MyEpisodeCalendar.com - NPR Tiny Desk Concerts Episode Summaries

Summary: Hear McCaslin, the saxophonist and bandleader whose group backed David Bowie on Blackstar, near the anniversary of that album's release. Selections include an instrumental take on Bowie's "Lazarus."

Episode 3: Lila Downs

Air Date: January 13rd, 2017

Summary: With a voice that borrows heavily from opera, Downs performs the kind of full-throated mariachi singing that would fit right in at Mexico City's Garibaldi Square — ground zero for mariachi.

Episode 4: Brent Cobb

Air Date: January 17th, 2017

Summary: Cobb's words shimmer like a tall glass of sweet tea in the late-morning sun. Watch the country singer-songwriter perform four songs from his debut album.

Episode 5: BADBADNOTGOOD

Air Date: January 23rd, 2017

Summary: The jazz band, known for its soulful interpretations of songs by Nas and Ol' Dirty Bastard, plays its own new material live in the NPR Music offices.

Episode 6: Miramar

Air Date: January 27th, 2017

Summary: Watch the Virginia band sweep the NPR crowd off its feet with a collection of exquisite boleros by Puerto Rican composer Sylvia Rexach.

Episode 7: Gallant

Air Date: January 30th, 2017

Summary: The rising R&B star performs three falsetto-drenched highlights from his 2016 debut, Ology — including "Bourbon," which features a guest rap from Chance The Rapper collaborator Saba.

Episode 8: D.R.A.M.

Air Date: February 1st, 2017

Summary: The rapper/singer storms the NPR Music offices, activating his signature smile and bouncing through five highlights from his catalog — including the smash single "Broccoli."

Episode 9: Run The Jewels

Air Date: February 6th, 2017

Summary: Killer Mike and El-P continue to out-muse each other in a supergroup that somehow seems to get better, louder, and more pertinent since their start in 2013.

Episode 10: Esmé Patterson

Air Date: February 10th, 2017

Summary: Esmé Patterson has dropped the banjos and folk from her previous project Paper Bird, and in their place are electric guitars and a backing band worth getting behind.

Episode 11: Agnes Obel

Air Date: February 15th, 2017

Summary: Agnes Obel manipulated the Tiny Desk to better suit the deeply alluring and powerful music she brought to us.

Episode 12: Little Simz

Air Date: February 21st, 2017

Summary: Little Simz has been compared to Lauryn Hill for her self-reflective wordplay. And though the British lyricist is a relative new-comer, her Tiny Desk performance was poised and confident.

Episode 13: Dirty Dozen Brass Band

Air Date: February 28th, 2017

Summary: To celebrate Fat Tuesday, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band brought their euphoric horns to the Tiny Desk for a raucous, joyous set.

Episode 14: Ninet

Air Date: March 3rd, 2017

Summary: One of Israel's very popular artists may be walking a similar path to early-career Joan Jett — she brought that same intensity to the Tiny Desk.

Episode 15: Maren Morris

Air Date: March 6th, 2017

Summary: One of the newest Grammy winners stops by the Tiny Desk to share her winking, sometimes tongue-in-cheek songs.

Episode 16: Tank And The Bangas

Air Date: March 10th, 2017

Summary: Tank And The Bangas' victory lap around the Tiny Desk was momentous, celebratory and deeply touching, with a flair and alchemy of styles that could come from New Orleans.

Episode 17: Red Baraat's Holi Celebration

Air Date: March 13rd, 2017

Summary: The Brooklyn bhangra band come to the Tiny Desk in celebration of Holi, the Hindu festival of color that welcomes the coming of spring.

Episode 18: Sampha

Air Date: March 21st, 2017

Summary: A Tiny Desk Concert as intimate as it gets (that's saying something). Just Sampha, a piano and three heart-wrenching songs that seem to double as coping mechanisms.

Episode 19: Delicate Steve

Air Date: March 24th, 2017

Summary: This fierce and lyrical guitar player writes playful instrumental music led by hooky vocals — but there is no voice, just the human-like twang of a glass slide on a guitar.

Episode 20: Overcoats

Air Date: March 27th, 2017

Summary: Hana Elion and JJ Mitchell's vibrant vocal harmonies are set against an electronic backdrop that feels spacious and refreshing.

