Season 2018 (2018)
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Episodes 128
Open Mike Eagle
The indie rap denizen behind one of 2017's most inventive albums came to the nation's capital to represent all the Brick Body Kids who Still Daydream.
Read MoreThe Weather Station
One of the joys of listening to The Weather station is the tension and release in the group's enchanting music. It's what made the band's most recent album one of Bob Boilen's favorite of 2017.
Read MoreJulien Baker
Julien Baker's Turn Out The Lights brought her much-deserved critical acclaim and wider attention in 2017. Before its release we asked her to make a rare return to the Tiny Desk for something special.
Read MoreDaniil Trifonov
Watch the young Russian musician, who The Times of London calls “the most astounding pianist of our age,” play a smart, Chopin-focused concert on a grand piano, precisely wedged behind the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreArtists From The 'Take Me To The River' Tour
More than a dozen artists gather behind the Tiny Desk to celebrate Memphis soul in a joyful, triumphant performance.
Read MoreThe Lemon Twigs
Brothers Brian and Michael D'Addario seem like they beamed into the Tiny Desk from the year 1971, untouched by the 21st century.
Read MoreAmadou and Mariam
The Malian musicians, who've been playing together for nearly 40 years, bring some of the most lyrical melodies and joyful sounds we've ever had at the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreSt. Vincent
The singer performed at the Tiny Desk without a warmup or soundcheck, with just her acoustic guitar and un-amplified voice, letting the wordplay in her songs shine through.
Read MoreGeorge Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars
George Clinton brought his family, both immediate and extended, to the Tiny Desk for a set of classic cosmic slop.
Read MoreBarbara Hannigan
Eavesdrop on a beautiful recital of German songs from fin de siècle Vienna, when music was transitioning from the swells of romanticism to the uncharted waters of modernism.
Read MoreJamila Woods
In three songs celebrating black ancestry and self-love, Woods demonstrated just how adept she is at creating songs rich with philosophical meaning that also move and groove.
Read MoreAlice Smith
The beloved singer-songwriter premiered three new songs while turning NPR's headquarters into a Harlem speakeasy.
Read MoreVicente García
This under-the-radar singer from the Dominican Republic is starting to turn some heads. You'll see why in this Tiny Desk performance.
Read MoreHurray For The Riff Raff
The music of Hurray For The Riff Raff builds bridges, unites people and forms communities. It's a spirit singer Alynda Segarra and the rest of the band bring to this memorable Tiny Desk performance.
Read MoreThe Crossrhodes
The Crossrhodes showed up to the Tiny Desk with game faces on, bringing with it a locally cultivated, globally appreciated energy.
Read MoreMarlon Williams
Marlon Williams has a heart-stopping voice, is in love with a good, traditional blues or country tune, and writes songs about vampires and horror films.
Read MoreNick Hakim
The music of Nick Hakim occupies a space and time that feels out of this world, with songs that explore the quietude of inner thoughts.
Read MoreBetsayda Machado y Parranda El Clavo
The Afro-Venezuelan collective brings the boisterous parranda sound to the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreBig Daddy Kane
One of the greatest to ever bless the mic treated the Tiny Desk audience to an office block party.
Read MoreAugust Greene (Common, Robert Glasper, Karriem Riggins)
August Greene, Common's new trio with Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins, brought some special guest vocalists to the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreLee Ann Womack
The Nashville star brought some good old country music stories to the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreAnna Meredith
Out of nearly 700 performances at the Tiny Desk over the past decade, this one by British composer Anna Meredith is one of the most exhilarating.
Read MoreBig K.R.I.T.
The Mississippi rapper paid homage to his grandmother and performed songs from his new album 4eva Is a Mighty Long Time.
Read MoreAlex Clare
Clare's songs ask listeners to probe their own emotions through the lens of life’s bigger pictures. His visit to Bob Boilen’s desk is the perfect setting to bask in the power of his voice.
Read MoreJohn Prine
For more than 45 years, the legendary John Prine has written some of the most powerful lyrics in the American music canon. He brings some of his best to this unforgettable Tiny Desk performance.
Read MoreRaul Midón
Raul Midón brought nothing but a guitar and his voice to an extended Tiny Desk set of dense, breathtaking jazz and soul textures.
Read MoreJenny And The Mexicats
Sometimes frenetic, sometimes slow and luxurious, the grooves the band creates are the perfect cushion for Jenny Ball's impassioned singing and engaging stage presence.
Read MoreI'm With Her
Aoife O'Donovan, Sarah Jarosz and Sara Watkins are bound by a love for bluegrass, chamber music, jazz, storytelling and singing.
Read MoreRobin Olson
Hear the elusive avant-garde pianist debut a new piece, etched in shimmering chords and dark, lamenting octaves.
Read MoreDee Dee Bridgewater
Bridgewater connects with her roots, her birthplace and the town she's loved all her life, with a set of songs from Memphis.
