77 episodes · first aired 2012-01-05
| Still | # | Title | Overview | Air date | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 01 | Tinariwen 2012-01-05 | Even in a stripped-down acoustic set, Tinariwen's trance-inducing desert music doesn't disappoint. | 2012-01-05 | 0.0 |
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Ratings shown are community scores. Once OMDB is wired, these become per-episode IMDB values.
| 02 |
Le Butcherettes 2012-01-09 |
Watch singer Teri Gender Bender transform from a soft-spoken musician into a rock 'n' roll beast. |
| 2012-01-09 |
| 0.0 |
 | 03 | Screaming Females 2012-01-17 | The band's keen sense of song prevails, especially in a new song called "It All Means Nothing." | 2012-01-17 | 0.0 |
 | 04 | Jake Schepps' Expedition Quartet 2012-01-19 | Banjo master Schepps and friends create an intriguing goulash of Bartók, bluegrass and bebop. | 2012-01-19 | 0.0 |
 | 05 | Glenn Jones 2012-01-23 | Watch the masterful folk guitarist perform a lovely instrumental set at the NPR Music offices. | 2012-01-23 | 0.0 |
 | 06 | Anna Calvi 2012-01-26 | Calvi plays songs from her self-titled debut in this powerful performance at the NPR Music offices. | 2012-01-26 | 0.0 |
 | 07 | Girl In A Coma 2012-01-30 | The San Antonio trio gets back to basics to explore its songs' forms and the soul of its lyrics. | 2012-01-30 | 0.0 |
 | 08 | Bill Frisell 2012-02-03 | The brilliant and nimble guitarist reinvents the songs of John Lennon at the NPR Music offices. | 2012-02-03 | 0.0 |
 | 09 | The Creole Choir Of Cuba 2012-02-06 | The group has revitalized a long-lost culture through music performed entirely in Haitian Creole. | 2012-02-06 | 0.0 |
 | 10 | Craig Finn 2012-02-09 | The Hold Steady singer's stark side is nicely conducive to barren arrangements at the NPR offices. | 2012-02-09 | 0.0 |
 | 11 | Red Baraat 2012-02-14 | The dance-friendly, India-inspired funk group performs a high-energy set at the NPR Music offices. | 2012-02-14 | 0.0 |
 | 12 | Joan Soriano 2012-02-16 | "The Duke of Bachata" gives a raw but beautiful interpretation of bachata at the NPR Music offices. | 2012-02-16 | 0.0 |
 | 13 | Joyce El Khoury And Brian Jagde 2012-02-20 | Hear the fresh-faced opera singers perform Puccini at the NPR Music offices. | 2012-02-20 | 0.0 |
 | 14 | The Cranberries 2012-02-23 | In this performance at the NPR Music offices, the Irish pop band mixes new songs with early hits. | 2012-02-23 | 0.0 |
 | 15 | Milagres 2012-02-27 | A band of selective minimalism, Milagres gets the most of simple sounds at the NPR Music offices. | 2012-02-27 | 0.0 |
 | 16 | Pistolera 2012-03-01 | Through her insightful lyrics, Sandra Velasquez conjures the sounds of the Mexican desert. | 2012-03-01 | 0.0 |
 | 17 | Laura Gibson 2012-03-05 | Her 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. | 2012-03-05 | 0.0 |
 | 18 | Rudresh Mahanthappa 2012-03-08 | The saxophonist's new repertoire salutes electric funk, South Indian modes and swarming solos. | 2012-03-08 | 0.0 |
 | 19 | Real Estate 2012-03-12 | Real Estate wears placidity well: It's a band born and bred to convey and celebrate laconic comfort. | 2012-03-12 | 0.0 |
 | 20 | Kayhan Kalhor 2012-03-24 | A soulful master musician from Iran, Kalhor performs a beautiful improvisation at the NPR offices. | 2012-03-24 | 0.0 |
 | 21 | First Aid Kit 2012-03-28 | Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg make charming, folk-infused pop music that lulls and enchants. | 2012-03-28 | 0.0 |
 | 22 | So Percussion 2012-04-02 | The ensemble employs all kinds of toys, from an amplified cactus to a mug filled with spare change. | 2012-04-02 | 0.0 |
 | 23 | Kathleen Edwards 2012-04-05 | The Canadian singer performs four sweet, warm, relatable songs that soothe as they nourish. | 2012-04-05 | 0.0 |
 | 24 | Caveman 2012-04-10 | Caveman writes guitar-based pop songs full of space and melodies you can carry around in your head. | 2012-04-10 | 0.0 |
 | 25 | Novalima 2012-04-12 | At the NPR offices, the band plays in a lean, funky configuration that gets the room grooving along. | 2012-04-12 | 0.0 |
