Season 2018 poster

Season 2018

(2018)

Cast

Episodes

Open Mike Eagle poster

Open Mike Eagle 0.0

January 3, 2018

The indie rap denizen behind one of 2017's most inventive albums came to the nation's capital to represent all the Bric…

Lo Moon poster

Lo Moon 0.0

January 5, 2018

The LA band's signature sound is intimate and demonstrative, haunting yet uplifting, an old-fashioned rock beat under g…

The Weather Station poster

The Weather Station 0.0

January 8, 2018

One of the joys of listening to The Weather station is the tension and release in the group's enchanting music. It's wh…

Julien Baker poster

Julien Baker 0.0

January 10, 2018

Julien Baker's Turn Out The Lights brought her much-deserved critical acclaim and wider attention in 2017. Before its r…

Daniil Trifonov poster

Daniil Trifonov 0.0

January 12, 2018

Watch the young Russian musician, who The Times of London calls “the most astounding pianist of our age,” play a smart,…

Artists From The 'Take Me To The River' Tour poster

Artists From The 'Take Me To The River' Tour 0.0

January 15, 2018

More than a dozen artists gather behind the Tiny Desk to celebrate Memphis soul in a joyful, triumphant performance.

AHI poster

AHI 0.0

January 16, 2018

The Ontario-based singer has a gruff but sweet voice with openly honest words behind soulful tunes of hope.

The Lemon Twigs poster

The Lemon Twigs 0.0

January 17, 2018

Brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario seem like they beamed into the Tiny Desk from the year 1971, untouched by the 21st…

Amadou and Mariam poster

Amadou and Mariam 0.0

January 19, 2018

The Malian musicians, who've been playing together for nearly 40 years, bring some of the most lyrical melodies and joy…

St. Vincent poster

St. Vincent 0.0

January 22, 2018

The singer performed at the Tiny Desk without a warmup or soundcheck, with just her acoustic guitar and un-amplified vo…

George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars poster

George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars 0.0

January 24, 2018

George Clinton brought his family, both immediate and extended, to the Tiny Desk for a set of classic cosmic slop.

Barbara Hannigan poster

Barbara Hannigan 0.0

January 26, 2018

Eavesdrop on a beautiful recital of German songs from fin de siècle Vienna, when music was transitioning from the swell…

Jamila Woods poster

Jamila Woods 0.0

January 29, 2018

In three songs celebrating black ancestry and self-love, Woods demonstrated just how adept she is at creating songs ric…

Alice Smith poster

Alice Smith 0.0

January 31, 2018

The beloved singer-songwriter premiered three new songs while turning NPR's headquarters into a Harlem speakeasy.

Vicente García poster

Vicente García 0.0

February 2, 2018

This under-the-radar singer from the Dominican Republic is starting to turn some heads. You'll see why in this Tiny Des…

Hurray For The Riff Raff poster

Hurray For The Riff Raff 0.0

February 5, 2018

The music of Hurray For The Riff Raff builds bridges, unites people and forms communities. It's a spirit singer Alynda …

Ibeyi poster

Ibeyi 0.0

February 7, 2018

Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz never fail to mesmerize. Watch the twin sisters perform a four-song set at the Tiny Desk.

The Crossrhodes poster

The Crossrhodes 0.0

February 9, 2018

The Crossrhodes showed up to the Tiny Desk with game faces on, bringing with it a locally cultivated, globally apprecia…

Marlon Williams poster

Marlon Williams 0.0

February 12, 2018

Marlon Williams has a heart-stopping voice, is in love with a good, traditional blues or country tune, and writes songs…

Nick Hakim poster

Nick Hakim 0.0

February 14, 2018

The music of Nick Hakim occupies a space and time that feels out of this world, with songs that explore the quietude of…

Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo poster

Betsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo 0.0

February 16, 2018

The Afro-Venezuelan collective brings the boisterous parranda sound to the Tiny Desk.

