NPR Concerts Podcast
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This unique podcast, published by National Public Radio, presents entire concerts from artists like Blitzen Trapper, Dan Deacon, The Decemberists, Radiohead, Tom Waits, Fleet Foxes, and Neko Case. Some concerts include interviews with the bands. Find out more at npr.org/music.
| Title | Podcast Description | Author/Reader | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arborea: Tiny Desk Concert | The folk music of Arborea stands out for its calm beauty and rough edges, using harmonium, electric guitars, and a Ban-Jammer - part banjo, part mountain dulcimer. | National Public Radio | 00:16:13 |
| Pedro Soler and Gaspar Claus: Tiny Desk Concert | The music of father and son Pedro Soler and Gaspar Claus is a beautiful conversation. Soler plays a delicate flamenco guitar, while Claus turns the cello into an exquisitely expressive voice. | National Public Radio | 00:11:55 |
| Spiritualized In Concert | Spiritualized, led by Jason Pierce, has experienced agony, recovery, redemption and two near-death experiences in its 13 years. Hear it explode into space-rock bliss. | National Public Radio | 02:10:30 |
| Kishi Bashi: Tiny Desk Concert | Kishi Bashi 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. | National Public Radio | 00:18:48 |
| Endangered Blood: Tiny Desk Concert | Endangered Blood's music draws from post-bop, 20th-century chromaticism and New Orleans funeral marches, showcasing compositions both cerebral and gritty. | National Public Radio | 00:12:18 |
| Kishi Bashi In Concert | Kishi Bashi is a one-man orchestra who blends a mess of ingredients into a symphony of loop-pedaled wonders. Watch him build his music one melody at a time, live in concert. | National Public Radio | 00:32:29 |
| Lost In The Trees In Concert | Lost In The Trees performed its deeply affecting songs, recorded live from Le Poisson Rouge in New York City on April 11, 2012. | National Public Radio | 01:05:00 |
| Nathan Salsburg: Tiny Desk Concert | With his brilliant debut "Affirmed," Salsburg is likely to become one of those names we associate with American folk guitar. Here, he showcases his intricate and melodic fingerpicking. | National Public Radio | 00:11:55 |
| Hospitality: Tiny Desk Concert | The New York band Hospitality makes music that's unmistakably friendly and welcoming - it's hug-and-a-handshake pop that lives up to its name by jangling and chiming comfortably. | National Public Radio | 00:10:06 |
| Jolie Holland: Tiny Desk Concert | It'll take just a few seconds to fall in love with Jolie Holland. She plays songs from 2011's "Pint of Blood" with an unadorned style that makes her lyrics and voice all the more touching. | National Public Radio | 00:13:05 |
| Soweto Gospel Choir: Tiny Desk Concert | Singing in a number of South African languages, and English, Soweto Gospel Choir fuses the praise music of many Christian cultures, with nods to traditional African songs of celebration. | National Public Radio | 00:13:22 |
| Novalima: Tiny Desk Concert | Novalima infuses traditional Peruvian music with new life by adding electronic sounds to create songs that sound both familiar and new. The band plays in a lean, funky configuration that gets the room grooving along. | National Public Radio | 00:12:05 |
| Caveman: Tiny Desk Concert | 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. | National Public Radio | 00:14:06 |
| Kathleen Edwards: Tiny Desk Concert | Edwards isn't a flashy singer-songwriter, but her music sticks: Easygoing and accessible, it burrows in deep and then stays put. | National Public Radio | 00:15:12 |
| So Percussion: Tiny Desk Concert | So Percussion borrowed items to add to its set, from an amplified cactus and bells to a mug filled with spare change. They perform original pieces and the works of John Cage. | National Public Radio | 00:14:55 |
| First Aid Kit: Tiny Desk Concert | 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. | National Public Radio | 00:10:31 |
| Kayhan Kalhor: Tiny Desk Concert | 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. | National Public Radio | 00:11:54 |
| Wrapup SXSW 2012: Saturday | The final night at the South By Southwest music conference offered our team in Austin new favorites, classic performances and a few welcome surprises. | National Public Radio | 00:16:35 |