Episode 21: Noname

Air Date: April 3rd, 2017

Summary: The power of language to penetrate a difficult subject, and the power of performance to share that language, are the gifts Noname brought to the Tiny Desk.

Episode 22: Tash Sultana

Air Date: April 7th, 2017

Summary: It's astonishing to watch Sultana's fluidity on her instrument, like a natural extension of her body. She also plays bass, saxophone, trumpet, flute and more, but kept it "simple" for the Tiny Desk.

Episode 23: Sinkane

Air Date: April 10th, 2017

Summary: You can hear a great New York jazz band in the rhythms of Sinkane, but you can also hear the influence of Bob Marley and the hypnotic repetition of Sudanese desert sounds.

Episode 24: Ljova And The Kontraband

Air Date: April 14th, 2017

Summary: Composer, arranger and viola player Ljova lead his Kontraband to the Tiny Desk for an eclectic swirl of Western classical, jazz, tango and Eastern European and Balkan folk music.

Episode 25: Chicano Batman

Air Date: April 17th, 2017

Summary: Chicano Batman comes with a sound that perfectly captures dark lounges, quinceñera dances, car shows and backyard parties.

Episode 26: alt-J

Air Date: April 24th, 2017

Summary: There's a self-imposed rule for Tiny Desk Concerts: No artist can visit twice unless there's something wholly different about what they're doing. alt-J was happy to oblige.

Episode 27: Antonio Lizana

Air Date: April 28th, 2017

Summary: The traditions of flamenco and jazz are disparate, but in the hands of a few Spanish jazz musicians, these two worlds commingle and find common ground.

Episode 28: Avery*Sunshine

Air Date: May 1st, 2017

Summary: The gospel-trained singer showcased why she counts Aretha Franklin and Smokey Robinson as fans.

Episode 29: Peter Silberman

Air Date: May 5th, 2017

Summary: A strange condition hushed the life of Peter Silberman, resulting in what may be the quietest Tiny Desk Concert ever.

Episode 30: Aimee Mann

Air Date: May 8th, 2017

Summary: "This song is called 'You Never Loved Me' — it's another cheery, optimistic number," says Aimee Mann, introducing the second of four songs in this Tiny Desk Concert.

Episode 31: Danilo Brito

Air Date: May 12nd, 2017

Summary: Danilo Brito and his band brought their dextrous expression of choro music to the Tiny Desk, a long-established musical style that has its roots in the streets and backyards of Brito's native Brazil.

Episode 32: Tim Darcy

Air Date: May 15th, 2017

Summary: Tim Darcy of Montreal band Ought brings his mysterious solo work, from the album Saturday Night, to the Tiny Desk. The record he says, was his chance to “get back to my roots, in my own voice.”

Episode 33: Troker

Air Date: May 19th, 2017

Summary: Mexico may not be known for its jazz, but the young lions of Troker are a promising hope to make the country and its capital city a destination.

Episode 34: Julia Jacklin

Air Date: May 22nd, 2017

Summary: A restrained, whisper-soft Tiny Desk concert from Australian singer-songwriter Julia Jacklin with songs taken from her debut album Don't Let The Kids Win.

Episode 35: Gabriel Garzón-Montano

Air Date: May 26th, 2017

Summary: Gabriel Garzón-Montano spent three years writing and recording his beautiful, dense album Jardin -- but for his Tiny Desk visit, he stripped it all down to two elements, the piano and his voice.

Episode 36: Royal Thunder

Air Date: May 30th, 2017

Summary: What happens when you ask a hard-rock band to unplug its thunder? It draws power from a raw, desperate vulnerability.

Episode 37: Nick Grant

Air Date: June 2nd, 2017

Summary: The Atlanta-based MC came through with the flu and coolly earned our praise. How sick is that?

Episode 38: Violents & Monica Martin

Air Date: June 5th, 2017

Summary: While her band was on hiatus, Monica Martin joined Jeremy Larson's project Violents, yielding a lush record of electronic pop, translated into a quieted set at the Tiny Desk.

Episode 39: Perfume Genius

Air Date: June 12nd, 2017

Summary: The band's long-awaited performance at the Tiny Desk was both beautiful and, at times, intense, featuring three deeply personal songs by frontman Mike Hadreas.