Big Daddy Kane poster

Big Daddy Kane 0.0

February 19, 2018

One 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) poster

August Greene (Common, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins) 0.0

February 21, 2018

August Greene, Common's new trio with Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins, brought some special guest vocalists to the T…

Vagabon poster

Vagabon 0.0

February 23, 2018

Laetitia Tamko, the artist known as Vagabon, is a 25-year-old, Cameroon-born musician with a big, tenor voice just burs…

Lee Ann Womack poster

Lee Ann Womack 0.0

February 26, 2018

The Nashville star brought some good old country music stories to the Tiny Desk.

Roy Ayers poster

Roy Ayers 0.0

March 1, 2018

Watch the 77-year-old jazz-funk icon perform “Everybody Loves The Sunshine” (and more) at the Tiny Desk.

Anna Meredith poster

Anna Meredith 0.0

March 2, 2018

Out of nearly 700 performances at the Tiny Desk over the past decade, this one by British composer Anna Meredith is one…

Big K.R.I.T. poster

Big K.R.I.T. 0.0

March 5, 2018

The Mississippi rapper paid homage to his grandmother and performed songs from his new album 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time.

Alex Clare poster

Alex Clare 0.0

March 7, 2018

Clare's songs ask listeners to probe their own emotions through the lens of life’s bigger pictures. His visit to Bob Bo…

Kuinka poster

Kuinka 0.0

March 9, 2018

Each year we get thousands of submissions for our annual Tiny Desk contest. Seattle's Kuinka was one of last year's ent…

John Prine poster

John Prine 0.0

March 12, 2018

For more than 45 years, the legendary John Prine has written some of the most powerful lyrics in the American music can…

Raul Midón poster

Raul Midón 0.0

March 15, 2018

Raul Midón brought nothing but a guitar and his voice to an extended Tiny Desk set of dense, breathtaking jazz and soul…

Cornelius poster

Cornelius 0.0

March 19, 2018

Cornelius' Keigo Oyamada deconstructs and reassembles music like it's a neon cubist-pop sculpture. On a rare U.S. tour,…

Väsen poster

Väsen 0.0

March 23, 2018

The Swedish trio brought a 30-string sonic blast to the Tiny Desk, performing on 12-string guitar, viola and the nyckel…

Jenny And The Mexicats poster

Jenny And The Mexicats 0.0

March 26, 2018

Sometimes frenetic, sometimes slow and luxurious, the grooves the band creates are the perfect cushion for Jenny Ball's…

I'm With Her poster

I'm With Her 0.0

March 28, 2018

Aoife O'Donovan, Sarah Jarosz and Sara Watkins are bound by a love for bluegrass, chamber music, jazz, storytelling and…

Masta Ace poster

Masta Ace 0.0

March 30, 2018

The Juice Crew legend brought his biggest hit, "Born To Roll," and a heartfelt recollection of his personal journey to …

Robin Olson poster

Robin Olson 0.0

April 1, 2018

Hear the elusive avant-garde pianist debut a new piece, etched in shimmering chords and dark, lamenting octaves.

Dee Dee Bridgewater poster

Dee Dee Bridgewater 0.0

April 2, 2018

Bridgewater connects with her roots, her birthplace and the town she's loved all her life, with a set of songs from Mem…

Dan Auerbach poster

Dan Auerbach 0.0

April 4, 2018

The guitarist and singer for The Black Keys and The Arcs brings his Easy Eye Sound Revue to the Tiny Desk, recalling a …

Rhye poster

Rhye 0.0

April 9, 2018

See the band perform a rare evening Tiny Desk concert, illuminated by flickering lights

Lara Bello poster

Lara Bello 0.0

April 10, 2018

Flamenco, jazz and classical share the stage in this Tiny Desk from one of our favorite Spanish composers.

