K Ishibashi is a master of building his music from the ground up, from live violin loops to layered singing to beatboxing, in order to create pocket symphonies steeped in classical music and 21st-century pop. He brings that ingenuity and songcraft to the Tiny Desk at the NPR Music offices. Set List: "Improvisation / Atticus, In The Desert" "Bright Whites" "I Am The Antichrist To You" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Kishi Bashi Improvisation / Atticus In The Desert Bright Whites I Am The Antichrist To You NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

The French singer and multi-instrumentalist just released a new album called Skyline, and it captures his aesthetic perfectly: Its rich, buzzy, liltingly eccentric pop music is constructed from lots of sweet, intricate pieces. Set List: "The Gutter" "Monuments" "Tribulations" "The Trial" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts video podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Yann Tiersen The Gutter Monuments Tribulations The Trial NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

While clearly rooted in acoustic traditions, the folk music of Arborea stands out for its calm beauty and rough edges. The duo incorporates harmonium, electric guitars played with an EBow, and a Ban-Jammer — a hybrid instrument that's part banjo, part mountain dulcimer. Set List: "Song For Obol" "Forewarned" "A Little Time" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Hospitality Song For Obol Forewarned A Little Time NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

Stream the entire concert here: www.npr.org Rock 'n' roll is most often the stuff of youth and vitality — of desire, of frustration, of love and lust and other ephemeral concerns. Spiritualized singer Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) knows his way around music's role in such hedonistic pursuits, but his work also reflects an acute understanding of mortality, loss and the desire to lean on a force greater than oneself. Pierce almost died twice in the last seven years, once from double-pneumonia and once from degenerative liver disease which necessitated chemotherapy. He recorded Spiritualized's remarkable new record, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, while recovering from the latter, and its songs don't hesitate to leer into the abyss. Even as they swagger and seethe, they document a frail and flawed man's circuitous journey through self-inflicted agonies and righteous redemption, and back around to agony. That said, a Spiritualized concert is the stuff of big-hearted, spaced-out, bliss-packed joy and celebration. Sweet Heart Sweet Light overtly pursues salvation through divine intervention — it doesn't take a careful parsing of lyrics to figure that out — so it's appropriate that Spiritualized in concert can convey the spirit of a revival show. Producers: Mito Habe-Evans and Robin Hilton Audio engineer: Kevin Wait Videographers: Claire O'Neill and John Rose Production assistance: Michael Katzif and Dan Raby

Spiritualized (Musical Group) NPR (Radio Network) live concert NPR Music 9:30 Club

While clearly rooted in acoustic traditions, the folk music of Arborea stands out for its calm beauty and rough edges. The duo incorporates harmonium, electric guitars played with an EBow, and a Ban-Jammer — a hybrid instrument that's part banjo, part mountain dulcimer. Set List: "Song For Obol" "Forewarned" "A Little Time" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts video podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Arborea Song For Obol Forewarned A Little Time NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

With his brilliant debut, Affirmed, Salsburg is likely to become one of those names we all associate with American folk guitar. Here, he showcases his intricate and melodic fingerpicking in two instrumental songs inspired by the stories of racehorses from the Kentucky Derby. Set List: Affirmed" "Eight Belles Dreamt the Devil Was Dead" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Nathan Salsburg Affirmed NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

The improvisational music of father and son Pedro Soler and Gaspar Claus functions as a beautiful conversation. Soler plays a delicate flamenco guitar, while Claus turns the cello into an exquisitely expressive voice. The two bring that spirit to their intimate performance in the NPR Music offices. Set List: La Petenera" "La Graneña" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Pedro Soler Gaspar Claus La Petenera La Graneña NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