| Wrapup SXSW 2012: Friday | Day three at South by Southwest included death metal, hip-hop from Seattle, a set from the band with the number one song in the country and the emergence of a new "All Songs" favorite. | National Public Radio | 00:18:13 |
| Wrapup SXSW 2012: Thursday | On Thursday our intrepid team hosted a day party, caught two performances by Bruce Springsteen and experienced a whole lot of emotion... | National Public Radio | 00:27:56 |
| SXSW 2012: Lower Dens In Concert | Lower Dens' music is about mood more than stage-stalking showmanship: Singer Jana Hunter's icy-cool demeanor sets a hauntingly atmospheric tone that's all about mystery... | National Public Radio | 00:27:27 |
| SXSW 2012: Polica In Concert | Not many bands can boast two drummers and an uncluttered sound, but Polica made it work at NPR Music's SXSW day party, held Thursday... | National Public Radio | 00:30:35 |
| SXSW 2012: Sugar Tongue Slim In Concert | The first thing that jumps out about rising rapper Sugar Tongue Slim is his playful, funny, generous spirit. Surrounded by a lively and crackling backing band... | National Public Radio | 00:27:54 |
| SXSW 2012: La Vida Boheme In Concert | Backs to the stage, shirts drenched and spattered with blue paint, La Vida Boheme opened NPR Music's SXSW day party in kinetically jumpy style Thursday. | National Public Radio | 00:32:53 |
| Wrapup SXSW 2012: Wednesday | Highlights from day one at SXSW included discoveries, old favorites and NPR Music's official showcase at Stubbs, featuring the return of Fiona Apple. | National Public Radio | 00:00:00 |
| SXSW 2012: Andrew Bird In Concert | Classically trained and once known as a purveyor of old-time hot jazz, Andrew Bird is now the picture of indie-pop sophistication, known for employing $10 words and the clearest, most identifiable whistle in the business. | National Public Radio | 00:00:00 |
| SXSW 2012: Alabama Shakes In Concert | Led by Brittany Howard, one of the most charismatic up-and-coming singers in the business, the group enjoyed an auspicious breakthrough with a self-titled record last year. | National Public Radio | 00:00:00 |
| SXSW 2012: Dan Deacon In Concert | Few high-profile musicians fit into the SXSW crowd as seamlessly as Dan Deacon, who doesn't exactly cut a lithe, otherworldly, Mick Jagger-esque figure offstage. | National Public Radio | 00:00:00 |
| SXSW 2012: Sharon Van Etten In Concert | In the last couple of years Sharon Van Etten transformed her wounded acoustic material to "Serpents," the bracing and caustic rocker which closes her performance. | National Public Radio | 00:00:00 |
| SXSW 2012 Preview | Host Bob Boilen, producer Robin Hilton, editor Stephen Thompson and NPR Music critic Ann Powers talk about the bands they're most excited to see this year at South by Southwest. | National Public Radio | 00:14:00 |
| Real Estate: Tiny Desk Concert | Real Estate wears placidity well: It's a band born and bred to convey and celebrate laconic comfort. In this three-song concert, they re-create their studio sound with airy precision. | National Public Radio | 00:12:43 |
| Julia Holter Live From NYC's Le Poisson Rouge | Julia Holter's music is hard to pin down. With 'Ekstasis,' she blurs the line between composer and songwriter, between ambient and pop. | National Public Radio | 01:01:29 |
| Rudresh Mahanthappa: Tiny Desk Concert | His new repertoire salutes electric funk, South Indian modes and swarming improvisation. It becomes a bug-eyed, mouth-agape experience when you see and hear it live. | National Public Radio | 00:20:00 |
| Laura Gibson: Tiny Desk Concert | Her gorgeous, whispery voice inspired the Tiny Desk Concerts series in 2008. Now, she returns with her band to perform four songs for us. | National Public Radio | 00:14:51 |
| Pistolera: Tiny Desk Concert | Pistolera conjures the sounds of the Mexican desert by way of a cold basement in New York City's Chinatown. Songwriter Sandra Velasquez performs the music of her youth. | National Public Radio | 00:14:00 |
| Milagres: Tiny Desk Concert | A band of selective minimalism, Milagres' songs sound big and strong - delicately built, yet sturdy enough for the emotive sounds of Kyle Wilson's voice. | National Public Radio | 00:12:49 |
| The Cranberries: Tiny Desk Concert | After a long hiatus, the best-selling Irish pop-rock band is about to return with a new album called 'Roses.' But the group isn't afraid to dip into its arsenal of early hits. | National Public Radio | 00:19:42 |
| Joyce El Khoury And Brian Jagde: Tiny Desk Concert | Soprano Joyce El-Khoury and tenor Brian Jagde are young, fresh-faced opera singers at the dawn of promising careers. | National Public Radio | 00:13:14 |
| Joan Soriano: Tiny Desk Concert | With his songs of heartache, Soriano ("The Duke of "Bachata"), is an essential piece of the bachata story. | National Public Radio | 00:11:30 |
| Red Baraat: Tiny Desk Concert | One of the best party bands around, Red Baarat plays rollicking funk music steeped in Northern India's wedding celebrations, with a dash of D.C. go-go beats and hip-hop. | National Public Radio | 00:14:23 |
| Craig Finn: Tiny Desk Concert (audio only) | All these mournful, inward-facing songs require is the Hold Steady singer, his acoustic guitar and the indispensable pedal steel of Ricky Ray Jackson. | National Public Radio | 00:13:35 |
| The Creole Choir Of Cuba: Tiny Desk Concert | With a musical history that dates back to the late 18th century, the group has revitalized a long-lost culture through music performed largely a cappella and entirely in Haitian Creole. | National Public Radio | 00:12:14 |
| Bill Frisell: Tiny Desk Concert | The brilliant and nimble guitarist reinvents the songs of John Lennon at the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:20:15 |
| JEFF The Brotherhood, Live at the 9:30 Club | Real-life brothers Jake and Jamin Orrall founded the duo JEFF The Brotherhood in Nashville in 2001. They've built a reputation on distorted, noisy rock with a wry sense of humor. | National Public Radio | 00:36:36 |
| The Kills Live in Concert at the 9:30 Club | Singer-guitarist Alison Mosshart and drummer Jamie Hince formed The Kills in 2001 after bonding over their shared love of blues- and punk-infused garage rock. | National Public Radio | 01:26:16 |
| Girl In A Coma: Tiny Desk Concert | The San Antonio trio Girl In a Coma deftly gets back to basics to explore not just the form of its songs, but also the soul of its lyrics. | National Public Radio | 00:13:46 |
| Anna Calvi: Tiny Desk Concert | Calvi plays three songs from her self-titled debut in this powerful performance. | National Public Radio | 00:07:14 |
| Glenn Jones: Tiny Desk Concert | Jones' most recent album, The Wanting, is a compelling work of American folk music that tells stories without a single word. | National Public Radio | 00:15:39 |
| Jake Schepps' Expedition Quartet: Tiny Desk Concert | Banjo master Schepps and friends create an intriguing goulash of Bartok, bluegrass and bebop. | National Public Radio | 00:13:59 |
| Screaming Females: Tiny Desk Concert | Screaming Females' music is louder than bombs. But the band's keen sense of song stays front and center - especially in "It All Means Nothing," a new song from their next album. | National Public Radio | 00:10:57 |
| Debo Band In Concert: globalFEST 2012 | Earth-rattling horns and mesmerizingly oscillating vocals: Boston's Debo Band takes the funky, psychedelic groove of 1960s Ethiopia and transplants it firmly onto a 21st-century dance floor. | National Public Radio | 00:58:14 |
| Le Butcherettes: Tiny Desk Concert | Le Butcherettes' Teri Gender Bender can transform from a soft-spoken musician into a rock 'n' roll beast on a dime. Hear her at NPR's music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:13:46 |
| Tinariwen: Tiny Desk Concert | Even in a stripped-down acoustic formation, Tinariwen's trance-inducing desert music doesn't disappoint. Watch the Tuareg musicians adorn their beautiful, flowing robes for a stunning set in the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:13:46 |
| Maria Volonte: Tiny Desk Concert | Argentine singer Maria Volonte's powerful, refreshing interpretation of tango is fully capable of transplanting itself into folk, Latin, blues or the traditional music of Peru, Uruguay and Brazil. | National Public Radio | 00:16:46 |
| The Music Tapes: Tiny Desk Concert | Performing with his band Julian Koster, the "Elephant 6" and "Neutral Milk Hotel" alumnus, plays a holiday set complete with bowed banjos, singing saws and tape machines. | National Public Radio | 00:26:26 |
| Gem Club: Tiny Desk Concert | Maybe you couldn't hear a pin drop when Gem Club played, but you could hear the click of a keyboard. | National Public Radio | 00:08:00 |
| Beirut in Concert | Beirut's latest album, The Rip Tide, was recorded in New York during the winter of 2010 and takes a surprise turn toward mainstream indie rock. From The 9:30 Club. | National Public Radio | 01:10:55 |
| I Wayne: Tiny Desk Concert | The reggae star said little between his van and the NPR Music offices. But as soon as the cameras started rolling, he came to life right on cue, showcasing his smooth voice and vibrant energy. | National Public Radio | 00:07:53 |
| JEFF The Brotherhood: Tiny Desk Concert | The Nashville power-punk duo JEFF The Brotherhood is really good at being funny without writing gimmicky songs. You really feel for these guys, but you still want to bum-rush the mic and sing along. | National Public Radio | 00:15:27 |
| Mates Of State: Tiny Desk Concert | The modesty of their performance suits and complements a band whose music is about generosity of spirit, forgiveness of failing, and the celebration of all things hard-won enough to be worth celebrating. | National Public Radio | 00:10:31 |
| tUnE-yArDs: Tiny Desk Concert | With loop pedals and an irrepressible voice, tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus makes powerful and danceable songs that spring to life before your eyes. | National Public Radio | 00:14:41 |
| Gabriel Kahane: Tiny Desk Concert | Hear Gabriel Kahane's rigorously crafted songs that fall somewhere between classical and pop. | National Public Radio | 00:09:30 |
| Hospital Ships: Tiny Desk Concert | On 'Lonely Twin,' Hospital Ships' folk songs and rockers are packed with instrumental flourishes and bursts of feedback. But in this performance, their songs pack an emotional punch. | National Public Radio | 00:10:55 |
| Joe Henry: Tiny Desk Concert | Henry's new 'Reverie' reflects his fearlessly easygoing style, so asking him to sing in a crowded office never felt like an imposition. | National Public Radio | 00:21:02 |
| Yo-Yo Ma et al: Tiny Desk Concert | Genre-bending cellist Yo-Yo Ma heads a dream team of string players - Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile, Stuart Duncan - in music that borrows from bluegrass. | National Public Radio | 00:15:52 |
| Marketa Irglova: Tiny Desk Concert | With the help of Iranian singer-percussionist Aida Shahghasemi, Irglova crafts a lovely mix of the exotic and the familiar; of sweetness and longing. | National Public Radio | 00:17:14 |
| Jens Lekman: Tiny Desk Concert | Jens Lekman is a singer-songwriter whose banter falls somewhere between the effortless delivery of a seasoned comic and the nervous rambling of an indie-rock frontman. | National Public Radio | 00:14:09 |
| Atlas Sound In Concert: Moogfest 2011 | Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel and 2009's Deerhunter's prolific Bradford Cox took the opportunity to write sunny, synth-and-sample pop. | National Public Radio | 01:04:33 |
| Tim Hecker In Concert: Moogfest 2011 | Few working composers transcend their compositional means as thoroughly as Tim Hecker. Hecker's sixth and most recent album Ravedeath, 1972 is an enveloping, almost suffocating exploration of noise music. | National Public Radio | 00:38:12 |
| CANT In Concert: Moogfest 2011 | It's obvious on even a cursory listen to Chris Taylor's new project CANT that he's taken advantage of his time off from Grizzly Bear. | National Public Radio | 00:44:51 |
| Moby In Concert: Moogfest 2011 | Few artists have survived the constantly mutating world of dance music from era to era quite like Moby. | National Public Radio | 01:30:12 |
| Austra In Concert: Moogfest 2011 | Austra, a.k.a. Katie Stelmanis, released her debut album Feel It Break one month before it was shortlisted for the Polaris Prize. It's easy to see why. | National Public Radio | 00:42:51 |
| Juanes: Tiny Desk Concert | Juanes' five albums have struck a chord with millions, making him a superstar who can fill stadiums and large arenas across Latin America and the U.S. | National Public Radio | 00:11:45 |
| St. Vincent Live From the 9:30 Club | Annie Clark has stepped from behind the scenes and emerged as a most imaginative new solo artist. As St. Vincent, she's released three stunning albums of unconventional pop and rock songs. | National Public Radio | 01:26:20 |
| Wild Flag, Live From The Black Cat In D.C. | Wild Flag has only been together for about a year, and just released its debut album last month. But the group has already earned a reputation for stunning, frenetic live performances. | National Public Radio | 01:03:17 |
| Lisa Hannigan: Tiny Desk Concert | Exuding both musical and personal warmth, the Irish singer mesmerized at the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:12:25 |
| Ben Williams: Tiny Desk Concert | Bassist Ben Williams is a rising jazz star. He won the 2009 Thelonious Monk Competition and received a recording contract for his debut album, State of Art, released this summer. | National Public Radio | 00:13:27 |
| Zola Jesus, Live From (Le) Poisson Rouge | Nika Roza Danilova performs as Zola Jesus, and in the past two years she's unleashed a torrent of intense, mesmerizing songs on three EPs and three full-length albums, including this fall's "Conatus". | National Public Radio | 00:52:04 |
| Hilary Hahn: Tiny Desk Concert | The classical violinist blends Bach and Charles Ives with flair, then tops it off with a fedora. | National Public Radio | 00:11:22 |
| Wilco: Tiny Desk Concert | Armed with acoustic guitars, tiny amps, a desktop percussion unit and a ton of grace, Wilco plays three new songs from The Whole Love and an old favorite in a stripped-down but powerful set. | National Public Radio | 00:18:53 |
| Chris Bathgate: Tiny Desk Concert | Dusky and deliberate, Chris Bathgate's music can be foreboding, even funereal. But the Michigan native invests his songs with warm, rustic beauty, which makes everything too pretty to function as a true downer. | National Public Radio | 00:19:40 |
| Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 In Concert: ATP Festival 2011 | Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 is the sound of spongy pop music hitting a brick wall. Playfully weird and fuzzy, this group of pop deviants has annoyed and delighted since 1986. | National Public Radio | 00:59:07 |
| Swans In Concert: ATP Festival 2011 | Swans never broke up, it just went away for a while. Here, in five songs smeared over two hours, they are masculine and relentless, yet alluring in every respect. | National Public Radio | 01:59:00 |
| Grouplove: Tiny Desk Concert | Grouplove writes songs that have you pounding the steering wheel to the beat, and are worth rolling down the car windows and sharing with pedestrians whether they want to hear them or not. | National Public Radio | 00:14:04 |
| Fountains Of Wayne: Tiny Desk Concert | It speaks well of this performance that Fountains of Wayne's set pokes around in a few gray areas; its four songs showcase a band with tremendous narrative gifts and a real flair for subtle beauty. | National Public Radio | 00:14:37 |
| Trombone Shorty: Tiny Desk Concert | He can play the horn. He can sing. And that's made him the latest musical star of a great New Orleans tradition. But Trombone Shorty mainly just wants you to dance. | National Public Radio | 00:13:06 |
| The Klezmatics: Tiny Desk Concert | Ring in Rosh Hashanah with three globe-trotting tunes from one of the world's greatest Jewish bands. | National Public Radio | 00:13:02 |
| Nick Lowe, Live in Concert | Hear the legendary English roots -and country-rock singer live from Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, recorded on Sept. 25, 2011. | National Public Radio | 00:39:19 |
| Jenny Lin: Tiny Desk Concert | The eminent pianist usually plays eight-foot Steinways. See what she does on an electronic keyboard in this intimate performance at the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:13:22 |
| The Olivia Tremor Control | Hear the band recorded live in concert from (Le) Poisson Rouge in New York City, from Sept. 21, 2011. | National Public Radio | 01:30:31 |
| Beirut: Tiny Desk Concert | Beirut arrived dusty and exhausted following a weekend at Bonnaroo in Tennessee. But after much-needed showers, they brought infectious joy to its short set. | National Public Radio | 00:12:01 |
| Sean Rowe: Tiny Desk Concert | The singer-songwriter brings his booming voice and a succession of ever-louder acoustic-guitar set-ups to us. And, he tells a story about survivalism that'll renew your faith in indoor living. | National Public Radio | 00:18:08 |
| Diego Garcia: Tiny Desk Concert | Taken individually, each tune on Diego Garcia's album Laura is lovely. But listen to each song in sequence and it's even better, like a good book: The sum is greater than the parts. | National Public Radio | 00:15:04 |
| Foster The People: Tiny Desk Concert | Armed with 'the' summer song of 2011, the band brings "Pumped Up Kicks" and more to the NPR Music offices in this stripped down Tiny Desk Concert. | National Public Radio | 00:10:49 |
| King Creosote And Jon Hopkins: Tiny Desk Concert | To immerse yourself in King Creosote and Jon Hopkins' album "Diamond Mine" is to be transported to the Scottish countryside. In this concert, the album's unassuming creators somehow lose little of their mystique. | National Public Radio | 00:15:44 |
| Phosphorescent: Tiny Desk Concert | Phosphorescent's Matthew Houck specializes in a sort of free-wheeling weariness, with songs and characters that work extremely hard at taking it easy. | National Public Radio | 00:20:29 |
| CALLmeKAT: Tiny Desk Concert | As CALLmeKAT, Katrine Ottosen produces airy, synth-infused pop that pairs melancholy sentiment with sparse melodies. Here, she performs a hauntingly beautiful concert. | National Public Radio | 00:13:31 |
| James Vincent McMorrow: Tiny Desk Concert | The Irish songwriter has one of the most arresting voices of any young singer you're likely to hear this year. McMorrow gives an intimate acoustic performance at the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:15:44 |
| Other Lives: Tiny Desk Concert | The Oklahoma band's droning minor-key hymns were seemingly made for wide-open spaces and big skies. The group brings that spirit to the Tiny Desk for a spacious but intimate performance. | National Public Radio | 00:14:03 |
| Gaby Moreno: Tiny Desk Concert | Moreno's breathtaking voice is passionate and stylistically malleable, as she glides back and forth easily between bossa nova and bluesy rock. Moreno sings three songs from her newest album, Illustrated Songs. | National Public Radio | 00:08:44 |
| Paul Jacobs: Tiny Desk Concert | The Grammy-winning organist showcases his miraculous hands (and feet) in an all-Bach performance. | National Public Radio | 00:16:26 |
| Noah And The Whale: Tiny Desk Concert | A few years ago, Noah and the Whale would have seemed like the last band to bring a drum machine to a Tiny Desk Concert. But here, the London band plugs in - and sweet simplicity still reigns. | National Public Radio | 00:11:36 |
| Bon Iver Live From the 9:30 Club | The love for Justin Vernon and Bon Iver at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club was so overwhelming for this performance, it seemed fans might storm the stage and eat the humble frontman alive. | National Public Radio | 01:24:42 |
| Typhoon: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | Portland, Ore., has bred or attracted so many tremendous indie-folk musicians that they're getting stuffed into bigger and bigger bands to make room for everyone. Typhoon is the best of the breed. | National Public Radio | 00:41:56 |
| Amanda Shires: Tiny Desk Concert | Maybe it's the quiver in her voice or the poetry in her spare writing, but there's a magnetic pull that draws fans into the songs and stories of Amanda Shires. | National Public Radio | 00:12:08 |
| The Decemberists: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | In the span of just a few years, The Decemberists' Colin Meloy has taken an unlikely path from brainy folk-pop obscurity to commanding frontman - the sort of confident singer who can fill open-air venues with his lone voice when he's not crafting ludicrously ambitious "folk operas" like 2009's The Hazards of Love. | National Public Radio | 01:20:38 |
| Emmylou Harris: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | Emmylou Harris' Grammy-festooned career stretches back more than 40 years, to her legendary early collaborations with the late country-folk legend Gram Parsons. Hard Bargain, her new album, is suffused with mourning, both for Parsons (in "The Road") and for her late friend Kate McGarrigle, whom she memorably memorializes in "Darlin' Kate." | National Public Radio | 01:29:28 |
| The Civil Wars: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | Joy Williams and John Paul White perform their sweet, harmony-rich folk-pop songs with loving chemistry, often staring sweetly into each other's eyes. After attracting huge buzz at this year's SXSW music festival, the pair has gone on to be a large-scale cult item. | National Public Radio | 00:57:15 |
| David Wax Museum: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | The group has found a national audience for its recent album Everything Is Saved, which finds David Wax mixing the roots of American and Mexican folk music while Suz Slezak gives the band's music the percussive edge that can only come from a stick dragged rhythmically against a donkey's jawbone. | National Public Radio | 00:54:55 |
| Chris Thile and Michael Daves: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | Make no mistake: This is blazingly intense music, and it shows live when they take the stage at the 2011 Newport Folk Festival. | National Public Radio | 01:05:52 |
| Tegan And Sara: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | Canadian twin sisters Tegan and Sara Quin usually traffic in fizzy, punky pop music. The smart and outspoken pair are translating their spiky music into acoustic arrangements. The mission is to highlight the sturdy songcraft behind Tegan and Sara's cultishly adored music, without sacrificing any of the hard-earned potency. | National Public Radio | 00:57:07 |
| Mountain Man: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | Founded at Bennington College in Vermont, the mostly a cappella trio of Molly Sarle, Amelia Meath and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig weaves its voices into a stark, reverent and unadorned sound that can be hauntingly beautiful. | National Public Radio | 00:49:58 |
| Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | Pokey LaFarge is a man out of time: With his slicked-back hair and vintage clothing, he looks like a grown-up street urchin from early in the previous century. LaFarge and his players put on a tremendously tight live show. | National Public Radio | 00:59:33 |
| Gogol Bordello: Newport Folk Festival 2011 | One of the most demented and infectious live bands in the world, Gogol Bordello assembles something approximating an Eastern European punk-rock circus, suitable for non-stop movement and hearty sing-alongs. | National Public Radio | 00:60:39 |
| They Might Be Giants: Tiny Desk Concert | "They Might Be Giants" performs two of its brand-new songs, as well as "Fingertips," a classic 1992 chestnut. | National Public Radio | 00:10:04 |
| Givers: Tiny Desk Concert | Givers' music is a clatter of percussion, bright tropical melodies, slinky guitar upstrokes and playful vocals that float over polyrhythmic grooves. They play a sunny, exuberant set, suitable for dancing and bobbing along. | National Public Radio | 00:14:26 |
| Y La Bamba: Tiny Desk Concert | Luzelena Mendoza's captivating voice is the centerpiece of Y La Bamba's sound. But the rugged-looking choir boys behind her obviously find joy in blending their voices into rich vocal harmonies. | National Public Radio | 00:12:41 |
| Joe Boyd And Robyn Hitchcock: Tiny Desk Concert | Boyd's name popped up on countless records in the 1960s and '70s. He reads from his book, White Bicycles... while Robyn Hitchcock performs songs from the era. | National Public Radio | 00:23:22 |
| Ben Sollee: Tiny Desk Concert | A genre-bending cellist and songwriter who combines classical artistry with bluegrass and pop, Sollee has created a unique and infectious take on folk music. | National Public Radio | 00:12:58 |
| Julian Lage: Tiny Desk Concert | The 23-year-old guitarist was once called a prodigy, but he's matured into a distinctive player and bandleader. With two bandmates, Lage performs two unreleased songs and a cut from 2011's Gladwell. | National Public Radio | 00:15:35 |
| The Blind Boys Of Alabama: Tiny Desk Concert | Whether young or old, blind or sighted, these gospel greats craft an impeccable mix of polished blues, swinging soul and from-the-gut expressions of faith. | National Public Radio | 00:16:18 |
| The Body With Assembly Of Light Choir In Concert | Hear the sludgy doom-metal duo play with a 24-member female choir at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City as part of the Blackened Music Series on June 25, 2011. | National Public Radio | 00:47:55 |
| Milos Karadaglic: Tiny Desk Concert | The young new guitarist from Montenegro plays Spanish standards and a passionate ode to his homeland. | National Public Radio | 00:15:56 |
| The Civil Wars: Tiny Desk Concert | