Awesome Npr

“Could you work to build something else besides a wall?”The minds behind NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert tried to get Brooklyn rockers TV on the Radio onto the show 15 years ago, but the band says they never received the invite. They more than make up for it with a rousing set that took us back to nights in small gigs, the air filled with smoke, beer, and sweat.

The remaining members of the influential new wave band DEVO are still going strong. Instead of playing the usual hits, their NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert features four lesser-known tracks, including some they haven’t played live in more than 40 years. The set list: It Takes a Worried Man, Blockhead, Praying Hands, and Come Back Jonee.

To celebrate the release of his new album Everything I Thought It Was, Justin Timberlake and 14 musicians from The Tennessee Kids crammed into the NPR Music offices and turned in this fantastic short concert. The seven-song R&B set includes Señorita, Rock Your Body, Pusher Love Girl, Until The End of Time, Selfish, What Goes Around, and SexyBack.

On 3.11.2024, NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Concert dropped this excellent short performance by alt-rock band 311. Lead singer Nick Hexum and his bandmates sound as good as ever, with a four-song set that includes Beautiful Disaster, All Mixed Up, Amber, and Down. We always loved the way they blened rock, reggae, and funk sounds.

Nile Rogers has written and produced some of the biggest songs and albums ever. Among his creations is the disco-funk group CHIC, who stopped by NPR Music with Rogers. The mini-concert’s six mega-hits: CHIC’s Le Freak and Good Times, Diana Ross’ I’m Coming Out, Sister Sledge’s We Are Family, Daft Punk’s Get Lucky, and David Bowie’s Let’s Dance.

(PG-13: Language) When the sh*t goes down, you betta be ready. B-Real, Sen Dog, and the rest of the Cypress Hill gang stopped by the NPR Music offices to celebrate 50 years of hip hop. Their 30-minute, brass-heavy mini-concert includes razor-sharp performances of Hand on the Pump, How I Could Just Kill a Man, (Rap) Superstar, and Insane in the Brain.

To celebrate 25 years on Broadway, the cast and musicians of The Lion King stopped by the NPR offices to perform a series of songs from the award-winning musical. Their warm and enveloping performance of songs like Circle of Life, They Live in You, and Can You Feel the Love Tonight will bring sunshine to even the darkest day. HAKUNA MATATA!

DJ Fred again… is known for his energetic performances at dance clubs and arenas. In the more intimate setting of NPR’s offices, he demonstrates his true talents with a captivating and enveloping one-person concert that incorporates marimbas, a piano, looping, sequencing, sampled recordings, and his own live vocals.

Santi White, aka Santigold is best known for L.E.S. Artistes and Disparate Youth, but she’s got a rich history as an alternative and punk rock musician. She recently stopped by the NPR offices to perform a diverse set, backed by a fantastic band, including Chuck Treece of Bad Brains fame and George Lewis, Jr. aka Twin Shadow.

Back in August, Regina Spektor put on this fantastic, intimate performance, kicking things off with an improvised song about the Tiny Desk, followed by tracks from her 2022 release Home, Before and After, along with a couple of classics. Sadly, she had to cancel her 2022 tour due to COVID, but we hope to see her on the road in 2023.

Throughout his 60-year jazz career, double bass maestro Ron Carter has always been the coolest cat in the room. To celebrate his 85th birthday, the national treasure jams supreme in an NPR Tiny Desk Concert filmed onstage at the Blue Note Jazz Club. The jazz deity will be fêted at Carnegie Hall on 5.10.22.

Modern hardcore punk band Turnstile cranks up the volume while surrounded by a sound-dampening wall of stuffed animals in this most excellent NPR Tiny Desk Concert. The seven-song sit-down offers a fresh take on their acclaimed 2021 album Glow On.

JAMBINAI combines elements of traditional Korean music with heavy metal. To achieve their unique sound, they perform using a mix of old-world and modern instruments. While the backdrop may look like NPR Music’s Tiny Desk office, it’s actually a projection, which changes to reflect the group’s rich and powerful sound.

One of The Flaming Lips’ trademark theatrics is for lead singer Wayne Coyne to crowdsurf the audience inside of a plastic sphere. Thanks to COVID, they decided to perform their entire NPR Tiny Desk concert inside of the bubbles as well. Next up, the band plans on performing for an entire audience inside of bubbles.

Performing under the name Goat Rodeo, musicians Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile turn in a wonderfully stripped-down performance that combines elements of jazz, bluegrass, country, folk, and classical music. Vocalist Aoife O’Donovan accompanies the quartet for the final song “The Trappings.”

Despite having to perform from home, Billie and her brother Finneas sure look like they performed their Tiny Desk Concert at the NPR Music offices. It’s a powerfully intimate performance, with stripped back versions of the tracks “my future” and “everything i wanted.”