Watch more Classics In Concert: www.npr.org At first blush, you might not think operas and nightclubs would be a natural pairing. But an evening at New York's (Le) Poisson Rouge with Danielle de Niese — the 33-year-old star soprano who calls herself a "diva for the digital age" — proved a blend of uptown music and downtown grit could be just right. Clad in a complicated teal gown the singer later called "a perfect mix of rock 'n' roll and diva glam," she grooved her way through the show. She's an intensely physical performer. Forget the image of a prim soprano parking and barking — de Niese literally dances on stage. (Who knew that you could totally rock out to Cleopatra's aria "Da Tempeste Il Legno Infranto" from Handel's opera Serse?) The personal charisma and magnetism for which de Niese is famous were on ample display. And it's hard to imagine an artist who has more sheer fun onstage, down to her machine-gun pantomiming in the midst of the Cleopatria aria. At the same time, de Niese isn't an artist who makes any secret of what hard work singing is. Before a fast run, she stretches out her arms and rubs her hands in anticipation of what's coming next. And on this night, in the surprisingly stuffy air of a mid-January Manhattan night, she frequently brushed her hair away from the back of her neck to cool off. Even during the hushed and beautiful Dowland song "Come Again, Sweet Love Doth Now Invite," de Niese relaxed on a barstool with an almost leonine elegance before <b>...</b>

Concert (TV Genre) Music (Industry) NPR (Radio Network) Live

The Brooklyn jazz quartet began by playing benefit concerts for an ill friend, but the band soon realized it had potential for more. Endangered Blood's music draws from post-bop, 20th-century chromaticism and New Orleans funeral marches, showcasing compositions both cerebral and gritty. Set List: "Iris" "Uri Bird" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Endangered Blood Iris Uri Bird Chris Speed Oscar Noriega Trevor Dunn Jim Black Tiny Desk Concerts NPR Music A Blog Supreme All Songs Considered

Stream the entire concert here: www.npr.org Rock 'n' roll is most often the stuff of youth and vitality — of desire, of frustration, of love and lust and other ephemeral concerns. Spiritualized singer Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) knows his way around music's role in such hedonistic pursuits, but his work also reflects an acute understanding of mortality, loss and the desire to lean on a force greater than oneself. Pierce almost died twice in the last seven years, once from double-pneumonia and once from degenerative liver disease which necessitated chemotherapy. He recorded Spiritualized's remarkable new record, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, while recovering from the latter, and its songs don't hesitate to leer into the abyss. Even as they swagger and seethe, they document a frail and flawed man's circuitous journey through self-inflicted agonies and righteous redemption, and back around to agony. That said, a Spiritualized concert is the stuff of big-hearted, spaced-out, bliss-packed joy and celebration. Sweet Heart Sweet Light overtly pursues salvation through divine intervention — it doesn't take a careful parsing of lyrics to figure that out — so it's appropriate that Spiritualized in concert can convey the spirit of a revival show. Producers: Mito Habe-Evans and Robin Hilton Audio engineer: Kevin Wait Videographers: Claire O'Neill and John Rose Production assistance: Michael Katzif and Dan Raby

NPR (Radio Network) Spiritualized (Musical Group) 9:30 Club NPR Music live concert

Stream the entire concert here: www.npr.org Rock 'n' roll is most often the stuff of youth and vitality — of desire, of frustration, of love and lust and other ephemeral concerns. Spiritualized singer Jason Pierce (aka J. Spaceman) knows his way around music's role in such hedonistic pursuits, but his work also reflects an acute understanding of mortality, loss and the desire to lean on a force greater than oneself. Pierce almost died twice in the last seven years, once from double-pneumonia and once from degenerative liver disease which necessitated chemotherapy. He recorded Spiritualized's remarkable new record, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, while recovering from the latter, and its songs don't hesitate to leer into the abyss. Even as they swagger and seethe, they document a frail and flawed man's circuitous journey through self-inflicted agonies and righteous redemption, and back around to agony. That said, a Spiritualized concert is the stuff of big-hearted, spaced-out, bliss-packed joy and celebration. Sweet Heart Sweet Light overtly pursues salvation through divine intervention — it doesn't take a careful parsing of lyrics to figure that out — so it's appropriate that Spiritualized in concert can convey the spirit of a revival show. Producers: Mito Habe-Evans and Robin Hilton Audio engineer: Kevin Wait Videographers: Claire O'Neill and John Rose Production assistance: Michael Katzif and Dan Raby