Episode 40: Penguin Cafe

Air Date: June 16th, 2017

Summary: Penguin Cafe folds in sounds from around the world and throughout music history — Africa, Kraftwerk, Brazil and Franz Schubert.

Episode 41: Tigers Jaw

Air Date: June 19th, 2017

Summary: The duo strips down to acoustic guitar and keyboard for a strikingly intimate set, illuminating their close harmonies that tangle like garlands.

Episode 42: Holly Macve

Air Date: June 23rd, 2017

Summary: Backed by a suitably low-key band, Macve would sound subtly radiant just about anywhere, from your nearest country bar to the most dreamily lit stage in Twin Peaks.

Episode 43: Ravi Coltrane Quartet

Air Date: June 26th, 2017

Summary: Artistic legacy, evolution and studied ease coalesced at this Tiny Desk Concert, with Coltrane offering four interpretations of his and others' works.

Episode 44: Helado Negro

Air Date: June 30th, 2017

Summary: Helado Negro ditches his bank of electronics for alto and tenor saxophones, bringing his utterly unique style to a intense, perfectly balanced Tiny Desk Concert.

Episode 45: Chance The Rapper

Air Date: July 5th, 2017

Summary: Chance The Rapper, fresh from a 23,000-strong, sold-out show the night before, brought a thoughtful and fresh take to his Tiny Desk concert.

Episode 46: Jay Som

Air Date: July 10th, 2017

Summary: Melina Duterte may have played all the instruments on Jay Som's newest record, Everybody Works, but her touring band brought a rougher edge to those silky recordings.

Episode 47: Fragile Rock

Air Date: July 14th, 2017

Summary: Fragile Rock is a band that relies on the boogie of The B-52s, the melancholy of The Smiths and the humor of Kermit the Frog. Oh, and they're all puppets.

Episode 48: Tuxedo

Air Date: July 17th, 2017

Summary: Tuxedo, the unlikely-on-paper funk-soul duo of Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, brought a left-of-center sonic approach and a sharp sense of style to their Tiny Desk Concert.

Episode 49: Rare Essence

Air Date: July 19th, 2017

Summary: Rare Essence has been bringing go-go to the world since 1976 — the group brought that pedigree, and the genre's massive meld of funk, rhythm and blues and soul, to this raucous hometown Tiny Desk.

Episode 50: Albin Lee Meldau

Air Date: July 20th, 2017

Summary: Albin Lee Meldau possesses a thunderous, deeply affecting voice, which he uses to tell some utterly dark, but demonstrably cathartic, tales.

Episode 51: The Shins

Air Date: July 24th, 2017

Summary: James Mercer, the emotional and creative heart of The Shins, gives a moving performance at the Tiny Desk, with two new songs and a classic from the band's 2003 album Chutes Too Narrow.

Episode 52: Aldous Harding

Air Date: July 28th, 2017

Summary: Intensity in songs often expresses itself as volume – a loud guitar, a scream, a piercing synth line. But in the case of Aldous Harding it's in the spaces, the pauses, and her unique delivery.

Episode 53: Diet Cig

Air Date: August 2nd, 2017

Summary: Diet Cig's songs crackle like Pop Rocks, but with a confrontational honesty and striking gravity — and on top of Bob Boilen's desk.

Episode 54: Maggie Rogers

Air Date: August 7th, 2017

Summary: The rising pop star performs three of her best-known songs, including a sweet solo take on her career-making “Alaska.”

Episode 55: ALA.NI

Air Date: August 14th, 2017

Summary: ALA.NI captures and conveys a reverent love of early-20th-century music, while injecting those sounds with charisma and charm well suited for any era.

Episode 56: DJ Premier & The Badder Band

Air Date: August 21st, 2017

Summary: One of hip-hop's most revered producers brings his songs to life behind the Tiny Desk, with the help of a four-piece band.

Episode 57: Jason Isbell

Air Date: August 28th, 2017

Summary: The Alabama singer-songwriter and his band perform three songs from The Nashville Sound, but their set includes a few surprises, too.

Episode 58: Jidenna

Air Date: September 5th, 2017

Summary: The Nigerian-American MC and his band perform three reworked selections from Jidenna's impeccable debut album, The Chief.

Episode 59: Frances Cone

Air Date: September 8th, 2017

Summary: The Brooklyn-based band crafts infectious pop music that builds dramatically before giving way to a quiet calm.

