterous parranda sound to the Tiny Desk.
  • Big Daddy Kane
    E22
    Big Daddy KaneOne of the greatest to ever bless the mic treated the Tiny Desk audience to an office block party.
  • August Greene (Common, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins)
    E23
    August Greene (Common, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins)August Greene, Common's new trio with Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins, brought some special guest vocalists to the Tiny Desk.
  • Vagabon
    E24
    VagabonLaetitia Tamko, the artist known as Vagabon, is a 25-year-old, Cameroon-born musician with a big, tenor voice just bursting with new musical ideas.
  • Lee Ann Womack
    E25
    Lee Ann WomackThe Nashville star brought some good old country music stories to the Tiny Desk.
  • Roy Ayers
    E26
    Roy AyersWatch the 77-year-old jazz-funk icon perform “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” (and more) at the Tiny Desk.
  • Anna Meredith
    E27
    Anna MeredithOut of nearly 700 performances at the Tiny Desk over the past decade, this one by British composer Anna Meredith is one of the most exhilarating.
  • Big K.R.I.T.
    E28
    Big K.R.I.T.The Mississippi rapper paid homage to his grandmother and performed songs from his new album 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time.
  • Alex Clare
    E29
    Alex ClareClare's songs ask listeners to probe their own emotions through the lens of life’s bigger pictures. His visit to Bob Boilen’s desk is the perfect setting to bask in the power of his voice.
  • Kuinka
    E30
    KuinkaEach year we get thousands of submissions for our annual Tiny Desk contest. Seattle's Kuinka was one of last year's entrants. While they didn't win, we loved them so much we invited them to come play.
  • John Prine
    E31
    John PrineFor more than 45 years, the legendary John Prine has written some of the most powerful lyrics in the American music canon. He brings some of his best to this unforgettable Tiny Desk performance.
  • Raul Midón
    E32
    Raul MidónRaul Midón brought nothing but a guitar and his voice to an extended Tiny Desk set of dense, breathtaking jazz and soul textures.
  • Cornelius
    E33
    CorneliusCornelius' Keigo Oyamada deconstructs and reassembles music like it's a neon cubist-pop sculpture. On a rare U.S. tour, the Japanese band brought its complex cool to the Tiny Desk.
  • Väsen
    E34
    VäsenThe Swedish trio brought a 30-string sonic blast to the Tiny Desk, performing on 12-string guitar, viola and the nyckelharpa (a fiddle with keys — think 15th century keytar).
  • Jenny And The Mexicats
    E35
    Jenny And The MexicatsSometimes frenetic, sometimes slow and luxurious, the grooves the band creates are the perfect cushion for Jenny Ball's impassioned singing and engaging stage presence.
  • I'm With Her
    E36
    I'm With HerAoife O'Donovan, Sarah Jarosz and Sara Watkins are bound by a love for bluegrass, chamber music, jazz, storytelling and singing.
  • Masta Ace
    E37
    Masta AceThe Juice Crew legend brought his biggest hit, "Born To Roll," and a heartfelt recollection of his personal journey to the Tiny Desk.
  • Robin Olson
    E38
    Robin OlsonHear the elusive avant-garde pianist debut a new piece, etched in shimmering chords and dark, lamenting octaves.
  • Dee Dee Bridgewater
    E39
    Dee Dee BridgewaterBridgewater connects with her roots, her birthplace and the town she's loved all her life, with a set of songs from Memphis.
  • Dan Auerbach
    E40
    Dan AuerbachThe guitarist and singer for The Black Keys and The Arcs brings his Easy Eye Sound Revue to the Tiny Desk, recalling a time and sound from the '60s when southern R&B, including Nashville, was a force.
  • Rhye
    E41
    RhyeSee the band perform a rare evening Tiny Desk concert, illuminated by flickering lights
  • Lara Bello
    E42
    Lara BelloFlamenco, jazz and classical share the stage in this Tiny Desk from one of our favorite Spanish composers.
  • Tyler Childers
    E43
    Tyler ChildersTyler Childers writes songs about hard lives and hard love with direct heart and a soulful Kentucky drawl.