NPR (Radio Network) Spiritualized concert live NPR Music 9:30 Club

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros can't exactly slip into an office building unnoticed: Clad in the same clothes they'd worn at a concert the night before, the LA band's 10 ragtag misfits would have fit in far more seamlessly at, say, Burning Man. Seeming to exist in a blissed-out alternate universe — during the wonderful "Home," singer Jade Castrinos exclaims, "Good morning, everybody!" as the clock behind her reads 2:10 pm — this is a band whose performances beg to be seen as well as heard, not to mention shot through a wide-angle lens. The biggest band to play a Tiny Desk Concert - the 10 members of The Magnetic Zeroes played three songs from their debut album (Up From Below). The set included: - Janglin - Home - 40 Day Daydream

Tiny Desk Series NPR Music Up From Below All Songs Considered npr

The genre-bending cellist Yo-Yo Ma heads a dream team of string players -- Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Stuart Duncan -- who borrow from bluegrass. The quartet, plus singer Aoife O'Donovan perform three songs from their album The Goat Rodeo Sessions at the NPR Music offices. Set List: "Quarter Chicken Dark" "Attaboy" "Here And Heaven" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit NPR.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Yo-Yo Ma Chris Thile Edgar Meyer Stuart Duncan Aoife O'Donovan Goat Rodeo Sessions Quarter Chicken Dark Attaboy Here And Heaven NPR Music All Songs Considered Tiny Desk Concerts

Armed with acoustic guitars, tiny amps, a desktop percussion unit and a ton of grace, Wilco plays three new songs from The Whole Love and an old favorite in a stripped-down but powerful set at the NPR Music offices. Set List: "Dawned On Me" "Whole Love" "Born Alone" "War On War" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Wilco NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

I can't think of a better way to describe the music of Rodrigo y Gabriela than with three words: "heavy metal flamenco." And yet the duo doesn't play heavy metal — its members perform instrumentals on nylon-string guitars — nor does it play Spanish dance music. But the term fits because the pair's fierce guitar riffs feel powerfully electric, and because Rodrigo y Gabriela's rhythmic style showcases a frenetic strum that conjures the energy of flamenco. The duo have just released a new album titled, 11:11, which pays tribute to the pair's heroes — Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Astor Piazzolla and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell. They recently performed a few tracks for the NPR Music Tiny Desk series including "Hanuman" and "Buster Voodoo."

Rodrigo y Gabriela Tiny Desk Series NPR Music 11:11 heavy metal flaminco NPR

Beirut arrived at the NPR Music offices dusty and exhausted following a weekend at Bonnaroo in Tennessee. But after some much-needed showers, the band brought infectious joy to its short set behind the Tiny Desk. Set List: "East Harlem" "Sante Fe" "Serbian Cocek" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Beirut Zach Condon The Rip Tide NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

A few years ago, Noah and the Whale would have seemed like the last band to bring a drum machine to a Tiny Desk Concert. But here, the London band plugs in -- and sweet simplicity still reigns. Set List: "LIFEGOESON" "Blue Skies" "Waiting For My Chance To Come" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts Podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Noah And The Whale Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered NPR Music

Raphael Saadiq was nominated for his 2008 solo album The Way I See It. The album featured an eclectic group of collaborators, such as Joss Stone, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z. For his Tiny Desk Concert, Saadiq brought a remarkable accompanist in guitarist Rob Bacon. The two had just gotten off a plane, but in their impeccably tailored suits and their grand smiles, they looked fresh and played an inspired acoustic performance. As you watch, keep an eye on Saadiq's guitar work: You'll see how his years as a bassist influences many of his licks on his Taylor acoustic. Saadiq played: "Love That Girl" "100 Yard Dash" "Sure Hope You Mean It"

Tiny Desk NPR Music Raphael Saadiq Rob Bacon NPR

The brilliant and nimble guitarist reinvents the songs of John Lennon at the NPR Music offices. Set List: Nowhere Man" "In My Life" "Strawberry Fields Forever" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Bill Frisell Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered NPR Music

