Storyline

Intimate musical performances, recorded live at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.

First Aired

2008-04-22
Last Aired

2024-12-06
Creator
Genre
Seasons

17
Episodes

1610
Status

Returning Series
Language

English
Network

YouTube

Keywords:

concert irreverent inspirational music awestruck joyful

Stream and watch NPR Tiny Desk Concerts

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

Season 4

Season 5

Season 6

Season 7

Season 8

Season 9

Season 10

Season 11

Season 12

Season 13

Season 14

Season 15

Season 16

Season 17

1. Laura Gibson

Laura Gibson works through a handful of tenderhearted songs: two of them unreleased and two of them fr...More

Laura Gibson works through a handful of tenderhearted songs: two of them unreleased and two of them from her full-length debut, If You Come to Greet Me.Less

2008-04-22

2. Vic Chesnutt

When Athens, Ga., songwriter Vic Chesnutt was on tour in support of his album, “North Star Deserter,” ...More

When Athens, Ga., songwriter Vic Chesnutt was on tour in support of his album, “North Star Deserter,” he stopped by NPR to perform live at All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen's desk. Chesnutt played five songs, including two entirely new ones.Less

2008-06-05

3. Sam Phillips

The music of Sam Phillips unfolds like perfect, miniature pop dramas. Of all her incarnations as a per...More

The music of Sam Phillips unfolds like perfect, miniature pop dramas. Of all her incarnations as a performer — first as a Christian singer, then as a pop singer — the current Sam Phillips is one of the most alluring. Phillips performs four songs from “Don't Do Anything.”Less

2008-06-25

4. Sera Cahoone

Sera Cahoone got her start playing drums for a few widely adored bands in the Pacific Northwest, most ...More

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.Less

2008-07-10

5. Thao Nguyen

Thao Nguyen makes captivating music. Her songs are raw and infectious, her voice has a distinctive swa...More

Thao Nguyen makes captivating music. Her songs are raw and infectious, her voice has a distinctive swagger, and she's a remarkably nimble guitarist.Less

2008-09-04

6. Lambchop's Kurt Wagner

Kurt Wagner writes and sings beautiful songs with Lambchop, a hefty Nashville ensemble with a calm, re...More

Kurt Wagner writes and sings beautiful songs with Lambchop, a hefty Nashville ensemble with a calm, restrained sound. When Kurt Wagner came by the office to play a Tiny Desk Concert, he came alone, with just an acoustic guitar, a stack of lyrics and his humble, good-natured sense of humor.Less

2008-10-08

7. Dr. Dog

Dr. Dog isn't an obvious choice for one of NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts. For one thing, it's a prett...More

Dr. Dog isn't an obvious choice for one of NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts. For one thing, it's a pretty big group, at least for the small space behind Bob Boilen's desk. The band's music can be pretty chaotic — loud and rumbling, with multiple instruments fighting to be heard. And singer Toby Leaman likes to belt out his vocals in a window-rattling, raspy growl.Less

2008-10-20

8. Jim White

Jim White is a storyteller first and a musician second. It's a kind of storytelling rooted in his own ...More

Jim White is a storyteller first and a musician second. It's a kind of storytelling rooted in his own unusual history: He grew up in Florida in a deeply Pentecostal community and fell in love with the white gospel music he heard. But from there, White took a surprising path to becoming a full-time musician. He was a professional surfer, a boxer, a fashion model in Milan and a cab driver in New York City. White's travels recently took him to Washington, D.C., where he stopped by the offices of NPR Music for this live performance.Less

2008-11-07

9. Shearwater

A glorious four-song set that's at once pristine and ramshackle — equal parts clarity and clatter — no...More

A glorious four-song set that's at once pristine and ramshackle — equal parts clarity and clatter — not to mention one of our best Tiny Desk Concerts yet.Less

2008-11-14

10. David Dondero

He should be a name everyone knows by now. Instead, troubadour David Dondero returned to NPR having sl...More

He should be a name everyone knows by now. Instead, troubadour David Dondero returned to NPR having slept the night before in his car. Dondero travels from club to club, singing his well-crafted songs — songs that have his signature lyrics at their core. His lyrics can make you smile with their wit and hurt with their bite, all at the same time.Less