 | 26 | Soweto Gospel Choir 2012-04-16 | The group fuses the music of many Christian cultures, with nods to African songs of celebration. | 2012-04-16 | 0.0 |
 | 27 | Jolie Holland 2012-04-23 | Holland plays songs with an unadorned tone that makes the voice and lyrics all the more touching. | 2012-04-23 | 0.0 |
 | 28 | Cowboy Junkies 2012-04-26 | The venerable band sounds as poignant and tender as ever in this performance at the NPR offices. | 2012-04-26 | 0.0 |
 | 29 | Hospitality 2012-04-30 | The group doesn't overwhelm so much as it wears listeners down with a subtle charm offensive. | 2012-04-30 | 0.0 |
 | 30 | Nathan Salsburg 2012-05-03 | The guitarist displays intricate fingerpicking in two songs inspired by Kentucky Derby racehorses. | 2012-05-03 | 0.0 |
 | 31 | Endangered Blood 2012-05-07 | The jazz quartet draws from post-bop, 20th-century chromaticism and New Orleans funeral marches. | 2012-05-07 | 0.0 |
 | 32 | Kishi Bashi 2012-05-10 | K Ishibashi is a master at building songs from live violin loops, layered singing and beatboxing. | 2012-05-10 | 0.0 |
 | 33 | Pedro Soler And Gaspar Claus 2012-05-14 | The improvisational music of the father-son, guitar-cello duo functions as a beautiful conversation. | 2012-05-14 | 0.0 |
 | 34 | Chuck Brown 2012-05-16 | The Godfather of Go-Go died Wednesday. In 2010, he brought his full band to the NPR Music office. | 2012-05-16 | 0.0 |
 | 35 | Arborea 2012-05-17 | Rooted in acoustic traditions, the music of Arborea stands out for its calm beauty and rough edges. | 2012-05-17 | 0.0 |
 | 36 | Yann Tiersen 2012-05-21 | Tiersen's rich, liltingly eccentric pop music is constructed from lots of sweet, intricate pieces. | 2012-05-21 | 0.0 |
 | 37 | Canadian Brass 2012-05-26 | The venerable brass quintet sports virtuosic, fresh-faced players in tried-and-true repertoire. | 2012-05-26 | 0.0 |
 | 38 | Patrick Watson 2012-05-31 | Watson has a lovely voice and a gift for wringing evocative sounds out of everything he touches. | 2012-05-31 | 0.0 |
 | 39 | Kelly Hogan 2012-06-04 | The unflappable singer performs three songs with seeming effortlessness and easygoing charm. | 2012-06-04 | 0.0 |
 | 40 | Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom 2012-06-07 | The drummer dedicates tunes to her friends, including her first teacher — a "sometimes great guy." | 2012-06-07 | 0.0 |
 | 41 | Daniel Johnston 2012-06-11 | Watch three songs by a troubled soul with a talent for writing honest, disarmingly direct music. | 2012-06-11 | 0.0 |
 | 42 | Glen Hansard 2012-06-17 | Hansard flexes his neck muscles a bit as he performs new songs and deep cuts at the NPR offices. | 2012-06-17 | 0.0 |
 | 43 | Mariachi El Bronx 2012-06-21 | The band plays with just the right mixture of passion and pathos in a fun set at the NPR offices. | 2012-06-21 | 0.0 |
 | 44 | Reggie Watts 2012-06-25 | The comedian and musician performs spontaneous improvisations full of killer grooves and humor. | 2012-06-25 | 0.0 |
 | 45 | Exitmusic 2012-07-02 | The band plays a beautifully buzzing, nuanced set, marked by gorgeous grace and stirring melodies. | 2012-07-02 | 0.0 |
 | 46 | Brandi Carlile 2012-07-09 | At the NPR offices, Carlile and her band sing from-the-gut songs about messy lives, loudly lived. | 2012-07-09 | 0.0 |
 | 47 | Laura Marling 2012-07-12 | Two songs from A Creature I Don't Know bookend a gorgeous new, unreleased song called "Once." | 2012-07-12 | 0.0 |
 | 48 | Souad Massi 2012-07-15 | A soulful yet steely singer-songwriter from Algeria charts her own course in these four songs. | 2012-07-15 | 0.0 |
 | 49 | The Milk Carton Kids 2012-07-16 | Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale sing sweet but intricate folk-pop songs in the NPR offices. | 2012-07-16 | 0.0 |
 | 50 | Janet Feder 2012-07-22 | Feder marries classical and folk techniques with otherworldly guitar textures and sounds. | 2012-07-22 | 0.0 |
 | 51 | The Walkmen 2012-07-29 | The band makes the Tiny Desk accommodate its booming sound rather than the other way around. | 2012-07-29 | 0.0 |