  • Jorge Drexler
    E44
    Jorge DrexlerThe Uruguayan singer-songwriter is one of the finest lyricists operating today. Watch his stunning performance behind the Tiny Desk.
  • The Breeders
    E45
    The BreedersThe Breeders' dreamy scuzz sounds wiser and more frazzled at the Tiny Desk, featuring the same lineup behind the band's breakout, 1993 album Last Splash.
  • O.C.
    E46
    O.C.The veteran Brooklyn rapper was an underground star during hip-hop's golden era. At the Tiny Desk, O.C. made it clear that he hasn't lost his edge.
  • John Moreland
    E47
    John MorelandWhen you hear John Moreland's sweet voice, it's hard to believe he spent years singing in punk, metal-core and hardcore bands. He plays acoustic guitar now, but his songs are still full of passion.
  • Logan Richardson
    E48
    Logan RichardsonHear a triumphant fusion of jazz, rock and blues that moves with momentum and fresh anticipation. Logan Richardson plays with a lyrical intensity that is both focused and free.
  • Superorganism
    E49
    SuperorganismThe multinational band of theatrically fun and talented musicians in Superorganism mix melody and mischievous with almost Seussian folly.
  • ÌFÉ
    E50
    ÌFÉÌFÉ isn't playing anything new. In fact, the band takes on something quite old: ritual Afro-Caribbean music that takes a lifetime to absorb and master.
  • Bedouine
    E51
    BedouineBedouine is Azniv Korkejian, a singer and guitarist who echoes sounds from the 1960's North American folk songwriters, but with vocal inflections closer to Leonard Cohen than to Joni Mitchell.
  • GZA & The Soul Rebels
    E52
    GZA & The Soul RebelsMost rap fans would name RZA as the head of the Wu-Tang Clan. But Wu purists know that GZA, or The Genius, is the crew's unspoken elder statesman.
  • Darlingside
    E53
    DarlingsideEven if the world came to an end, there's still beauty and hope in all of us and in song. That about sums up the wistful mystery that is the music of Darlingside.
  • Gordi
    E54
    GordiIn three songs from Reservoir, Gordi keeps her voice both unadorned and centered within warm, cool arrangements that include piano, guitar, pedal steel, a harmonium named Barbara, and more.
  • Bela Fleck And Abigail Washburn
    E55
    Bela Fleck And Abigail WashburnBela Fleck and Abigail Washburn are two American musical treasures. This husband-and-wife banjo duo write original tunes steeped in the roots of folk music.
  • Naia Izumi
    E56
    Naia IzumiThe winner of this year's Tiny Desk Contest makes his official debut behind the desk.
  • Khruangbin
    E57
    KhruangbinThis trio from Houston, Texas makes trance-inducing music heavily inspired by 1960s and '70s funk and soul from, of all places, Thailand.
  • Partner
    E58
    PartnerThe dream of the '90s is alive in this Canadian rock band.
  • The Band's Visit
    E59
    The Band's VisitTony Shalhoub, Katrina Lenk and the cast of the Tony-nominated play The Band's Visit marked the first Broadway performance at the Tiny Desk.
  • Juanes & Mon Laferte
    E60
    Juanes & Mon LaferteThe Colombian pop star and Chilean rising star brought their duet tour to the Tiny Desk.
  • Ill Camille
    E61
    Ill CamilleThe Los Angeles rapper and Kendrick Lamar collaborator performed four songs from her excellent album, Heirloom.
  • Third Coast Percussion
    E62
    Third Coast PercussionWatch the Chicago-based ensemble conjure otherworldly sounds from steel pipes, tuned cowbells and a bowl that sings.
  • Trouble Funk
    E63
    Trouble FunkWe squeezed 12 go-go musicians behind the Tiny Desk. Watch what ensued.
  • Tom Misch
    E64
    Tom MischThis 22-year-old Brit has soul for days.
  • Daniel Caesar
    E65
    Daniel CaesarWatch the R&B star-in-the-making perform three songs, including a guest appearance by H.E.R.
