Tiny Desk Concert
The Smile’s NPR Tiny Desk Concert Is the Prettiest Set You’ve Heard All Year: Watch
The Smile found themselves, both literally and figuratively, playing a gorgeous Tiny Desk Concert for NPR. According to producer Bob Boilen, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, and Tom Skinner “arrived early, along with saxophonist Robert Stillman, to test out several tunes and figure out just what made sense behind my desk — minus the volume and effects that shape the album’s sonic landscape. For roughly 90 minutes, the Tiny Desk crew was treated to a casual rehearsal, witnessing the band’s creative companionship work itself out, settling on four songs.” Not all made the final broadcast, with one of the songs falling victim to the band’s relentless perfectionism. “For keen eyes, you’ll see Thom Yorke being handed a guitar for the second tune but all of a sudden he’s playing bass while ...
Alex G Does a Couple Good Things During NPR Tiny Desk Concert: Watch
Alex G paid the NPR office a visit recently for a Tiny Desk Concert. The Philly indie rocker was promoting his September record God Save the Animals, one of the Top 50 Albums of 2022. “We’re really grateful to be here,” Alex told the in-person audience after playing his first song of the set, “Runner,” and introducing his band. “I don’t have a lot to say,” he added with a chuckle, the sentiment coming off much more gracious than aloof. After “Runner” — which we also crowned one of the Top 50 Songs of 2022 — Alex G played another God Save the Animals single, “Miracles,” a gorgeous acoustic track that’s perfectly suited to the Tiny Desk’s stripped-down setting. He also dug up two older highlights from his expansive discography: “Gretel,” the sweetly twisted lead single from hi...
RM Brings the Many Shades of His New Album Indigo to NPR’s Tiny Desk: Watch
Coinciding with the release of his new solo album Indigo, BTS leader RM stopped by the NPR Tiny Desk to perform the first live cuts from the LP. Watch the stripped down performance below. Beginning with a track off, mono., his 2018 solo mixtape, RM moved through the acoustic, melancholy “seoul” before sharing live takes on two songs from Indigo. He introduced “Yun (with Erykah Badu)” by sharing background on his favorite painter, Yun Hyong-keun, before launching into the smooth, R&B intro to the album. After musing about pieces from Monet and Van Gogh, he launched into “Still Life,” which features a characteristically joyful performance from Anderson .Paak on the studio album. “Shoutout to Anderson!” RM yelled midway through the bouncy live rendition. Indigo follows RM’s...
Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine Perform NPR Tiny Desk Concert: Watch
Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam have found freedom on the other side of peak popularity: past branding, past pretense, where all that’s left is joy in making music. The newfound friends took a break from touring the country together to perform a joint Tiny Desk Concert, and their set was as casual and exuberant as if they were noodling around on the porch on a Saturday night. The pair have an easy chemistry, with Bird playing the handsome straight man and Beam the class clown. “We started learning each other’s songs,” Bird said. “I love Sam’s writing” — at which time Beam interrupted: “I love your handwriting.” They opened with “Make a Picture” from Bird’s 2022 album Inside Problems, before moving on to the 2007 Iron & Wine favorite, “Flightless Bird, Ame...
FKA twigs Debuts New Song “killer” During NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Watch
FKA twigs is the latest artist to deliver an NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, and, to no surprise, the MAGDALENE singer chose a church as her backdrop. During the performance, the English artist debuted her upcoming single, “killer.” The three-song set saw twigs accompanied by a violinist, cellist, and pianist, who only added to the epic feel of her performance. The singer-songwriter ran through songs both old and new, including the yet-to-be released “killer” (out on Thursday, June 16th) and MAGDALENE cuts “home with you” and “cellophane.” Watch the full concert below. twigs’ appearance is the fourth in NPR Music’s Black Music Month concert series, which showcases Black artists through 11 Tiny Desk Concerts airing throughout June. So far, Adekunle Gold, James Francies, and Naira Marley have ...
Olivia Rodrigo Plays “drivers license” at the DMV for Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Watch
If you recently tried going to the DMV only for it to be unexpectedly closed, Olivia Rodrigo might be to blame. The pop phenom capped off an unfathomably accomplishment-filled year with a performance for NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series, literally shutting down a DMV location to play an acoustic set of highlights from her recent debut album, SOUR. If the DMV bit wasn’t already obvious, Rodrigo’s remote Tiny Desk set included a rendition of her breakout hit, “drivers license.” She also played “good 4 u,” “traitor,” and “deja vu” while joined by a backing band underneath the dingy fluorescent lights. Despite the set’s dreary location, however, Rodrigo’s contagiously giddy attitude and stunning vocals are more than enough distraction from the nerve-wracking flashbacks of failing you...
J Balvin Rocks the Boat for His Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Watch
For the next month, NPR is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by giving its renowned Tiny Desk Concert series an “El Tiny” makeover. As the name implies, musicians from all corners of Latinidad are scheduled to take part in it, and first up is arguably the biggest name of them all: J Balvin. Watch his special performance video below. For the occasion, the Colombian star decided to set up stage on a sunny barge floating by the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. It’s incredibly scenic and calm, especially for an intimate live concert like this one, and yet he injects the scene with his typically buoyant blend of Latin hip-hop and pop. The performance feels both laidback and hyped up at once, which is what we’ve come to expect from the artist behind the Latin Grammy-winning Colores. Fresh off...
Rico Nasty Brings the Heat to Her Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Watch
Considering Rico Nasty is easily one of the most versatile voices in hip-hop today, it makes sense that her Tiny Desk (Home) Concert would fit a wide array of sonics into just 13 minutes. During her guest appearance on NPR’s coveted performance series, the DMV rapper posted up with her all-female backing band in a yard adorned with plenty of flood lights to suit her colorful persona. Rico’s set opened with her recent soulful single “Magic” before diving into the boisterous fan-favorite, “Rage.” She wrapped up the show with tracks from her debut studio album, Nightmare Vacation: “OHFR?,” “Trust Issues,” and her breakout single “Smack a Bitch.” Seamlessly weaving between R&B, hyperpop, and her unique breed of punk-rap, Rico’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert is a sight to behold — black lipstick...
Dinosaur Jr. Bring the Noise at NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Watch
Due to the pandemic, NPR has been hosting its beloved Tiny Desk Concert series wherever artists want to film their special contribution. Lots of people have replicated Bob Boilen’s famed office space by sitting behind their own desks, playing acoustic songs, or even recreating a miniature set in their apartment. Dinosaur Jr. are the latest group to film a Tiny Desk (Home) Concert, and they recreated the magic of that iconic NPR room for it by way of dozens of cute tchotchkes and other pieces of pop-culture iconography. Holed up inside an empty Shea Theater in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, Dinosaur Jr. enlisted a few camera operators and lighting assistants to help drag all of their tiny toys onstage. There’s a tiny wooden desk with a miniature laptop propped atop it, a giant stuffed animal...
Vince Staples Gives a Tiny Desk (Home) Concert From the Hollywood Hills: Watch
Following the release of his new self-titled album, Vince Staples made a remote appearance on NPR for the latest edition of the Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series. The eccentric rapper performed cuts off Vince Staples from a scenic Hollywood Hills studio: “You should see this view—I don’t live here,” he confesses. Throughout his 12-minute set, Staples gave stripped-back renditions of “LAW OF AVERAGES,” “SUNDOWN TOWN,” “THE SHINING,” and “TAKE ME HOME,” the latter including a live feature from rising New Jersey soul singer Fousheé. Kenny Beats, who produced Vince Staples, can be seen on bass guitar throughout the set. As always, Staples’ off-the-cuff ad-lib between songs adds a welcome dose of humor. Listen to the set below. Staples’ self-titled record follows his 2018 album, FM! Jus...
Lucy Dacus Goes Back to High School For ‘Tiny Desk Concert’
Since the pandemic, NPR’s Tiny Desk (Home) concerts have taken on all kinds of forms. But for hers, Lucy Dacus took us back to her high school in Richmond, Virginia — where she went with two members of her band, guitarist Jacob Blizard and audio engineer, Collin Pastore. The band played four songs from Dacus’s recently-released album, Home Video: “Brando,” “VBS” (which stands for Vacation Bible School), “Going Going Gone,” and then “Thumbs.” “Going Going Gone” offered a mix of not two, not three, but four acoustic guitars in unison, creating a wall of sound. Peaceful backup vocals from band members make it sound closer to the studio recording on Home Video. The keys give the tune a more lightweight feel, combatting the heavy lyrics about the “cycle of innocence to corruption to fear” ...
Mdou Moctar Performs Three-Song NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert: Watch
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-24T20:01:46+00:00“>May 24, 2021 | 4:01pm ET Tuareg psych-rock artist Mdou Moctar is one of the best guitarists of this current era, and now music fans around the world can experience what it’s like to watch him play from the comfort of a front-row seat. NPR just shared Moctar’s contribution to their Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series, and it’s available to watch in full below. For his performance, Moctar broke out three songs from his brand new album, Afrique Victime, while sitting in front of a rose cloth backdrop outside. He opened with the rhythmic track “Ya Habibti” and then moved on to the hypnotic lead single “Tala Tannam”, during which he and his bandmates can be seen sharing...