Tyler Childers poster

Tyler Childers 0.0

April 11, 2018

Tyler Childers writes songs about hard lives and hard love with direct heart and a soulful Kentucky drawl.

Jorge Drexler poster

Jorge Drexler 0.0

April 13, 2018

The Uruguayan singer-songwriter is one of the finest lyricists operating today. Watch his stunning performance behind t…

The Breeders poster

The Breeders 0.0

April 16, 2018

The Breeders' dreamy scuzz sounds wiser and more frazzled at the Tiny Desk, featuring the same lineup behind the band's…

O.C. poster

O.C. 0.0

April 18, 2018

The veteran Brooklyn rapper was an underground star during hip-hop's golden era. At the Tiny Desk, O.C. made it clear t…

John Moreland poster

John Moreland 0.0

April 20, 2018

When you hear John Moreland's sweet voice, it's hard to believe he spent years singing in punk, metal-core and hardcore…

Logan Richardson poster

Logan Richardson 0.0

April 23, 2018

Hear a triumphant fusion of jazz, rock and blues that moves with momentum and fresh anticipation. Logan Richardson play…

Superorganism poster

Superorganism 0.0

April 25, 2018

The multinational band of theatrically fun and talented musicians in Superorganism mix melody and mischievous with almo…

ÌFÉ poster

ÌFÉ 0.0

April 27, 2018

ÌFÉ isn't playing anything new. In fact, the band takes on something quite old: ritual Afro-Caribbean music that takes …

Bedouine poster

Bedouine 0.0

April 30, 2018

Bedouine is Azniv Korkejian, a singer and guitarist who echoes sounds from the 1960's North American folk songwriters, …

GZA & The Soul Rebels poster

GZA & The Soul Rebels 0.0

May 2, 2018

Most 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'…

Darlingside poster

Darlingside 0.0

May 4, 2018

Even 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 wistfu…

Gordi poster

Gordi 0.0

May 7, 2018

In three songs from Reservoir, Gordi keeps her voice both unadorned and centered within warm, cool arrangements that in…

Bela Fleck And Abigail Washburn poster

Bela Fleck And Abigail Washburn 0.0

May 11, 2018

Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn are two American musical treasures. This husband-and-wife banjo duo write original tune…

Naia Izumi poster

Naia Izumi 0.0

May 14, 2018

The winner of this year's Tiny Desk Contest makes his official debut behind the desk.

Khruangbin poster

Khruangbin 0.0

May 16, 2018

This trio from Houston, Texas makes trance-inducing music heavily inspired by 1960s and '70s funk and soul from, of all…

Partner poster

Partner 0.0

May 18, 2018

The dream of the '90s is alive in this Canadian rock band.

The Band's Visit poster

The Band's Visit 0.0

May 21, 2018

Tony Shalhoub, Katrina Lenk and the cast of the Tony-nominated play The Band's Visit marked the first Broadway performa…

Juanes & Mon Laferte poster

Juanes & Mon Laferte 0.0

May 23, 2018

The Colombian pop star and Chilean rising star brought their duet tour to the Tiny Desk.

Ill Camille poster

Ill Camille 0.0

May 25, 2018

The Los Angeles rapper and Kendrick Lamar collaborator performed four songs from her excellent album, Heirloom.

Third Coast Percussion poster

Third Coast Percussion 0.0

May 29, 2018

Watch the Chicago-based ensemble conjure otherworldly sounds from steel pipes, tuned cowbells and a bowl that sings.

Trouble Funk poster

Trouble Funk 0.0

May 30, 2018

We squeezed 12 go-go musicians behind the Tiny Desk. Watch what ensued.

Tom Misch poster

Tom Misch 0.0

June 1, 2018

This 22-year-old Brit has soul for days.

Daniel Caesar poster

Daniel Caesar 0.0

June 4, 2018

Watch the R&B star-in-the-making perform three songs, including a guest appearance by H.E.R.