Read MoreDan Auerbach
The guitarist and singer for The Black Keys and The Arcs brings his Easy Eye Sound Revue to the Tiny Desk, recalling a time and sound from the '60s when southern R&B, including Nashville, was a force.
Read MoreLara Bello
Flamenco, jazz and classical share the stage in this Tiny Desk from one of our favorite Spanish composers.
Read MoreTyler Childers
Tyler Childers writes songs about hard lives and hard love with direct heart and a soulful Kentucky drawl.
Read MoreJorge Drexler
The Uruguayan singer-songwriter is one of the finest lyricists operating today. Watch his stunning performance behind the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreThe Breeders
The Breeders' dreamy scuzz sounds wiser and more frazzled at the Tiny Desk, featuring the same lineup behind the band's breakout, 1993 album Last Splash.
Read MoreJohn Moreland
When you hear John Moreland's sweet voice, it's hard to believe he spent years singing in punk, metal-core and hardcore bands. He plays acoustic guitar now, but his songs are still full of passion.
Read MoreLogan Richardson
Hear a triumphant fusion of jazz, rock and blues that moves with momentum and fresh anticipation. Logan Richardson plays with a lyrical intensity that is both focused and free.
Read MoreSuperorganism
The multinational band of theatrically fun and talented musicians in Superorganism mix melody and mischievous with almost Seussian folly.
Read MoreGZA & The Soul Rebels
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's unspoken elder statesman.
Read MoreDarlingside
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 wistful mystery that is the music of Darlingside.
Read MoreBela Fleck And Abigail Washburn
Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn are two American musical treasures. This husband-and-wife banjo duo write original tunes steeped in the roots of folk music.
Read MoreNaia Izumi
The winner of this year's Tiny Desk Contest makes his official debut behind the desk.
Read MoreKhruangbin
This trio from Houston, Texas makes trance-inducing music heavily inspired by 1960s and '70s funk and soul from, of all places, Thailand.
Read MoreThe Band's Visit
Tony Shalhoub, Katrina Lenk and the cast of the Tony-nominated play The Band's Visit marked the first Broadway performance at the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreJuanes & Mon Laferte
The Colombian pop star and Chilean rising star brought their duet tour to the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreIll Camille
The Los Angeles rapper and Kendrick Lamar collaborator performed four songs from her excellent album, Heirloom.
Read MoreThird Coast Percussion
Watch the Chicago-based ensemble conjure otherworldly sounds from steel pipes, tuned cowbells and a bowl that sings.
Read MoreTrouble Funk
We squeezed 12 go-go musicians behind the Tiny Desk. Watch what ensued.
Read MoreDaniel Caesar
Watch the R&B star-in-the-making perform three songs, including a guest appearance by H.E.R.
Read MoreGrace VanderWaal
The 14-year-old singer who signed to Columbia after winning America's Got Talent, dazzles the Tiny Desk with her breathtaking voice.
Read MoreJorja Smith
Watch the rising U.K. star perform intimate renditions of "Blue Lights," "On My Mind" and "Teenage Fantasy" with a full band.
Read MoreYissy García & Bandancha
Come for one of Havana's most talented acts. Stay for García's incredible mohawk.
Read MoreThe Messthetics
The bassist and drummer from D.C.'s pioneering punk band Fugazi join guitarist Anthony Pirog for a set of thrilling, sometimes loud and frenetic instrumentals.
Read MoreFrom The Top
A handful of teenagers, and a 12-year-old violinist, from the radio show From the Top, give sparkling performances, proving there's a bright future for classical music.
Read MoreDave Matthews
The star sheds his band for a warm, winning, utterly game, happily overstuffed five-song performance of songs from across his long career.
Read MoreGolden Dawn Arkestra
Join the "Children of the Sun" - or sit back and enjoy the spectacle - in this Tiny Desk experience.
Read MoreFrédéric Yonnet With Special Guest Dave Chappelle
Yonnet is a magician on the harmonica. You'll see why he's performed with Stevie Wonder, Prince and Ed Sheeran.
Read MoreRev. Sekou And The Seal Breakers
Rev. Sekou and the Seal Breakers gave one of the most rousing Tiny Desks we've ever had, opening with one question: "Do you want to get free?"
Read MoreMumu Fresh Feat. Black Thought & DJ Dummy
Occasionally a new voice emerges so rich in experience that the only way to describe it is old soul.
Read MoreThe Midnight Hour
A Tribe Called Quest's Ali Shaheed Muhammad and composer Adrian Younge brought their Luke Cage-inspired collaboration to the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreÓlafur Arnalds
The Icelandic composer is joined by two "ghost" pianists, making mysterious and memorable music at the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreThe King's Singers
The storied vocal ensemble brings close harmony singing to a diverse set list that includes a Beatles tune and a bawdy madrigal from the 1500s.
