NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts

Season 2012

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 2012

77 Episodes

  • Tinariwen
    E1
    TinariwenEven in a stripped-down acoustic set, Tinariwen's trance-inducing desert music doesn't disappoint.
  • Le Butcherettes
    E2
    Le ButcherettesWatch singer Teri Gender Bender transform from a soft-spoken musician into a rock 'n' roll beast.
  • Screaming Females
    E3
    Screaming FemalesThe band's keen sense of song prevails, especially in a new song called "It All Means Nothing."
  • Jake Schepps' Expedition Quartet
    E4
    Jake Schepps' Expedition QuartetBanjo master Schepps and friends create an intriguing goulash of Bartók, bluegrass and bebop.
  • Glenn Jones
    E5
    Glenn JonesWatch the masterful folk guitarist perform a lovely instrumental set at the NPR Music offices.
  • Anna Calvi
    E6
    Anna CalviCalvi plays songs from her self-titled debut in this powerful performance at the NPR Music offices.
  • Girl In A Coma
    E7
    Girl In A ComaThe San Antonio trio gets back to basics to explore its songs' forms and the soul of its lyrics.
  • Bill Frisell
    E8
    Bill FrisellThe brilliant and nimble guitarist reinvents the songs of John Lennon at the NPR Music offices.
  • The Creole Choir Of Cuba
    E9
    The Creole Choir Of CubaThe group has revitalized a long-lost culture through music performed entirely in Haitian Creole.
  • Craig Finn
    E10
    Craig FinnThe Hold Steady singer's stark side is nicely conducive to barren arrangements at the NPR offices.
  • Red Baraat
    E11
    Red BaraatThe dance-friendly, India-inspired funk group performs a high-energy set at the NPR Music offices.
  • Joan Soriano
    E12
    Joan Soriano"The Duke of Bachata" gives a raw but beautiful interpretation of bachata at the NPR Music offices.
  • Joyce El Khoury And Brian Jagde
    E13
    Joyce El Khoury And Brian JagdeHear the fresh-faced opera singers perform Puccini at the NPR Music offices.
  • The Cranberries
    E14
    The CranberriesIn this performance at the NPR Music offices, the Irish pop band mixes new songs with early hits.
  • Milagres
    E15
    MilagresA band of selective minimalism, Milagres gets the most of simple sounds at the NPR Music offices.
  • Pistolera
    E16
    PistoleraThrough her insightful lyrics, Sandra Velasquez conjures the sounds of the Mexican desert.
  • Laura Gibson
    E17
    Laura GibsonHer gorgeous, whispery voice inspired the Tiny Desk Concerts series in 2008. Now, Laura Gibson returns with her band to perform four songs from her new album, La Grande.
  • Rudresh Mahanthappa
    E18
    Rudresh MahanthappaThe saxophonist's new repertoire salutes electric funk, South Indian modes and swarming solos.
  • Real Estate
    E19
    Real EstateReal Estate wears placidity well: It's a band born and bred to convey and celebrate laconic comfort.
  • Kayhan Kalhor
    E20
    Kayhan KalhorA soulful master musician from Iran, Kalhor performs a beautiful improvisation at the NPR offices.
  • First Aid Kit
    E21
    First Aid KitSisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg make charming, folk-infused pop music that lulls and enchants.
  • So Percussion
    E22
    So PercussionThe ensemble employs all kinds of toys, from an amplified cactus to a mug filled with spare change.
  • Kathleen Edwards
    E23
    Kathleen EdwardsThe Canadian singer performs four sweet, warm, relatable songs that soothe as they nourish.
  • Caveman
    E24
    CavemanCaveman writes guitar-based pop songs full of space and melodies you can carry around in your head.
  • Novalima
    E25
    NovalimaAt the NPR offices, the band plays in a lean, funky configuration that gets the room grooving along.
  • Soweto Gospel Choir
    E26
    Soweto Gospel ChoirThe group fuses the music of many Christian cultures, with nods to African songs of celebration.
  • Jolie Holland
    E27
    Jolie HollandHolland plays songs with an unadorned tone that makes the voice and lyrics all the more touching.
  • Cowboy Junkies
    E28
    Cowboy JunkiesThe venerable band sounds as poignant and tender as ever in this performance at the NPR offices.
  • Hospitality
    E29
    HospitalityThe group doesn't overwhelm so much as it wears listeners down with a subtle charm offensive.
  • Nathan Salsburg
    E30
    Nathan SalsburgThe guitarist displays intricate fingerpicking in two songs inspired by Kentucky Derby racehorses.
  • Endangered Blood
    E31
    Endangered BloodThe jazz quartet draws from post-bop, 20th-century chromaticism and New Orleans funeral marches.
  • Kishi Bashi
    E32
    Kishi BashiK Ishibashi is a master at building songs from live violin loops, layered singing and beatboxing.
  • Pedro Soler And Gaspar Claus
    E33
    Pedro Soler And Gaspar ClausThe improvisational music of the father-son, guitar-cello duo functions as a beautiful conversation.
  • Chuck Brown
    E34
    Chuck BrownThe Godfather of Go-Go died Wednesday. In 2010, he brought his full band to the NPR Music office.
  • Arborea
    E35
    ArboreaRooted in acoustic traditions, the music of Arborea stands out for its calm beauty and rough edges.
  • Yann Tiersen
    E36
    Yann TiersenTiersen's rich, liltingly eccentric pop music is constructed from lots of sweet, intricate pieces.
  • Canadian Brass
    E37
    Canadian BrassThe venerable brass quintet sports virtuosic, fresh-faced players in tried-and-true repertoire.
  • Patrick Watson
    E38
    Patrick WatsonWatson has a lovely voice and a gift for wringing evocative sounds out of everything he touches.
  • Kelly Hogan
    E39