Grace VanderWaal poster

Grace VanderWaal 0.0

June 6, 2018

The 14-year-old singer who signed to Columbia after winning America's Got Talent, dazzles the Tiny Desk with her breath…

MILCK poster

MILCK 0.0

June 8, 2018

The one-woman riot who made headlines during the inaugural Women's March On Washington visits the Tiny Desk.

Jorja Smith poster

Jorja Smith 0.0

June 11, 2018

Watch the rising U.K. star perform intimate renditions of "Blue Lights," "On My Mind" and "Teenage Fantasy" with a full…

GoldLink poster

GoldLink 0.0

June 13, 2018

The D.C. rapper brought quite the crew to his Tiny Desk performance.

Yissy García & Bandancha poster

Yissy García & Bandancha 0.0

June 15, 2018

Come for one of Havana's most talented acts. Stay for García's incredible mohawk.

Khalid poster

Khalid 0.0

June 18, 2018

Watch the 20-year-old star perform acoustic versions of "Location," "Saved" and "Young Dumb & Broke."

The Messthetics poster

The Messthetics 0.0

June 20, 2018

The bassist and drummer from D.C.'s pioneering punk band Fugazi join guitarist Anthony Pirog for a set of thrilling, so…

From The Top poster

From The Top 0.0

June 22, 2018

A handful of teenagers, and a 12-year-old violinist, from the radio show From the Top, give sparkling performances, pro…

Rakim poster

Rakim 0.0

June 25, 2018

Watch the New York rap icon perform "Paid In Full" and "Know The Ledge," as well as a new song for Marvel's Luke Cage, …

Dave Matthews poster

Dave Matthews 0.0

June 27, 2018

The star sheds his band for a warm, winning, utterly game, happily overstuffed five-song performance of songs from acro…

Golden Dawn Arkestra poster

Golden Dawn Arkestra 0.0

June 29, 2018

Join the "Children of the Sun" - or sit back and enjoy the spectacle - in this Tiny Desk experience.

PJ Morton poster

PJ Morton 0.0

July 2, 2018

New Orleans' native son brought his musical Gumbo — and a 10-piece orchestra — to the Tiny Desk for some well-seasoned …

Frédéric Yonnet With Special Guest Dave Chappelle poster

Frédéric Yonnet With Special Guest Dave Chappelle 0.0

July 9, 2018

Yonnet 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 poster

Rev. Sekou And The Seal Breakers 0.0

July 10, 2018

Rev. Sekou and the Seal Breakers gave one of the most rousing Tiny Desks we've ever had, opening with one question: "Do…

Mumu Fresh Feat. Black Thought & DJ Dummy poster

Mumu Fresh Feat. Black Thought & DJ Dummy 0.0

July 11, 2018

Occasionally a new voice emerges so rich in experience that the only way to describe it is old soul.

The Midnight Hour poster

The Midnight Hour 0.0

July 18, 2018

A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad and composer Adrian Younge brought their Luke Cage-inspired collaboration t…

Ólafur Arnalds poster

Ólafur Arnalds 0.0

July 19, 2018

The Icelandic composer is joined by two "ghost" pianists, making mysterious and memorable music at the Tiny Desk.

The King's Singers poster

The King's Singers 0.0

July 23, 2018

The storied vocal ensemble brings close harmony singing to a diverse set list that includes a Beatles tune and a bawdy …

Lalah Hathaway poster

Lalah Hathaway 0.0

July 25, 2018

The veteran singer showcases her soaring powerfully expressive voice in a performance that bridges several generations …

Flasher poster

Flasher 0.0

July 30, 2018

The precise serrations of Washington, D.C. band Flasher get softened for a visit to the Tiny Desk — their vocals, norma…

The Del McCoury Band poster

The Del McCoury Band 0.0

August 1, 2018

Del McCoury has been performing, and updating, his take on bluegrass for some 60 years. At the Tiny Desk, he brought th…

Haley Heynderickx poster

Haley Heynderickx 0.0

August 3, 2018

One of our favorite new artists of 2018 visits the Tiny Desk.