Episode 60: Bleachers

Air Date: September 12nd, 2017

Summary: Jack Antonoff re-arranged three songs from his band's latest album, Gone Now, for the Tiny Desk.

Episode 61: L.A. Salami

Air Date: September 13rd, 2017

Summary: The story songs and poetry of Lookman Adekunle Salami, who writes and records as L.A. Salami, recall the brilliant and epic ramblings of Bob Dylan.

Episode 62: Snail Mail

Air Date: September 15th, 2017

Summary: Snail Mail's sleepy songs have a way of waking you up. Watch the band perform music from its quietly stunning Habit EP, plus a new song played solo by Lindsey Jordan.

Episode 63: SsingSsing

Air Date: September 21st, 2017

Summary: It's safe to say this Korean, cross-dressing rock band looks and sounds like no one who's ever performed at the Tiny Desk.

Episode 64: Bomba Estereo

Air Date: September 22nd, 2017

Summary: Bomba Estereo is not known as a hushed band. Member Simon Mejia said this Tiny Desk performance was the group's quietest, a stripped-down treatment that illustrates the inherent quality of the music.

Episode 65: Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers

Air Date: September 25th, 2017

Summary: It's hard to think of an artist who's brought more joy to more people, across more generations — and in more ways — than Steve Martin.

Episode 66: Chronixx

Air Date: September 27th, 2017

Summary: The Jamaican reggae star proudly carries the torch of his country's roots reggae legends.

Episode 67: Dawg Yawp

Air Date: September 29th, 2017

Summary: Welcome the world of Dawg Yawp, the musical concoction of Rob Keenan and Tyler Randall, where drones and toy pianos are likely to collide with heavy metal electronics and a well-placed melody.

Episode 68: Paramore

Air Date: October 2nd, 2017

Summary: Paramore captures the moment between rapture and its comedown. Watch the band rearrange songs from its sparkling pop album After Laughter.

Episode 69: Landlady

Air Date: October 6th, 2017

Summary: Landlady's music is more than sonic exploration, it's an adventure. The songs can feel a bit drugged-out – a bit high and full of curiosity – but never overly intoxicated or out-of-touch.

Episode 70: Randy Newman

Air Date: October 10th, 2017

Summary: Watch the six-time Grammy winner go solo behind the Tiny Desk.

Episode 71: Hanson

Air Date: October 16th, 2017

Summary: Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson just celebrated their 25th anniversary as a band. To celebrate, watch them perform three of their post-“MMMBop” career highlights.

Episode 72: Thundercat

Air Date: October 18th, 2017

Summary: Thundercat is willing and able to shape-shift to fit into just about any box you show him, but he won't stay in there for long.

Episode 73: The Perceptionists

Air Date: October 20th, 2017

Summary: Watch hip-hop veterans Mr. Lif and Akrobatik team up behind the Tiny Desk.

Episode 74: Shabazz Palaces

Air Date: October 23rd, 2017

Summary: Hip-hop's otherworldly lot touches down on Bob Boilen's desk for some Afrofuturistic mind travel.

Episode 75: Japanese Breakfast

Air Date: October 25th, 2017

Summary: For this Tiny Desk concert, Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner replaced her gauzy synths with a string quartet. The result is something to behold.

Episode 76: Natalia LaFourcade

Air Date: October 27th, 2017

Summary: The Grammy-nominated singer's Tiny Desk is an ode to a magical time in Mexican popular music.

Episode 77: The Roots Feat. Bilal

Air Date: October 30th, 2017

Summary: Yes, it happened. Black Thought, Questlove and the entire crew packed in behind the Tiny Desk to perform a new song called “It Ain't Fair.”

Episode 78: Gracie and Rachel

Air Date: November 1st, 2017

Summary: Gracie And Rachel mix piano pop with darker, classic violin arrangements to make songs full of mystery and tension. They're joined in this Tiny Desk performance by percussionist Richard Watts.

Episode 79: Nate Smith + KINFOLK

Air Date: November 3rd, 2017

Summary: The drums take center stage at this Tiny Desk. Watch veteran jazz percussionist Nate Smith dazzle the NPR audience in a transfixing performance.

