Season 2017
(2017)
Cast
Episodes
Declan McKenna 0.0
January 3, 2017
Hear the spirited young singer-songwriter take on religion, poverty and politics, armed with just a guitar and some unr…
Donny McCaslin 0.0
January 9, 2017
Hear McCaslin, the saxophonist and bandleader whose group backed David Bowie on Blackstar, near the anniversary of that…
Lila Downs 0.0
January 13, 2017
With a voice that borrows heavily from opera, Downs performs the kind of full-throated mariachi singing that would fit …
Brent Cobb 0.0
January 17, 2017
Cobb's words shimmer like a tall glass of sweet tea in the late-morning sun. Watch the country singer-songwriter perfor…
BADBADNOTGOOD 0.0
January 23, 2017
The jazz band, known for its soulful interpretations of songs by Nas and Ol' Dirty Bastard, plays its own new material …
Miramar 0.0
January 27, 2017
Watch the Virginia band sweep the NPR crowd off its feet with a collection of exquisite boleros by Puerto Rican compose…
Gallant 0.0
January 30, 2017
The rising R&B star performs three falsetto-drenched highlights from his 2016 debut, Ology — including "Bourbon," which…
D.R.A.M. 0.0
February 1, 2017
The rapper/singer storms the NPR Music offices, activating his signature smile and bouncing through five highlights fro…
Run The Jewels 0.0
February 6, 2017
Killer Mike and El-P continue to out-muse each other in a supergroup that somehow seems to get better, louder, and more…
Esmé Patterson 0.0
February 10, 2017
Esmé Patterson has dropped the banjos and folk from her previous project Paper Bird, and in their place are electric gu…
Agnes Obel 0.0
February 15, 2017
Agnes Obel manipulated the Tiny Desk to better suit the deeply alluring and powerful music she brought to us.
Little Simz 0.0
February 21, 2017
Little Simz has been compared to Lauryn Hill for her self-reflective wordplay. And though the British lyricist is a rel…
Dirty Dozen Brass Band 0.0
February 28, 2017
To celebrate Fat Tuesday, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band brought their euphoric horns to the Tiny Desk for a raucous, joyou…
Ninet 0.0
March 3, 2017
One of Israel's very popular artists may be walking a similar path to early-career Joan Jett — she brought that same in…
Maren Morris 0.0
March 6, 2017
One of the newest Grammy winners stops by the Tiny Desk to share her winking, sometimes tongue-in-cheek songs.
Tank And The Bangas 0.0
March 10, 2017
Tank And The Bangas' victory lap around the Tiny Desk was momentous, celebratory and deeply touching, with a flair and …
Red Baraat's Holi Celebration 0.0
March 13, 2017
The Brooklyn bhangra band come to the Tiny Desk in celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival of color that welcomes the c…
Sampha 0.0
March 21, 2017
A Tiny Desk Concert as intimate as it gets (that's saying something). Just Sampha, a piano and three heart-wrenching so…
Delicate Steve 0.0
March 24, 2017
This fierce and lyrical guitar player writes playful instrumental music led by hooky vocals — but there is no voice, ju…
Overcoats 0.0
March 27, 2017
Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell's vibrant vocal harmonies are set against an electronic backdrop that feels spacious and ref…
Noname 0.0
April 3, 2017
The power of language to penetrate a difficult subject, and the power of performance to share that language, are the gi…
Tash Sultana 0.0
April 7, 2017
It's astonishing to watch Sultana's fluidity on her instrument, like a natural extension of her body. She also plays ba…
Sinkane 0.0
April 10, 2017
You can hear a great New York jazz band in the rhythms of Sinkane, but you can also hear the influence of Bob Marley an…
Ljova And The Kontraband 0.0
April 14, 2017
Composer, arranger and viola player Ljova lead his Kontraband to the Tiny Desk for an eclectic swirl of Western classic…
Chicano Batman 0.0
April 17, 2017
Chicano Batman comes with a sound that perfectly captures dark lounges, quinceñera dances, car shows and backyard parti…
alt-J 0.0
April 24, 2017
There's a self-imposed rule for Tiny Desk Concerts: No artist can visit twice unless there's something wholly different…
Antonio Lizana 0.0
April 28, 2017
The traditions of flamenco and jazz are disparate, but in the hands of a few Spanish jazz musicians, these two worlds c…
Avery*Sunshine 0.0
May 1, 2017
The gospel-trained singer showcased why she counts Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson as fans.