LaFarge writes and performs original, sometimes traditional music steeped in American blues, country and Western swing from the days when 78s ruled the record player. Watch him perform a short set at the NPR Music offices, with the help of his band The South City Three. Set List: "La La Blues" "Pack It Up" "Head To Toe" For more videos, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Pokey lafarge South City Three Pack It Up La La Blues Head To Toe Tiny Desk Concerts NPR Music All Songs Considered

Armed with the summer song of 2011, the band brings "Pumped Up Kicks" and more to NPR Music. Set List: "Houdini" "Helena Beat" "Pumped Up Kicks" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Foster The People NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

Jones' name is synonymous with the Hammond B3 organ. At 17, he recorded the instrument's anthem, "Green Onions," with his band Booker T and The MG's. Watch him play the song all alone in the NPR Music offices -- and with such joy, you'd swear he just discovered it. Set List: "Green Onions" "Born Under A Bad Sign" "Down In Memphis" For more videos, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts You can download the video by subscribing to the All Songs Considered Tiny Desk Concert Podcast at npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Booker T. Jones Booker T. & the mg's Green Onions Born Under A Bad Sign Down In Memphis Tiny Desk Concerts NPR Music All Songs Considered

Though his appearance at the NPR Music office qualifies as the first-ever hip-hop Tiny Desk Concert, Somali-born rapper K'naan isn't one to adhere to a single genre. Given that he released a song called "If Rap Gets Jealous" earlier this year, it's no surprise that this show found him infusing his music with the sounds of soul, pop and reggae. With the help of a crack backing band, his three-song set — all drawing from this spring's marvelous Troubadour, proves what we've been saying for months, K'naan has the makings of a global superstar who's as inspiring as his songs are infectious. Setlist: "Fatima," "Wavin' Flag," and "Take a Minute."

K'naan Tiny Desk Series NPR Music Bob Boilen hip-hop All Songs Considered npr

For some acts, stripping a sound down to essentials is easy: Strap on the acoustic guitar and maybe use a snare drum instead of a full kit. It was different for YACHT; it's not a simple guitar-bass-drums band. Watch the electro-pop group's striking performance at the NPR Music offices. Set List: "Dystopia (The Earth Is On Fire)" "Psychic City (Voodoo City)" "Shangri-La" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concert podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

YACHT NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

Watch the world's reigning pipa virtuoso play ancient music from her Chinese homeland in the NPR Music offices. When her fingers start to fly, Wu Man can create scenes of cinematic grandeur or serene, moonlit moments. Set List: "Ambushed From All Sides" "Night Thoughts" "White Snow In Spring" For more videos, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Wu Man Ambushed From All Sides Night Thoughts White Snow In Spring NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered pipa

With the help of Iranian singer-percussionist Aida Shahghasemi, Marketa Irglova crafts a lovely mix of the exotic and the familiar; of sweetness and longing. Watch the pair perform three songs in the NPR Music offices. Set List: "We Are Good" "Dokhtar Goochani" "Let Me Fall In Love" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Marketa Irglova Swell Season Tiny Desk Concerts NPR Music All Songs Considered

Givers' music is a clatter of percussion, bright tropical melodies, slinky guitar upstrokes and playful vocals that float over polyrhythmic grooves. At the NPR Music offices, the band plays a sunny, exuberant set, suitable for dancing and bobbing along. Set List: "Meantime" "Up Up Up" "Atlantic" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Givers Meantime Up Up Up Atlantic Tiny Desk Concert NPR Music All Songs Considered