 | 52 | Beth Orton 2012-08-06 | Known for mixing folk and electronics, Orton unveils three new songs with just an acoustic guitar. | 2012-08-06 | 0.0 |
 | 53 | The Zombies 2012-08-12 | Two surviving members of the band still have the same chemistry here in a stripped-down performance. | 2012-08-12 | 0.0 |
 | 54 | Rufus Wainwright 2012-08-20 | By the middle of Wainwright's final song, "Montauk," few dry eyes remained in the NPR offices. | 2012-08-20 | 0.0 |
 | 55 | Renaud Garcia-Fons 2012-08-27 | Watch the renowned double bassist thump, strum and loop his way through three mesmerizing songs. | 2012-08-27 | 0.0 |
 | 56 | Avi Avital 2012-09-10 | Avital's mandolin sings with the sounds of Ernest Bloch and a raucous Bulgarian folk tune. | 2012-09-10 | 0.0 |
 | 57 | Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft Orchestra 2012-09-17 | These songs' fervor is the product of a singer armed with intensity and musicians who can match it. | 2012-09-17 | 0.0 |
 | 58 | Yva Las Vegass 2012-09-24 | Watch Las Vegass bring a punk aesthetic to Venezuelan folk music with a cuatro at the NPR offices. | 2012-09-24 | 0.0 |
 | 59 | Kat Edmonson 2012-10-01 | Hearing the 29-year-old singer makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen. | 2012-10-01 | 0.0 |
 | 60 | Antibalas 2012-10-04 | It's one thing for 11 musicians to make a big sound, but what stands out is Antibalas' subtlety. | 2012-10-04 | 0.0 |
 | 61 | Spirit Family Reunion 2012-10-08 | The group plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and washboard, all gathered around a single microphone. | 2012-10-08 | 0.0 |
 | 62 | Dirty Three 2012-10-15 | The band unleashes a gorgeous flurry of shambolic rumbling, prolific hairiness and dramatic yelling. | 2012-10-15 | 0.0 |
 | 63 | Robert Cray Band 2012-10-22 | Like any great blues singer, Cray makes heartache and dysfunction sound engaging and relatable. | 2012-10-22 | 0.0 |
 | 64 | Lord Huron 2012-10-25 | The band's rich harmonies are welcoming, its lyrics relatable and its live performances thrilling. | 2012-10-25 | 0.0 |
 | 65 | Passion Pit 2012-10-29 | Michael Angelakos makes electro-pop with monster hooks. But his songs are sturdy, versatile things. | 2012-10-29 | 0.0 |
 | 66 | Jason Lytle 2012-11-05 | The longtime frontman for Grandaddy goes it alone with acoustic solo songs from his latest record. | 2012-11-05 | 0.0 |
 | 67 | Flaco Jimenez 2012-11-12 | The conjunto icon spins magic, and stays true to tradition, with his trademark button accordion. | 2012-11-12 | 0.0 |
 | 68 | Ben Gibbard 2012-11-19 | For Tiny Desk Concert No. 250, the Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service singer performs solo. | 2012-11-19 | 0.0 |
 | 69 | Martha Wainwright 2012-11-26 | Wainwright roughs up life's smooth spots, then digs her fingertips into the cracks that form. | 2012-11-26 | 0.0 |
 | 70 | Taken By Trees 2012-11-29 | Victoria Bergsman's songs seem to come from a place somewhere between a dream state and waking life. | 2012-11-29 | 0.0 |
 | 71 | Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 2012-12-03 | The Seattle duo literally shakes the dust off the ceiling tiles at the NPR Music offices. | 2012-12-03 | 0.0 |
 | 72 | Anaïs Mitchell 2012-12-06 | The singer-songwriter performs three of Young Man in America's most bracingly beautiful songs. | 2012-12-06 | 0.0 |
 | 73 | Daniel Bachman 2012-12-09 | Once the acoustic guitarist zeroes in on the center of a song, it's easy to get lost in it yourself. | 2012-12-09 | 0.0 |
 | 74 | Lyle Lovett 2012-12-10 | Lovett gives a loose, engaging performance that feels like both an introduction and a victory lap. | 2012-12-10 | 0.0 |
 | 75 | Alt-J 2012-12-17 | The Mercury Prize-winning band plays angular, poetic, inventive music that takes unexpected turns. | 2012-12-17 | 0.0 |
 | 76 | The Polyphonic Spree 2012-12-21 | The sprawling group, 17 strong, squeezes behind Bob Boilen's desk for a special holiday performance. | 2012-12-21 | 0.0 |
 | 77 | Miguel 2012-12-31 | Performing at the NPR Music offices, Miguel strips his highly produced hits down to their bones. | 2012-12-31 | 0.0 |