Read MoreLalah Hathaway
The veteran singer showcases her soaring powerfully expressive voice in a performance that bridges several generations of classic soul.
Read MoreThe Del McCoury Band
Del McCoury has been performing, and updating, his take on bluegrass for some 60 years. At the Tiny Desk, he brought three traveling songs and some good yarns to share from his ample time on the road.
Read MoreHaley Heynderickx
One of our favorite new artists of 2018 visits the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreMac Miller
Mac Miller reflects on his journey's peaks and valleys in a boisterous set of songs from Swimming, featuring special guest Thundercat on "What's the Use?"
Read MoreTower Of Power
Even from its beginnings in late-'60s Oakland, the band has always stood out. Fifty years later, its devotion to classic horn-driven soul remains unmatched, its passion and precision unchanged.
Read MoreErykah Badu
The singer's performance at the Tiny Desk was an almost spiritual experience, leaving many at the NPR Music offices in awe.
Read MoreDermot Kennedy
Backed for the first time ever by members of the Howard Gospel Choir, the Irish singer-songwriter shows off a voice built to fill stadiums in more ways than one.
Read MoreTech N9ne Feat. Krizz Kaliko
Two of Kansas City's finest — and indie hip-hop's trailblazers — deliver a dose of Strange Music.
Read MoreJupiter & Okwess
Jupiter Bokondji and his band Okwess play music that feels both African and American, with Jupiter's early musical tastes inspired by The Jackson 5, James Brown and the sounds of Motown.
Read MoreHobo Johnson
While this Sacramento, Calif. band didn't win this year's Tiny Desk contest, their video entry, for the song "Peach Scones," was among the more memorable we've ever seen.
Read MoreGoGo Penguin
This trio has become a reference point of their own for new school instrumentalists, a coveted achievement for any jazz group, though their appeal stretches far outside the jazz ecosystem.
Read MoreSmif-N-Wessun
Brooklyn-bred hip-hop duo Smif-N-Wessun – consisting of partners in rhyme, Steele and Tek – illuminated the Tiny Desk with their signature, 80-proof poetry: straight, no chaser.
Read MoreJulie Byrne
Julie Byrne's transporting music can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Read MoreAnthony Roth Costanzo
Watch the ambitious countertenor sing music that spans more than 250 years, connecting the dots between David Byrne, George Frideric Handel and Philip Glass.
Read MoreCécile McLorin Salvant
The jazz singer, who used to be into radical feminist punk, now composes and sings beautiful jazz ballads.
Read MoreCory Henry & The Funk Apostles
Henry and his band would have sounded right at home on Stax Records in the '70s — no small accomplishment. Watch them perform three funky, soulful jams.
Read MoreCafé Tacvba
The pioneering Mexican band recreates the adventurous musical energy of their massive stadium shows behind Bob Boilen's desk.
Read MoreFlorence + the Machine
"I'm sorry I'm shy," Florence Welch told the crowd of NPR family and friends gathered for her Tiny Desk performance. "If this was a big gig, I'd probably be climbing all over here and running around."
Read MoreAlfredo Rodríguez
The Cuban pianist thrilled the NPR office with an intense performance that was as melodic as it was rhythmic.
Read MoreCautious Clay
The charismatic singer and saxophonist brought a group of longtime friends to play a warm, thoughtful and chill set at the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreLiniker e os Caramelows
Liniker e os Caramelows are from Brazil but steeped in the tradition of soul from here in the U.S. Watching this performance is to witness a spell being cast, note-by-note.
Read MoreNicholas Payton Trio
After back-to-back performances in South Africa, Argentina, Chile and New York, Payton hit the Tiny Desk, where he dazzled the audience, simultaneously playing his trumpet and a Fender Rhodes.
Read MorePedro The Lion
No matter how dark or disastrous, there's always been an undercurrent of grace to the music of David Bazan. He returns to his Pedro the Lion moniker for this memorable Tiny Desk performance.
Read MoreBernie And The Believers Feat. Essence
The story of Bernie and the Believers is the story of Bernie Dalton's diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease and compassionate friends making his dream come true and his songs come to life.
Read MoreThe Innocence Mission
The Innocence Mission, ever the most careful cultivators of quiet, encouraged us to come closer, to discover the "thing beautiful enough" in the moment it's delivered.
Read MoreJoey Alexander
No one in the NPR offices could have imagined how remarkable this 15-year old pianist would be at the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreDirty Projectors
The band takes its quirks of production, rhythm and rhyme and brilliantly arranges them to work behind the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreWu-Tang Clan
The Clan celebrates its 25th anniversary with an old-school cipher at the Tiny Desk.
Read MoreHarold López-Nussa Trio
Cuban pianist Harold López-Nussa, along with his brother Ruy on drums and bassist Gaston Joya, deliver a set of danceable jazz explorations rooted in Afro-Cuban musical traditions to the Tiny Desk.
Read More