With loop pedals and an irrepressible voice, tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus makes powerful and danceable songs that spring to life before your eyes. Watch Garbus perform three buoyant songs from this year's stunning whokil l. Set List: "You Yes You" "Doorstep" "My Country" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

tune-yards Merrill Garbus

As a gaggle of videographers, musicians, industry types and hangers-on stepped gingerly through tall brush to enter a dilapidated section of Fort Adams in Newport, RI, you couldn't blame us for feeling like unwitting participants in a horror movie. Standing amid hundred-year-old rubble as the 2011 Newport Folk Festival clattered merrily in the distance, we were either going to capture two breathtaking minutes of music or get eviscerated by maniacs as part of The Newport Witch Project. Thankfully, we made it out with the footage you see above. Like a ray gun that shoots weaponized gorgeousness, the Vermont trio Mountain Man fit an awful lot of moony harmonies into this all-too-brief performance of "Sewee Sewee." As a self-explanatorily named group called The Seeger Clogging Allstars clomped away behind them, Mountain Man's three members — Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Randall Meath — sang and stared sweetly into each other's faces. If the scene above once seemed destined to devolve into a grisly horror movie, at least we had a choir of angels on hand to escort us into the afterlife. See more Field Recordings: www.npr.org Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Mike Katzif Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait Special Thanks to: Stephen Thompson Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Keith Jenkins.

Mountain Man Newport Folk Festival NPR Music

He can play the horn. He can sing. And that's made him the latest musical star of a great New Orleans tradition. But Trombone Shorty mainly just wants you to dance: "I know you came here to move," he sings to an office full of NPR staff. Set List: "Dumaine St." "Lagniappe" "Do To Me" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Trombone Shorty NPR Music All Songs Considered Tiny Desk Concert Dumaine St. Lagniappe Do To Me

Watch Joy Williams and John Paul White's swooning chemistry and stirring harmonies at the NPR Music offices. Set List: "Barton Hollow" "Twenty Years" "Poison & Wine" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit NPR.org/tinydeskconcerts

The Civil Wars NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

One of the best party bands around, Red Baarat plays rollicking funk music steeped in Northern India's wedding celebrations, with a dash of DC go-go beats and hip-hop. The dance-friendly group performs a loud, high-energy set at the NPR Music offices. Set List: "Chaal Baby" "Shruggy Ji" "Dhol 'n' Brass" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Red Baraat NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

The name Chuck Brown might not mean a whole lot to people outside the Washington, DC, area. That would be their loss. In DC, Brown is revered as the Godfather of Go-Go. So to have Brown play in a corner of the NPR Music offices with a full, plugged-in 11-member group was like a dream come true for a lot of NPR staffers. Set List: "Senorita" "Chuck Baby" "Wind Me Up!" / "Bustin' Loose" "Run Joe" / "It Don't Mean A Thing" For more Tiny Desk Concerts, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Chuck Brown Tiny Desk Concerts NPR All Songs Considered ASC Bob Boilen Chuck Baby Wind Me Up! Bustin' Loose Run Joe Senorita NPR Music National Public Radio

Josh Ritter carries himself with the bearing of a folk-singing mayor: gregarious, charming, down-to-earth and impeccably dressed. But there's not an ounce of insincerity about him, or else he'd have found a way to sing the apocalyptic ballad "The Temptation of Adam" without letting all those wry smiles slip through. Watch Ritter perform a Tiny Desk Concert at the NPR Music offices. Set List: The Temptation Of Adam Lark Rattling Locks Kathleen For more videos visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Josh Ritter Temptation Of Adam Lark Rattling Locks Kathleen Tiny Desk Concerts NPR Music All Songs Considered National Public Radio

Jurado has spent the last decade churning out albums of raw, time-worn, authentically graceful music, and he's always possessed a seemingly innate gift for capturing the intricacies of human behavior. Watch him perform his songs in the NPR Music office. Set List: "Cloudy Shoes" "Newspaper Gown" "Arkansas" "Beacon Hill" For more, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Damien Jurado Newspaper Gown Arkansas Beacon Hill Cloudy Shoes NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts National Public Radio All Songs Considered