  • Grace VanderWaal
    E66
    Grace VanderWaalThe 14-year-old singer who signed to Columbia after winning America's Got Talent, dazzles the Tiny Desk with her breathtaking voice.
  • MILCK
    E67
    MILCKThe one-woman riot who made headlines during the inaugural Women's March On Washington visits the Tiny Desk.
  • Jorja Smith
    E68
    Jorja SmithWatch the rising U.K. star perform intimate renditions of "Blue Lights," "On My Mind" and "Teenage Fantasy" with a full band.
  • GoldLink
    E69
    GoldLinkThe D.C. rapper brought quite the crew to his Tiny Desk performance.
  • Yissy García & Bandancha
    E70
    Yissy García & BandanchaCome for one of Havana's most talented acts. Stay for García's incredible mohawk.
  • Khalid
    E71
    KhalidWatch the 20-year-old star perform acoustic versions of "Location," "Saved" and "Young Dumb & Broke."
  • The Messthetics
    E72
    The MesstheticsThe bassist and drummer from D.C.'s pioneering punk band Fugazi join guitarist Anthony Pirog for a set of thrilling, sometimes loud and frenetic instrumentals.
  • From The Top
    E73
    From The TopA handful of teenagers, and a 12-year-old violinist, from the radio show From the Top, give sparkling performances, proving there's a bright future for classical music.
  • Rakim
    E74
    RakimWatch the New York rap icon perform "Paid In Full" and "Know The Ledge," as well as a new song for Marvel's Luke Cage, at the Tiny Desk.
  • Dave Matthews
    E75
    Dave MatthewsThe star sheds his band for a warm, winning, utterly game, happily overstuffed five-song performance of songs from across his long career.
  • Golden Dawn Arkestra
    E76
    Golden Dawn ArkestraJoin the "Children of the Sun" - or sit back and enjoy the spectacle - in this Tiny Desk experience.
  • PJ Morton
    E77
    PJ MortonNew Orleans' native son brought his musical Gumbo — and a 10-piece orchestra — to the Tiny Desk for some well-seasoned soul and a lesson in creative freedom.
  • Frédéric Yonnet With Special Guest Dave Chappelle
    E78
    Frédéric Yonnet With Special Guest Dave ChappelleYonnet is a magician on the harmonica. You'll see why he's performed with Stevie Wonder, Prince and Ed Sheeran.
  • Rev. Sekou And The Seal Breakers
    E79
    Rev. Sekou And The Seal BreakersRev. Sekou and the Seal Breakers gave one of the most rousing Tiny Desks we've ever had, opening with one question: "Do you want to get free?"
  • Mumu Fresh Feat. Black Thought & DJ Dummy
    E80
    Mumu Fresh Feat. Black Thought & DJ DummyOccasionally a new voice emerges so rich in experience that the only way to describe it is old soul.
  • The Midnight Hour
    E81
    The Midnight HourA Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad and composer Adrian Younge brought their Luke Cage-inspired collaboration to the Tiny Desk.
  • Ólafur Arnalds
    E82
    Ólafur ArnaldsThe Icelandic composer is joined by two "ghost" pianists, making mysterious and memorable music at the Tiny Desk.
  • The King's Singers
    E83
    The King's SingersThe storied vocal ensemble brings close harmony singing to a diverse set list that includes a Beatles tune and a bawdy madrigal from the 1500s.
  • Lalah Hathaway
    E84
    Lalah HathawayThe veteran singer showcases her soaring powerfully expressive voice in a performance that bridges several generations of classic soul.
  • Flasher
    E85
    FlasherThe precise serrations of Washington, D.C. band Flasher get softened for a visit to the Tiny Desk — their vocals, normally side-by-side rushing electric instruments, get the center stage treatment.
  • The Del McCoury Band
    E86
    The Del McCoury BandDel McCoury has been performing, and updating, his take on bluegrass for some 60 years. At the Tiny Desk, he brought three traveling songs and some good yarns to share from his ample time on the road.
  • Haley Heynderickx
    E87
    Haley HeynderickxOne of our favorite new artists of 2018 visits the Tiny Desk.