Peter Silberman 0.0
May 5, 2017
A strange condition hushed the life of Peter Silberman, resulting in what may be the quietest Tiny Desk Concert ever.
Aimee Mann 0.0
May 8, 2017
"This song is called 'You Never Loved Me' — it's another cheery, optimistic number," says Aimee Mann, introducing the s…
Danilo Brito 0.0
May 12, 2017
Danilo Brito and his band brought their dextrous expression of choro music to the Tiny Desk, a long-established musical…
Tim Darcy 0.0
May 15, 2017
Tim Darcy of Montreal band Ought brings his mysterious solo work, from the album Saturday Night, to the Tiny Desk. The …
Troker 0.0
May 19, 2017
Mexico may not be known for its jazz, but the young lions of Troker are a promising hope to make the country and its ca…
Julia Jacklin 0.0
May 22, 2017
A restrained, whisper-soft Tiny Desk concert from Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin with songs taken from her …
Gabriel Garzón-Montano 0.0
May 26, 2017
Gabriel Garzón-Montano spent three years writing and recording his beautiful, dense album Jardin -- but for his Tiny De…
Royal Thunder 0.0
May 30, 2017
What happens when you ask a hard-rock band to unplug its thunder? It draws power from a raw, desperate vulnerability.
Nick Grant 0.0
June 2, 2017
The Atlanta-based MC came through with the flu and coolly earned our praise. How sick is that?
Violents & Monica Martin 0.0
June 5, 2017
While her band was on hiatus, Monica Martin joined Jeremy Larson's project Violents, yielding a lush record of electron…
Perfume Genius 0.0
June 12, 2017
The band's long-awaited performance at the Tiny Desk was both beautiful and, at times, intense, featuring three deeply …
Penguin Cafe 0.0
June 16, 2017
Penguin Cafe folds in sounds from around the world and throughout music history — Africa, Kraftwerk, Brazil and Franz S…
Tigers Jaw 0.0
June 19, 2017
The duo strips down to acoustic guitar and keyboard for a strikingly intimate set, illuminating their close harmonies t…
Holly Macve 10.0
June 23, 2017
Backed by a suitably low-key band, Macve would sound subtly radiant just about anywhere, from your nearest country bar …
Ravi Coltrane Quartet 0.0
June 26, 2017
Artistic legacy, evolution and studied ease coalesced at this Tiny Desk Concert, with Coltrane offering four interpreta…
Helado Negro 0.0
June 30, 2017
Helado Negro ditches his bank of electronics for alto and tenor saxophones, bringing his utterly unique style to a inte…
Chance The Rapper 0.0
July 5, 2017
Chance The Rapper, fresh from a 23,000-strong, sold-out show the night before, brought a thoughtful and fresh take to h…
Jay Som 0.0
July 10, 2017
Melina Duterte may have played all the instruments on Jay Som's newest record, Everybody Works, but her touring band br…
Fragile Rock 0.0
July 14, 2017
Fragile Rock is a band that relies on the boogie of The B-52s, the melancholy of The Smiths and the humor of Kermit the…
Tuxedo 0.0
July 17, 2017
Tuxedo, the unlikely-on-paper funk-soul duo of Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, brought a left-of-center sonic approach an…
Rare Essence 0.0
July 19, 2017
Rare Essence has been bringing go-go to the world since 1976 — the group brought that pedigree, and the genre's massive…
Albin Lee Meldau 0.0
July 20, 2017
Albin Lee Meldau possesses a thunderous, deeply affecting voice, which he uses to tell some utterly dark, but demonstra…
The Shins 0.0
July 24, 2017
James Mercer, the emotional and creative heart of The Shins, gives a moving performance at the Tiny Desk, with two new …
Aldous Harding 0.0
July 28, 2017
Intensity in songs often expresses itself as volume – a loud guitar, a scream, a piercing synth line. But in the case o…
Diet Cig 0.0
August 2, 2017
Diet Cig's songs crackle like Pop Rocks, but with a confrontational honesty and striking gravity — and on top of Bob Bo…
Maggie Rogers 0.0
August 7, 2017
The rising pop star performs three of her best-known songs, including a sweet solo take on her career-making “Alaska.”
ALA.NI 0.0
August 14, 2017
ALA.NI captures and conveys a reverent love of early-20th-century music, while injecting those sounds with charisma and…
DJ Premier & The Badder Band 0.0
August 21, 2017
One of hip-hop's most revered producers brings his songs to life behind the Tiny Desk, with the help of a four-piece ba…
Jason Isbell 0.0
August 28, 2017
The Alabama singer-songwriter and his band perform three songs from The Nashville Sound, but their set includes a few s…
Jidenna 0.0
September 5, 2017
The Nigerian-American MC and his band perform three reworked selections from Jidenna's impeccable debut album, The Chie…
Frances Cone 0.0
September 8, 2017
The Brooklyn-based band crafts infectious pop music that builds dramatically before giving way to a quiet calm.
Bleachers 0.0
September 12, 2017
Jack Antonoff re-arranged three songs from his band's latest album, Gone Now, for the Tiny Desk.
L.A. Salami 0.0
September 13, 2017
The story songs and poetry of Lookman Adekunle Salami, who writes and records as L.A. Salami, recall the brilliant and …
Snail Mail 0.0
September 15, 2017
Snail Mail's sleepy songs have a way of waking you up. Watch the band perform music from its quietly stunning Habit EP,…
SsingSsing 0.0
September 21, 2017
It's safe to say this Korean, cross-dressing rock band looks and sounds like no one who's ever performed at the Tiny De…
Bomba Estereo 0.0
September 22, 2017
Bomba Estereo is not known as a hushed band. Member Simon Mejia said this Tiny Desk performance was the group's quietes…
Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers 9.0
September 25, 2017
It's hard to think of an artist who's brought more joy to more people, across more generations — and in more ways — tha…
Chronixx 0.0
September 27, 2017
The Jamaican reggae star proudly carries the torch of his country's roots reggae legends.
Dawg Yawp 0.0
September 29, 2017
Welcome the world of Dawg Yawp, the musical concoction of Rob Keenan and Tyler Randall, where drones and toy pianos are…
Paramore 0.0
October 2, 2017
Paramore captures the moment between rapture and its comedown. Watch the band rearrange songs from its sparkling pop al…
Landlady 0.0
October 6, 2017
Landlady's music is more than sonic exploration, it's an adventure. The songs can feel a bit drugged-out – a bit high a…
Randy Newman 0.0
October 10, 2017
Watch the six-time Grammy winner go solo behind the Tiny Desk.
Hanson 0.0
October 16, 2017
Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson just celebrated their 25th anniversary as a band. To celebrate, watch them perform three o…
Thundercat 0.0
October 18, 2017
Thundercat is willing and able to shape-shift to fit into just about any box you show him, but he won't stay in there f…
The Perceptionists 0.0
October 20, 2017
Watch hip-hop veterans Mr. Lif and Akrobatik team up behind the Tiny Desk.
Shabazz Palaces 0.0
October 23, 2017
Hip-hop's otherworldly lot touches down on Bob Boilen's desk for some Afrofuturistic mind travel.