Most bands that perform a Tiny Desk Concert need to adjust their setup and sound to accommodate the setting's limitations. Malian kora player Ballake Sissoko and French cellist Vincent Segal are an exception. Watch the masterful duo perform a transfixing set combining African and European strings. Set List: "Chamber Music" "Balazando" "Niandou" "'Ma-Ma' FC" For more, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Ballake Sissoko Vincent Segal Chamber Music kora cello Balazando Niandou Ma-Ma FC Tiny Desk Concerts NPR Music National Public Radio All Songs Considered

The Irish songwriter has one of the most arresting voices of any young singer you're likely to hear this year. See McMorrow give an intimate acoustic performance at the NPR Music offices. Set List: "This Old Dark Machine" "Sparrow And The Wolf" "Follow You Down To The Red Oak Tree" "Red Dust" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

James Vincent mcmorrow Tiny Desk Concerts NPR Music All Songs Considered

Few groups seem more game for tromping over thorny bushes and climbing through broken window frames — just to play a single song — than David Wax Museum. Complete with a rousing horn section and some spirited handclaps, the band performs a fun and infectious rendition of "Born With a Broken Heart" in the dilapidated ruins of Fort Adams during the 2011 Newport Folk Festival in Newport, RI See more Field Recordings: npr.org/series/144918893/field-recordings Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Mike Katzif Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Keith Jenkins

David Wax Museum NPR Music Newport Folk Festival Fort Adams Field Recordings

In the few years that Mount Kimbie has been creating music, the London-based dubstep duo has crossed over to find fans in the US Venturing into the pair's groundbreaking yet accessible soundscapes in this first-ever electronic Tiny Desk Concert, it's easy to see why. Set List: "Maybes" "Ode To Bear" "Field" For more videos, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Mount Kimbie Maybes Ode To Bear Field Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered NPR Music

Watch the stylish young violinist pull out a bag of tricks in music by Paganini. Performing at the NPR Music offices, Siem tosses off left-hand pizzicatos, double-stop harmonics and spiccato bowing as if he were buttering bread. Set List: Ole Bull: Cantabile Paganini: Introduction and Variations on Paisiello's "Nel Cor Piu" Godowsky: Alt Wien (arr. Heifetz) For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concert podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts

Charlie Siem Ole Bull Alt Wien Tiny Desk Concerts NPR Music All Songs Considered

Sera Cahoone got her start playing drums for a few widely adored bands in the Pacific Northwest, most notably Band of Horses and the spell-checker-defying Carissa's Wierd. But her self-titled, self-released 2006 album marked her as a fully formed talent — a warm and inviting singer whose songs convey world-weariness and homespun grace. Cahoone stopped by the NPR offices to perform a few songs at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. Read More: www.npr.org See More Tiny Desk Concerts: www.npr.org

Sera Cahoone Carissa's Wierd Band of Horses Runnin' Your Way Couch Song Only As The Day Is Long Colder Air Last Time NPR NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Bob Boilen All Songs Considered Washington DC

There's so much to experience during South by Southwest at any given moment, it can be difficult to find peace amid Austin's frenetic pace and competing giant sounds. By the time we met up with Dry the River at Joe's Crab Shack's secluded patio overlooking the Colorado River, we were looking forward to giving our ears a break. Dry the River typically writes music with big, cathartic climaxes in mind: Songs on the band's first full-length album, Shallow Bed, tend to start with miniaturized melodies that eventually burst into thunderous rock anthems. But on this particular morning, Dry the River arrived in a more intimate formation, swapping electric guitars for acoustics and its full drum set for a single snare. While this performance of the gorgeous "Bible Belt" eases back on the loudness of the original, the band by no means lacks power. The result is a hushed, stirring performance that highlights the band's many strengths — an all-too-brief oasis of calm, sandwiched by the din of guitar feedback. See more Field Recordings: www.npr.org Set List: "Bible Belt" Producers: Bob Boilen, Mito Habe-Evans, Saidah Blount Videographer/Editor: Michael Katzif Videographer: Katie Hayes Luke Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait

SXSW Field Recordings NPR NPR Music

Yuck doesn't worry much about first impressions: Short of calling a band "We're Terrible," it's hard to imagine a name riper for dismissal. On stage, though, this is a remarkably assured young riser. Standing out for reasons far greater than just drummer Jonny Rogoff's heroically gigantic Afro, Yuck captures the frayed noise and hooky, guitar-driven melodies of '90s rock, even though its members, at 20, are too young to have experienced it firsthand. Recorded live from Stubb's in Austin, Texas on March 16, 2011. Follow all of NPR Music's SXSW 2011 coverage at www.npr.org/sxsw.