  • Mac Miller
    E88
    Mac MillerMac Miller reflects on his journey's peaks and valleys in a boisterous set of songs from Swimming, featuring special guest Thundercat on "What's the Use?"
  • DAWN
    E89
    DAWNDAWN has a breathless enthusiasm for shape-shifting pop music. She strips three songs to just the essentials, illuminating the impeccable songwriting behind her wild combination of sounds.
  • Tower Of Power
    E90
    Tower Of PowerEven from its beginnings in late-'60s Oakland, the band has always stood out. Fifty years later, its devotion to classic horn-driven soul remains unmatched, its passion and precision unchanged.
  • Erykah Badu
    E91
    Erykah BaduThe singer's performance at the Tiny Desk was an almost spiritual experience, leaving many at the NPR Music offices in awe.
  • Yo-Yo Ma
    E92
    Yo-Yo MaWatch the 19-time Grammy winner return to his lifelong passion for J.S. Bach, playing music from the Cello Suites and offering advice on the art of incremental learning.
  • Camp Cope
    E93
    Camp CopeThe Australian band uses tiny moments of introspection to illuminate life's bewildering, terrifying, isolating aspects — especially as they apply to women.
  • Dermot Kennedy
    E94
    Dermot KennedyBacked for the first time ever by members of the Howard Gospel Choir, the Irish singer-songwriter shows off a voice built to fill stadiums in more ways than one.
  • T.I.
    E95
    T.I.In the fifteen years since he released Trap Muzik, Tip Harris has reinvented himself a thousand times over. But the stories he recounts from that era make his Tiny Desk a memorable one.
  • Tech N9ne Feat. Krizz Kaliko
    E96
    Tech N9ne Feat. Krizz KalikoTwo of Kansas City's finest — and indie hip-hop's trailblazers — deliver a dose of Strange Music.
  • George Li
    E97
    George LiWatch the young Harvard grad dispatch some of the most "knuckle-busting" piano repertoire with uncommon panache and precision.
  • Kalbells
    E98
    KalbellsThe band makes life-affirming music that singer Kalmia Traver created over the past few years, filled with the triumph of being cancer free.
  • Jupiter & Okwess
    E99
    Jupiter & OkwessJupiter Bokondji and his band Okwess play music that feels both African and American, with Jupiter's early musical tastes inspired by The Jackson 5, James Brown and the sounds of Motown.
  • Hobo Johnson
    E100
    Hobo JohnsonWhile this Sacramento, Calif. band didn't win this year's Tiny Desk contest, their video entry, for the song "Peach Scones," was among the more memorable we've ever seen.
  • GoGo Penguin
    E101
    GoGo PenguinThis trio has become a reference point of their own for new school instrumentalists, a coveted achievement for any jazz group, though their appeal stretches far outside the jazz ecosystem.
  • Smif-N-Wessun
    E102
    Smif-N-WessunBrooklyn-bred hip-hop duo Smif-N-Wessun – consisting of partners in rhyme, Steele and Tek – illuminated the Tiny Desk with their signature, 80-proof poetry: straight, no chaser.
  • Julie Byrne
    E103
    Julie ByrneJulie Byrne's transporting music can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
  • Anthony Roth Costanzo
    E104
    Anthony Roth CostanzoWatch the ambitious countertenor sing music that spans more than 250 years, connecting the dots between David Byrne, George Frideric Handel and Philip Glass.
  • Cécile McLorin Salvant
    E105
    Cécile McLorin SalvantThe jazz singer, who used to be into radical feminist punk, now composes and sings beautiful jazz ballads.
  • Saba
    E106
    SabaBefore embarking on a tour of Australia and Asia, the Chicago native brought the squad that helped make Care For Me one of 2018's best — along with a very special guest.
  • Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles
    E107
    Cory Henry & The Funk ApostlesHenry and his band would have sounded right at home on Stax Records in the '70s — no small accomplishment. Watch them perform three funky, soulful jams.
  • Big Boi
    E108
    Big BoiThe OutKast star performs "So Fresh, So Clean," "The Way You Move" and his solo single "All Night" with the help of singer Sleepy Brown and an eight-member backing band.
