Season 5

2012 · 77 episodes

Episodes

1TinariwenEven in a stripped-down acoustic set, Tinariwen's trance-inducing desert music doesn't disappoint.
2Le ButcherettesWatch singer Teri Gender Bender transform from a soft-spoken musician into a rock 'n' roll beast.
3Screaming FemalesThe band's keen sense of song prevails, especially in a new song called "It All Means Nothing."
4Jake Schepps' Expedition QuartetBanjo master Schepps and friends create an intriguing goulash of Bartók, bluegrass and bebop.
5Glenn JonesWatch the masterful folk guitarist perform a lovely instrumental set at the NPR Music offices.
6Anna CalviCalvi plays songs from her self-titled debut in this powerful performance at the NPR Music offices.
7Girl In A ComaThe San Antonio trio gets back to basics to explore its songs' forms and the soul of its lyrics.
8Bill FrisellThe brilliant and nimble guitarist reinvents the songs of John Lennon at the NPR Music offices.
9The Creole Choir Of CubaThe group has revitalized a long-lost culture through music performed entirely in Haitian Creole.
10Craig FinnThe Hold Steady singer's stark side is nicely conducive to barren arrangements at the NPR offices.
11Red BaraatThe dance-friendly, India-inspired funk group performs a high-energy set at the NPR Music offices.
12Joan Soriano"The Duke of Bachata" gives a raw but beautiful interpretation of bachata at the NPR Music offices.
13Joyce El Khoury And Brian JagdeHear the fresh-faced opera singers perform Puccini at the NPR Music offices.
14The CranberriesIn this performance at the NPR Music offices, the Irish pop band mixes new songs with early hits.
15MilagresA band of selective minimalism, Milagres gets the most of simple sounds at the NPR Music offices.
16PistoleraThrough her insightful lyrics, Sandra Velasquez conjures the sounds of the Mexican desert.
17Laura GibsonHer gorgeous, whispery voice inspired the Tiny Desk Concerts series in 2008. Now, Laura Gibson returns with her band to perform four songs from her new album, La Grande.
18Rudresh MahanthappaThe saxophonist's new repertoire salutes electric funk, South Indian modes and swarming solos.
19Real EstateReal Estate wears placidity well: It's a band born and bred to convey and celebrate laconic comfort.
20Kayhan KalhorA soulful master musician from Iran, Kalhor performs a beautiful improvisation at the NPR offices.
21First Aid KitSisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg make charming, folk-infused pop music that lulls and enchants.
22So PercussionThe ensemble employs all kinds of toys, from an amplified cactus to a mug filled with spare change.
23Kathleen EdwardsThe Canadian singer performs four sweet, warm, relatable songs that soothe as they nourish.
24CavemanCaveman writes guitar-based pop songs full of space and melodies you can carry around in your head.
25NovalimaAt the NPR offices, the band plays in a lean, funky configuration that gets the room grooving along.
26Soweto Gospel ChoirThe group fuses the music of many Christian cultures, with nods to African songs of celebration.
27Jolie HollandHolland plays songs with an unadorned tone that makes the voice and lyrics all the more touching.
28Cowboy JunkiesThe venerable band sounds as poignant and tender as ever in this performance at the NPR offices.
29HospitalityThe group doesn't overwhelm so much as it wears listeners down with a subtle charm offensive.
30Nathan SalsburgThe guitarist displays intricate fingerpicking in two songs inspired by Kentucky Derby racehorses.
31Endangered BloodThe jazz quartet draws from post-bop, 20th-century chromaticism and New Orleans funeral marches.
32Kishi BashiK Ishibashi is a master at building songs from live violin loops, layered singing and beatboxing.
33Pedro Soler And Gaspar ClausThe improvisational music of the father-son, guitar-cello duo functions as a beautiful conversation.
34Chuck BrownThe Godfather of Go-Go died Wednesday. In 2010, he brought his full band to the NPR Music office.
35ArboreaRooted in acoustic traditions, the music of Arborea stands out for its calm beauty and rough edges.
36Yann TiersenTiersen's rich, liltingly eccentric pop music is constructed from lots of sweet, intricate pieces.
37Canadian BrassThe venerable brass quintet sports virtuosic, fresh-faced players in tried-and-true repertoire.
38Patrick WatsonWatson has a lovely voice and a gift for wringing evocative sounds out of everything he touches.