Mac Miller poster

Mac Miller 0.0

August 6, 2018

Mac Miller reflects on his journey's peaks and valleys in a boisterous set of songs from Swimming, featuring special gu…

DAWN poster

DAWN 0.0

August 10, 2018

DAWN has a breathless enthusiasm for shape-shifting pop music. She strips three songs to just the essentials, illuminat…

Tower Of Power poster

Tower Of Power 0.0

August 13, 2018

Even from its beginnings in late-'60s Oakland, the band has always stood out. Fifty years later, its devotion to classi…

Erykah Badu poster

Erykah Badu 0.0

August 15, 2018

The singer's performance at the Tiny Desk was an almost spiritual experience, leaving many at the NPR Music offices in …

Yo-Yo Ma poster

Yo-Yo Ma 0.0

August 17, 2018

Watch the 19-time Grammy winner return to his lifelong passion for J.S. Bach, playing music from the Cello Suites and o…

Camp Cope poster

Camp Cope 0.0

August 22, 2018

The Australian band uses tiny moments of introspection to illuminate life's bewildering, terrifying, isolating aspects …

Dermot Kennedy poster

Dermot Kennedy 0.0

August 24, 2018

Backed for the first time ever by members of the Howard Gospel Choir, the Irish singer-songwriter shows off a voice bui…

T.I. poster

T.I. 0.0

August 27, 2018

In the fifteen years since he released Trap Muzik, Tip Harris has reinvented himself a thousand times over. But the sto…

Tech N9ne Feat. Krizz Kaliko poster

Tech N9ne Feat. Krizz Kaliko 0.0

August 29, 2018

Two of Kansas City's finest — and indie hip-hop's trailblazers — deliver a dose of Strange Music.

George Li poster

George Li 0.0

August 31, 2018

Watch the young Harvard grad dispatch some of the most "knuckle-busting" piano repertoire with uncommon panache and pre…

Kalbells poster

Kalbells 0.0

September 5, 2018

The band makes life-affirming music that singer Kalmia Traver created over the past few years, filled with the triumph …

Jupiter & Okwess poster

Jupiter & Okwess 0.0

September 7, 2018

Jupiter Bokondji and his band Okwess play music that feels both African and American, with Jupiter's early musical tast…

Hobo Johnson poster

Hobo Johnson 0.0

September 12, 2018

While this Sacramento, Calif. band didn't win this year's Tiny Desk contest, their video entry, for the song "Peach Sco…

GoGo Penguin poster

GoGo Penguin 0.0

September 14, 2018

This trio has become a reference point of their own for new school instrumentalists, a coveted achievement for any jazz…

Smif-N-Wessun poster

Smif-N-Wessun 0.0

September 17, 2018

Brooklyn-bred hip-hop duo Smif-N-Wessun – consisting of partners in rhyme, Steele and Tek – illuminated the Tiny Desk w…

Julie Byrne poster

Julie Byrne 0.0

September 19, 2018

Julie Byrne's transporting music can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Anthony Roth Costanzo poster

Anthony Roth Costanzo 0.0

September 21, 2018

Watch the ambitious countertenor sing music that spans more than 250 years, connecting the dots between David Byrne, Ge…

Cécile McLorin Salvant poster

Cécile McLorin Salvant 0.0

September 25, 2018

The jazz singer, who used to be into radical feminist punk, now composes and sings beautiful jazz ballads.