  • Café Tacvba
    E109
    Café TacvbaThe pioneering Mexican band recreates the adventurous musical energy of their massive stadium shows behind Bob Boilen's desk.
  • Florence + the Machine
    E110
    Florence + the Machine"I'm sorry I'm shy," Florence Welch told the crowd of NPR family and friends gathered for her Tiny Desk performance. "If this was a big gig, I'd probably be climbing all over here and running around."
  • Alfredo Rodríguez
    E111
    Alfredo RodríguezThe Cuban pianist thrilled the NPR office with an intense performance that was as melodic as it was rhythmic.
  • Chromeo
    E112
    ChromeoThe self-proclaimed "Funklordz" normally perform as a duo, but played with a live band for the first time at the Tiny Desk.
  • Cautious Clay
    E113
    Cautious ClayThe charismatic singer and saxophonist brought a group of longtime friends to play a warm, thoughtful and chill set at the Tiny Desk.
  • Jim James
    E114
    Jim JamesA single voice can send a powerful message - and that's just what Jim James did at the Tiny Desk, with just his voice and an acoustic guitar.
  • Liniker e os Caramelows
    E115
    Liniker e os CaramelowsLiniker e os Caramelows are from Brazil but steeped in the tradition of soul from here in the U.S. Watching this performance is to witness a spell being cast, note-by-note.
  • Nicholas Payton Trio
    E116
    Nicholas Payton TrioAfter back-to-back performances in South Africa, Argentina, Chile and New York, Payton hit the Tiny Desk, where he dazzled the audience, simultaneously playing his trumpet and a Fender Rhodes.
  • Pedro The Lion
    E117
    Pedro The LionNo matter how dark or disastrous, there's always been an undercurrent of grace to the music of David Bazan. He returns to his Pedro the Lion moniker for this memorable Tiny Desk performance.
  • Half Waif
    E118
    Half WaifThe band's songs, stripped here to their essence, are particularly peaceful and calm — and sometimes chilling.
  • Bernie And The Believers Feat. Essence
    E119
    Bernie And The Believers Feat. EssenceThe story of Bernie and the Believers is the story of Bernie Dalton's diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease and compassionate friends making his dream come true and his songs come to life.
  • Boygenius
    E120
    BoygeniusJulien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers are all Tiny Desk alumae, but here they play together at NPR for the first time as boygenius, one of this year's best surprises.
  • dvsn
    E121
    dvsnThe Toronto-based R&B duo bathed the Tiny Desk in vibrant blue, purple and orange light to make it feel more like a concert hall.
  • The Innocence Mission
    E122
    The Innocence MissionThe Innocence Mission, ever the most careful cultivators of quiet, encouraged us to come closer, to discover the "thing beautiful enough" in the moment it's delivered.
  • Joey Alexander
    E123
    Joey AlexanderNo one in the NPR offices could have imagined how remarkable this 15-year old pianist would be at the Tiny Desk.
  • Dirty Projectors
    E124
    Dirty ProjectorsThe band takes its quirks of production, rhythm and rhyme and brilliantly arranges them to work behind the Tiny Desk.
  • Wu-Tang Clan
    E125
    Wu-Tang ClanThe Clan celebrates its 25th anniversary with an old-school cipher at the Tiny Desk.
  • H.E.R.
    E126
    H.E.R.The singer stuns in her second appearance at the Tiny Desk, showcasing not only her vocal mastery, but her skills as a captivating multi-instrumentalist.
  • Harold López-Nussa Trio
    E127
    Harold López-Nussa TrioCuban pianist Harold López-Nussa, along with his brother Ruy on drums and bassist Gaston Joya, deliver a set of danceable jazz explorations rooted in Afro-Cuban musical traditions to the Tiny Desk.
  • Amy Grant
    E128
    Amy GrantAmy Grant maps her fabulous, four-decade career with some of her coziest and heartfelt Christmas songs, not to mention a delightful version of "Jingle Bells."

 

  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   
  •   

Take Plex everywhere

Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.
See the full list of supported devices