Japanese Breakfast 0.0
October 25, 2017
For this Tiny Desk concert, Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner replaced her gauzy synths with a string quartet. The r…
Natalia LaFourcade 0.0
October 27, 2017
The Grammy-nominated singer's Tiny Desk is an ode to a magical time in Mexican popular music.
The Roots Feat. Bilal 0.0
October 30, 2017
Yes, it happened. Black Thought, Questlove and the entire crew packed in behind the Tiny Desk to perform a new song cal…
Gracie and Rachel 0.0
November 1, 2017
Gracie And Rachel mix piano pop with darker, classic violin arrangements to make songs full of mystery and tension. The…
Nate Smith + KINFOLK 0.0
November 3, 2017
The drums take center stage at this Tiny Desk. Watch veteran jazz percussionist Nate Smith dazzle the NPR audience in a…
Wyclef Jean 0.0
November 6, 2017
The hip-hop statesman walked through our doors greeting and charming anyone within arm's reach. Once in front of an aud…
Ani DiFranco 0.0
November 8, 2017
With the help of a backing band that includes Ivan Neville and Jenny Scheinman, the iconic singer-songwriter plays thre…
The Mynabirds 0.0
November 10, 2017
Singer Laura Burhenn is joined by Jessica Lea Mayfield and the Umoja Choir for songs inspired by the political and cult…
Aminé 0.0
November 14, 2017
The Portland artist with the most mispronounced name in hip-hop puts on an unforgettable performance.
Now, Now 0.0
November 15, 2017
The band has new tools in its arsenal, but even in a stripped-down Tiny Desk performance, its focus on tiny moments bet…
Benjamin Booker 0.0
November 17, 2017
Benjamin Booker has a deeply tender voice that, at times, can feel like a whisper But it always cuts to the heart.
Billy Corgan 0.0
November 20, 2017
Billy Corgan, complicated frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins, has had a tumultuous decade-and-a-half. His visit to the T…
Ledisi 0.0
November 21, 2017
In person, the master R&B vocalist impresses not just with her exquisite artistry, but with her radiant spirit of conte…
David Greilsammer 0.0
November 24, 2017
With a knack for cunning juxtapositions, the adventurous pianist stitches together a baroque sonata, a slice of French …
Phoebe Bridgers 0.0
November 27, 2017
Her songs come laden with finely detailed observations about hypnotherapy, Jeffrey Dahmer and everything in between. Th…
Moses Sumney 0.0
November 29, 2017
The Los-Angeles-based force of nature, one of the most inspired talents of today, shows off a spontaneous side at (and …
Walter Martin 0.0
December 1, 2017
Best known for his role with The Walkmen, as a solo artist he makes unabashedly joyful, sweetly innocent and playful mu…
Ted Leo 0.0
December 4, 2017
Leo's work has, more often than not through the decades, addressed an anxious world, growing and shifting with it and w…
King Krule 0.0
December 6, 2017
King Krule, the musical project of English singer, songwriter and rapper, Archy Marshall, brings its twisted, woozy ton…
Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile 0.0
December 8, 2017
The two singers, songwriters and guitarists bring out the adolescence in each other, poking jabs, goofing around and ha…
Tyler, The Creator 0.0
December 11, 2017
Tyler, The Creator performs three songs from his latest album Flower Boy -- and pulls off (at least) two Tiny Desk firs…
Cigarettes After Sex 0.0
December 13, 2017
This comes close to the quietest Tiny Desk Concert we've ever had. The music Cigarettes After Sex makes is incredibly h…
This Is The Kit 0.0
December 15, 2017
Effortless storytelling is at the heart of This Is The Kit. And the stories the band's only permanent member, Kate Stab…
Hanson For The Holidays 0.0
December 18, 2017
Frantic time-lapse set decoration. An intrusive snow machine. Ugly holiday sweaters. It's time to hunker down and soak …