Saba poster

Saba 0.0

October 1, 2018

Before embarking on a tour of Australia and Asia, the Chicago native brought the squad that helped make Care For Me one…

Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles poster

Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles 0.0

October 5, 2018

Henry and his band would have sounded right at home on Stax Records in the '70s — no small accomplishment. Watch them p…

Big Boi poster

Big Boi 0.0

October 9, 2018

The OutKast star performs "So Fresh, So Clean," "The Way You Move" and his solo single "All Night" with the help of sin…

Café Tacvba poster

Café Tacvba 0.0

October 12, 2018

The pioneering Mexican band recreates the adventurous musical energy of their massive stadium shows behind Bob Boilen's…

Florence + the Machine poster

Florence + the Machine 0.0

October 16, 2018

"I'm sorry I'm shy," Florence Welch told the crowd of NPR family and friends gathered for her Tiny Desk performance. "I…

Alfredo Rodríguez poster

Alfredo Rodríguez 0.0

October 18, 2018

The Cuban pianist thrilled the NPR office with an intense performance that was as melodic as it was rhythmic.

Chromeo poster

Chromeo 0.0

October 19, 2018

The self-proclaimed "Funklordz" normally perform as a duo, but played with a live band for the first time at the Tiny D…

Cautious Clay poster

Cautious Clay 0.0

October 24, 2018

The charismatic singer and saxophonist brought a group of longtime friends to play a warm, thoughtful and chill set at …

Jim James poster

Jim James 0.0

October 26, 2018

A single voice can send a powerful message - and that's just what Jim James did at the Tiny Desk, with just his voice a…

Liniker e os Caramelows poster

Liniker e os Caramelows 0.0

October 29, 2018

Liniker e os Caramelows are from Brazil but steeped in the tradition of soul from here in the U.S. Watching this perfor…

Nicholas Payton Trio poster

Nicholas Payton Trio 0.0

November 2, 2018

After back-to-back performances in South Africa, Argentina, Chile and New York, Payton hit the Tiny Desk, where he dazz…

Pedro The Lion poster

Pedro The Lion 0.0

November 5, 2018

No matter how dark or disastrous, there's always been an undercurrent of grace to the music of David Bazan. He returns …

Half Waif poster

Half Waif 0.0

November 8, 2018

The band's songs, stripped here to their essence, are particularly peaceful and calm — and sometimes chilling.

Bernie And The Believers Feat. Essence poster

Bernie And The Believers Feat. Essence 0.0

November 12, 2018

The story of Bernie and the Believers is the story of Bernie Dalton's diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease and compassiona…

Boygenius poster

Boygenius 0.0

November 16, 2018

Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers are all Tiny Desk alumae, but here they play together at NPR for the first…

dvsn poster

dvsn 0.0

November 19, 2018

The Toronto-based R&B duo bathed the Tiny Desk in vibrant blue, purple and orange light to make it feel more like a con…

The Innocence Mission poster

The Innocence Mission 0.0

November 28, 2018

The Innocence Mission, ever the most careful cultivators of quiet, encouraged us to come closer, to discover the "thing…

Joey Alexander poster

Joey Alexander 0.0

November 30, 2018

No one in the NPR offices could have imagined how remarkable this 15-year old pianist would be at the Tiny Desk.

Dirty Projectors poster

Dirty Projectors 0.0

December 4, 2018

The band takes its quirks of production, rhythm and rhyme and brilliantly arranges them to work behind the Tiny Desk.

Wu-Tang Clan poster

Wu-Tang Clan 0.0

December 5, 2018

The Clan celebrates its 25th anniversary with an old-school cipher at the Tiny Desk.

H.E.R. poster

H.E.R. 0.0

December 12, 2018

The singer stuns in her second appearance at the Tiny Desk, showcasing not only her vocal mastery, but her skills as a …

Harold López-Nussa Trio poster

Harold López-Nussa Trio 0.0

December 14, 2018

Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa, along with his brother Ruy on drums and bassist Gaston Joya, deliver a set of danceab…

Amy Grant poster

Amy Grant 0.0

December 17, 2018

Amy Grant maps her fabulous, four-decade career with some of her coziest and heartfelt Christmas songs, not to mention …