The French singer and multi-instrumentalist just released a new album called Skyline, and it captures his aesthetic perfectly: Its rich, buzzy, liltingly eccentric...
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 17:27:59 05/21/12
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.
Arborea
0 Views 16:31:27 05/17/12
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 gui...
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 16:31:27 05/17/12
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.
Pedro Soler and Gas...
0 Views 20:09:54 05/14/12
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...
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 20:09:54 05/14/12
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.
Kishi Bashi
1 Views 16:16:58 05/10/12
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 ste...
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 16:16:58 05/10/12
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.
Endangered Blood
0 Views 16:02:23 05/07/12
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...
[LESS INFO] 0 VIEWS | ADDED 16:02:23 05/07/12
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.
Nathan Salsburg
1 Views 19:35:59 05/03/12
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 an...
[LESS INFO] 1 VIEWS | ADDED 19:35:59 05/03/12
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.
Hospitality
6 Views 14:22:20 04/30/12
The New York band Hospitality makes music that's unmistakably friendlyand welcoming — it's hug-and-a-handshake pop that lives up to its nameby jangling and chiming...
[LESS INFO] 6 VIEWS | ADDED 14:22:20 04/30/12
The New York band Hospitality makes music that's unmistakably friendlyand welcoming — it's hug-and-a-handshake pop that lives up to its nameby jangling and chiming comfortably. The group doesn't overwhelm so muchas it wears listeners down with a subtle charm offensive.
Cowboy Junkies
5 Views 14:23:50 04/26/12
Make a list of bands with integrity, still highly respected and still making music after 25 years, and that list will have Cowboy Junkies near the top. The band re...
[LESS INFO] 5 VIEWS | ADDED 14:23:50 04/26/12
Make a list of bands with integrity, still highly respected and still making music after 25 years, and that list will have Cowboy Junkies near the top. The band remains prolific, tender and poignant, as evidenced by this performance at the NPR Music offices.
Jolie Holland
8 Views 20:02:14 04/23/12
It'll take just a few seconds to find out if you're likely to fall in love with Jolie Holland. In this intimate performance at the NPR Music offices, Holland plays...
[LESS INFO] 8 VIEWS | ADDED 20:02:14 04/23/12
It'll take just a few seconds to find out if you're likely to fall in love with Jolie Holland. In this intimate performance at the NPR Music offices, Holland plays songs from 2011's Pint of Blood with an unadorned style that makes her lyrics and voice all the more touching.
Soweto Gospel Choir
14 Views 17:12:59 04/16/12
Singing in a number of South African languages, as well as English, Soweto Gospel Choir fuses the praise music of many Christian cultures, with nods to traditional...
[LESS INFO] 14 VIEWS | ADDED 17:12:59 04/16/12
Singing in a number of South African languages, as well as English, Soweto Gospel Choir fuses the praise music of many Christian cultures, with nods to traditional African songs of celebration — complete with occasional clicks and bird songs.
Novalima
4 Views 15:43:13 04/12/12
Novalima infuses traditional Peruvian music with new life by adding electronic sounds to create songs that sound both familiar and new. In this performance at the ...
[LESS INFO] 4 VIEWS | ADDED 15:43:13 04/12/12
Novalima infuses traditional Peruvian music with new life by adding electronic sounds to create songs that sound both familiar and new. In this performance at the NPR Music offices, the band plays in a lean, funky configuration that gets the room grooving along.
Caveman
2 Views 15:34:32 04/10/12
Caveman writes guitar-based pop songs full of subtlety and space and melodies you can carry around in your head. The band's songcraft and handcrafted instruments a...
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 15:34:32 04/10/12
Caveman writes guitar-based pop songs full of subtlety and space and melodies you can carry around in your head. The band's songcraft and handcrafted instruments are on display in this performance at the NPR Music offices.
Kathleen Edwards
2 Views 15:19:21 04/05/12
Edwards isn't a flashy singer-songwriter, but her music sticks: Easygoing and accessible, it burrows in deep and then stays put. In the NPR Music offices, she sing...
[LESS INFO] 2 VIEWS | ADDED 15:19:21 04/05/12
Edwards isn't a flashy singer-songwriter, but her music sticks: Easygoing and accessible, it burrows in deep and then stays put. In the NPR Music offices, she sings four sweet, warm, relatable songs that soothe as they nourish.
So Percussion
7 Views 16:25:45 04/02/12
The minute its members were ensconced in our office, So Percussion started borrowing items to add to its set, from an amplified cactus and bells to a mug filled wi...
[LESS INFO] 7 VIEWS | ADDED 16:25:45 04/02/12
The minute its members were ensconced in our office, So Percussion started borrowing items to add to its set, from an amplified cactus and bells to a mug filled with spare change and an empty padded envelope. The ensemble performs original pieces and the works of John Cage at the Tiny Desk.
First Aid Kit
15 Views 19:17:51 03/28/12
Composed of two young Swedish sisters whose charming, folk-infused pop music lulls and enchants, First Aid Kit nods to late-'60s and early-'70s bands like Crosby, ...
[LESS INFO] 15 VIEWS | ADDED 19:17:51 03/28/12
Composed of two young Swedish sisters whose charming, folk-infused pop music lulls and enchants, First Aid Kit nods to late-'60s and early-'70s bands like Crosby, Stills & Nash. Watch the pair perform three songs from The Lion's Roar.
Kayhan Kalhor
7 Views 13:37:07 03/26/12
A soulful master musician from Iran, Kayhan Kalhor gives a beautiful and introspective performance to celebrate the Persian New Year, Nowruz — and shows us somethi...
[LESS INFO] 7 VIEWS | ADDED 13:37:07 03/26/12
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.
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.