Episode 80: Wyclef Jean

Air Date: November 6th, 2017

Summary: The hip-hop statesman walked through our doors greeting and charming anyone within arm's reach. Once in front of an audience, he was in attack mode, including a unique rendition of his signature hit.

Episode 81: Ani DiFranco

Air Date: November 8th, 2017

Summary: With the help of a backing band that includes Ivan Neville and Jenny Scheinman, the iconic singer-songwriter plays three songs from across her tough and uncompromising career.

Episode 82: The Mynabirds

Air Date: November 10th, 2017

Summary: Singer Laura Burhenn is joined by Jessica Lea Mayfield and the Umoja Choir for songs inspired by the political and cultural upheaval of 2016.

Episode 83: Aminé

Air Date: November 14th, 2017

Summary: The Portland artist with the most mispronounced name in hip-hop puts on an unforgettable performance.

Episode 84: Now, Now

Air Date: November 15th, 2017

Summary: The band has new tools in its arsenal, but even in a stripped-down Tiny Desk performance, its focus on tiny moments between people just outside of love is as sharp as ever.

Episode 85: Benjamin Booker

Air Date: November 17th, 2017

Summary: Benjamin Booker has a deeply tender voice that, at times, can feel like a whisper But it always cuts to the heart.

Episode 86: Billy Corgan

Air Date: November 20th, 2017

Summary: Billy Corgan, complicated frontman of The Smashing Pumpkins, has had a tumultuous decade-and-a-half. His visit to the Tiny Desk, with a string quartet backing him, was anything but.

Episode 87: Ledisi

Air Date: November 21st, 2017

Summary: In person, the master R&B vocalist impresses not just with her exquisite artistry, but with her radiant spirit of contentment and grace. Just ask her makeup artist.

Episode 88: David Greilsammer

Air Date: November 24th, 2017

Summary: With a knack for cunning juxtapositions, the adventurous pianist stitches together a baroque sonata, a slice of French serenity and a quirky portrait of a mysterious barn owl.

Episode 89: Phoebe Bridgers

Air Date: November 27th, 2017

Summary: Her songs come laden with finely detailed observations about hypnotherapy, Jeffrey Dahmer and everything in between. They receive a languid, impeccably-phrased performance at the Tiny Desk.

Episode 90: Moses Sumney

Air Date: November 29th, 2017

Summary: The Los-Angeles-based force of nature, one of the most inspired talents of today, shows off a spontaneous side at (and around) the Tiny Desk.

Episode 91: Walter Martin

Air Date: December 1st, 2017

Summary: Best known for his role with The Walkmen, as a solo artist he makes unabashedly joyful, sweetly innocent and playful music. And only he would arrive with a barbershop quartet.

Episode 92: Ted Leo

Air Date: December 4th, 2017

Summary: Leo's work has, more often than not through the decades, addressed an anxious world, growing and shifting with it and with its listeners. Seven years after his last solo album, he's turned inwards.

Episode 93: King Krule

Air Date: December 6th, 2017

Summary: King Krule, the musical project of English singer, songwriter and rapper, Archy Marshall, brings its twisted, woozy tones to the Tiny Desk.

Episode 94: Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile

Air Date: December 8th, 2017

Summary: The two singers, songwriters and guitarists bring out the adolescence in each other, poking jabs, goofing around and having fun at the Tiny Desk.

Episode 95: Tyler, The Creator

Air Date: December 11st, 2017

Summary: Tyler, The Creator performs three songs from his latest album Flower Boy -- and pulls off (at least) two Tiny Desk firsts in the process, while maturing beyond his class-clown image (mostly).

Episode 96: Cigarettes After Sex

Air Date: December 13rd, 2017

Summary: This comes close to the quietest Tiny Desk Concert we've ever had. The music Cigarettes After Sex makes is incredibly hushed. It's a sound so minimal it barely exists.

Episode 97: This Is The Kit

Air Date: December 15th, 2017

Summary: Effortless storytelling is at the heart of This Is The Kit. And the stories the band's only permanent member, Kate Stables, weaves are profound but sweet with a tone that quietly reels you in.

Episode 98: Hanson For The Holidays

Air Date: December 18th, 2017

Summary: Frantic time-lapse set decoration. An intrusive snow machine. Ugly holiday sweaters. It's time to hunker down and soak up a raucous and reverent Christmas party, courtesy of Hanson.

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