39Kelly HoganThe unflappable singer performs three songs with seeming effortlessness and easygoing charm.
40Allison Miller's Boom Tic BoomThe drummer dedicates tunes to her friends, including her first teacher — a "sometimes great guy."
41Daniel JohnstonWatch three songs by a troubled soul with a talent for writing honest, disarmingly direct music.
42Glen HansardHansard flexes his neck muscles a bit as he performs new songs and deep cuts at the NPR offices.
43Mariachi El BronxThe band plays with just the right mixture of passion and pathos in a fun set at the NPR offices.
44Reggie WattsThe comedian and musician performs spontaneous improvisations full of killer grooves and humor.
45ExitmusicThe band plays a beautifully buzzing, nuanced set, marked by gorgeous grace and stirring melodies.
46Brandi CarlileAt the NPR offices, Carlile and her band sing from-the-gut songs about messy lives, loudly lived.
47Laura MarlingTwo songs from A Creature I Don't Know bookend a gorgeous new, unreleased song called "Once."
48Souad MassiA soulful yet steely singer-songwriter from Algeria charts her own course in these four songs.
49The Milk Carton KidsJoey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale sing sweet but intricate folk-pop songs in the NPR offices.
50Janet FederFeder marries classical and folk techniques with otherworldly guitar textures and sounds.
51The WalkmenThe band makes the Tiny Desk accommodate its booming sound rather than the other way around.
52Beth OrtonKnown for mixing folk and electronics, Orton unveils three new songs with just an acoustic guitar.
53The ZombiesTwo surviving members of the band still have the same chemistry here in a stripped-down performance.
54Rufus WainwrightBy the middle of Wainwright's final song, "Montauk," few dry eyes remained in the NPR offices.
55Renaud Garcia-FonsWatch the renowned double bassist thump, strum and loop his way through three mesmerizing songs.
56Avi AvitalAvital's mandolin sings with the sounds of Ernest Bloch and a raucous Bulgarian folk tune.
57Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft OrchestraThese songs' fervor is the product of a singer armed with intensity and musicians who can match it.
58Yva Las VegassWatch Las Vegass bring a punk aesthetic to Venezuelan folk music with a cuatro at the NPR offices.
59Kat EdmonsonHearing the 29-year-old singer makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen.
60AntibalasIt's one thing for 11 musicians to make a big sound, but what stands out is Antibalas' subtlety.
61Spirit Family ReunionThe group plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and washboard, all gathered around a single microphone.
62Dirty ThreeThe band unleashes a gorgeous flurry of shambolic rumbling, prolific hairiness and dramatic yelling.
63Robert Cray BandLike any great blues singer, Cray makes heartache and dysfunction sound engaging and relatable.
64Lord HuronThe band's rich harmonies are welcoming, its lyrics relatable and its live performances thrilling.
65Passion PitMichael Angelakos makes electro-pop with monster hooks. But his songs are sturdy, versatile things.
66Jason LytleThe longtime frontman for Grandaddy goes it alone with acoustic solo songs from his latest record.
67Flaco JimenezThe conjunto icon spins magic, and stays true to tradition, with his trademark button accordion.
68Ben GibbardFor Tiny Desk Concert No. 250, the Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service singer performs solo.
69Martha WainwrightWainwright roughs up life's smooth spots, then digs her fingertips into the cracks that form.
70Taken By TreesVictoria Bergsman's songs seem to come from a place somewhere between a dream state and waking life.
71Macklemore & Ryan LewisThe Seattle duo literally shakes the dust off the ceiling tiles at the NPR Music offices.
72Anaïs MitchellThe singer-songwriter performs three of Young Man in America's most bracingly beautiful songs.
73Daniel BachmanOnce the acoustic guitarist zeroes in on the center of a song, it's easy to get lost in it yourself.
74Lyle LovettLovett gives a loose, engaging performance that feels like both an introduction and a victory lap.
75Alt-JThe Mercury Prize-winning band plays angular, poetic, inventive music that takes unexpected turns.
76The Polyphonic SpreeThe sprawling group, 17 strong, squeezes behind Bob Boilen's desk for a special holiday performance.
77MiguelPerforming at the NPR Music offices, Miguel strips his highly produced hits down to their bones.