    Kelly HoganThe unflappable singer performs three songs with seeming effortlessness and easygoing charm.
  • Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom
    E40
    Allison Miller's Boom Tic BoomThe drummer dedicates tunes to her friends, including her first teacher — a "sometimes great guy."
  • Daniel Johnston
    E41
    Daniel JohnstonWatch three songs by a troubled soul with a talent for writing honest, disarmingly direct music.
  • Glen Hansard
    E42
    Glen HansardHansard flexes his neck muscles a bit as he performs new songs and deep cuts at the NPR offices.
  • Mariachi El Bronx
    E43
    Mariachi El BronxThe band plays with just the right mixture of passion and pathos in a fun set at the NPR offices.
  • Reggie Watts
    E44
    Reggie WattsThe comedian and musician performs spontaneous improvisations full of killer grooves and humor.
  • Exitmusic
    E45
    ExitmusicThe band plays a beautifully buzzing, nuanced set, marked by gorgeous grace and stirring melodies.
  • Brandi Carlile
    E46
    Brandi CarlileAt the NPR offices, Carlile and her band sing from-the-gut songs about messy lives, loudly lived.
  • Laura Marling
    E47
    Laura MarlingTwo songs from A Creature I Don't Know bookend a gorgeous new, unreleased song called "Once."
  • Souad Massi
    E48
    Souad MassiA soulful yet steely singer-songwriter from Algeria charts her own course in these four songs.
  • The Milk Carton Kids
    E49
    The Milk Carton KidsJoey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale sing sweet but intricate folk-pop songs in the NPR offices.
  • Janet Feder
    E50
    Janet FederFeder marries classical and folk techniques with otherworldly guitar textures and sounds.
  • The Walkmen
    E51
    The WalkmenThe band makes the Tiny Desk accommodate its booming sound rather than the other way around.
  • Beth Orton
    E52
    Beth OrtonKnown for mixing folk and electronics, Orton unveils three new songs with just an acoustic guitar.
  • The Zombies
    E53
    The ZombiesTwo surviving members of the band still have the same chemistry here in a stripped-down performance.
  • Rufus Wainwright
    E54
    Rufus WainwrightBy the middle of Wainwright's final song, "Montauk," few dry eyes remained in the NPR offices.
  • Renaud Garcia-Fons
    E55
    Renaud Garcia-FonsWatch the renowned double bassist thump, strum and loop his way through three mesmerizing songs.
  • Avi Avital
    E56
    Avi AvitalAvital's mandolin sings with the sounds of Ernest Bloch and a raucous Bulgarian folk tune.
  • Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft Orchestra
    E57
    Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft OrchestraThese songs' fervor is the product of a singer armed with intensity and musicians who can match it.
  • Yva Las Vegass
    E58
    Yva Las VegassWatch Las Vegass bring a punk aesthetic to Venezuelan folk music with a cuatro at the NPR offices.
  • Kat Edmonson
    E59
    Kat EdmonsonHearing the 29-year-old singer makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen.
  • Antibalas
    E60
    AntibalasIt's one thing for 11 musicians to make a big sound, but what stands out is Antibalas' subtlety.
  • Spirit Family Reunion
    E61
    Spirit Family ReunionThe group plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and washboard, all gathered around a single microphone.
  • Dirty Three
    E62
    Dirty ThreeThe band unleashes a gorgeous flurry of shambolic rumbling, prolific hairiness and dramatic yelling.
  • Robert Cray Band
    E63
    Robert Cray BandLike any great blues singer, Cray makes heartache and dysfunction sound engaging and relatable.
  • Lord Huron
    E64
    Lord HuronThe band's rich harmonies are welcoming, its lyrics relatable and its live performances thrilling.
  • Passion Pit
    E65
    Passion PitMichael Angelakos makes electro-pop with monster hooks. But his songs are sturdy, versatile things.
  • Jason Lytle
    E66
    Jason LytleThe longtime frontman for Grandaddy goes it alone with acoustic solo songs from his latest record.
  • Flaco Jimenez
    E67
    Flaco JimenezThe conjunto icon spins magic, and stays true to tradition, with his trademark button accordion.
  • Ben Gibbard
    E68
    Ben GibbardFor Tiny Desk Concert No. 250, the Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service singer performs solo.
  • Martha Wainwright
    E69
    Martha WainwrightWainwright roughs up life's smooth spots, then digs her fingertips into the cracks that form.
  • Taken By Trees
    E70
    Taken By TreesVictoria Bergsman's songs seem to come from a place somewhere between a dream state and waking life.
  • Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
    E71
    Macklemore & Ryan LewisThe Seattle duo literally shakes the dust off the ceiling tiles at the NPR Music offices.
  • Anaïs Mitchell
    E72
    Anaïs MitchellThe singer-songwriter performs three of Young Man in America's most bracingly beautiful songs.
  • Daniel Bachman
    E73
    Daniel BachmanOnce the acoustic guitarist zeroes in on the center of a song, it's easy to get lost in it yourself.
  • Lyle Lovett
    E74
    Lyle LovettLovett gives a loose, engaging performance that feels like both an introduction and a victory lap.
  • Alt-J
    E75
    Alt-JThe Mercury Prize-winning band plays angular, poetic, inventive music that takes unexpected turns.
  • The Polyphonic Spree
    E76
    The Polyphonic SpreeThe sprawling group, 17 strong, squeezes behind Bob Boilen's desk for a special holiday performance.
  • Miguel
    E77
    MiguelPerforming at the NPR Music offices, Miguel strips his highly produced hits down to their bones.

 

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