Yuck SXSW

Lost in the Trees finds beauty in the darkest places. Singer, guitarist and songwriter Ari Picker, an artist classically trained at Berklee School of Music, mixes breathtaking string arrangements and sweeping orchestrations with folk-flavored acoustic guitars. But he uses these beautiful scores to tell personal stories of depression, suicide, cancer and the seemingly endless pain endured by a troubled family. It's the sound of a band coming to terms with the tragedies that define Picker's songs, then weaving bittersweet melodies out of melancholy. After exorcising his inner demons on 2010's All Alone in an Empty House, Picker is back with Lost in the Trees and a new record called A Church That Fits Our Needs. You can watch band perform songs from both albums in this performance, originally recorded live from Le Poisson Rogue in New York City Apr. 11, 2012. See the full concert here: www.npr.org Producers: Mito Habe-Evans, Bob Boilen Audio Engineers: Josh Rogosin, Kevin Wait Videographers: Doron Schachter, AJ Wilhelm Executive Producers: Anya Grundmann, Keith Jenkins

NPR Music Le Poisson Rouge LPR Lost In The Trees Live concert

Austra performs "The Choke" at the Driskill Hotel, Austin, Texas on March 19, 2011. For more videos, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts For more SXSW coverage visit npr.org/sxsw

Austra The Choke SXSW Tiny Desk Concerts NPR Music National Public Radio All Songs Considered

The saxophonist's new repertoire salutes electric funk, South Indian modes and swarming improvisation. It's impressive on record, but it becomes a bug-eyed, mouth-agape experience live. Naturally, you could spot a few contorted faces when he played the NPR Music offices. Set List: "Killer" "Playing With Stones" Personnel: Rudresh Mahanthappa, alto saxophone Rez Abbasi, guitar Rich Brown, bass Rudy Royston, drums For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Rudresh Mahanthappa Killer Playing With Stones NPR Music All Songs Considered Tiny Desk Concerts A Blog Supreme jazz

Exuding both musical and personal warmth, the Irish singer mesmerized at the NPR Music offices. Set List: "Knots" "Little Bird" "Passenger" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Lisa Hannigan Knots Little Bird Passenger NPR Music All Songs Considered Tiny Desk Concerts

You wouldn't think to call someone audacious who once devoted an entire album to Doris Day songs, but Nellie McKay is. Her bold personality shines through in every project she tackles, including this short set recorded at the NPR Music offices. Set List: "Caribbean Time" "The Portal" "Beneath The Underdog"

Nellie mckay Caribbean Time The Portal Beneath The Underdog Home Sweet Mobile Home Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered NPR Music National Public Radio

A soulful master musician from Iran, Kayhan Kalhor gives a beautiful and introspective performance to celebrate the Persian New Year, Nowruz — and shows us something about the art of improvisation. Set List: "Improvisation In Dastgah Nava" For more videos and to subscribe to the Tiny Desk Concerts podcast, visit npr.org/tinydeskconcerts.

Kayhan Kalhor Improvisation In Dastgah Nava NPR Music Tiny Desk Concerts All Songs Considered

Thao Nguyen makes captivating music. Her songs are raw and infectious, her voice has a distinctive swagger, and she's a remarkably nimble guitarist. The singer-songwriter stopped by NPR's offices recently to give an intimate performance at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. Read More: www.npr.org See More Tiny Desk Concerts: www.npr.org

Thao Nguyen The Get Down Stay Down Bob Boilen All Songs Considered NPR NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert Bag of Hammers Beat (Health Life and Fire) Big Kid Table Feet Asleep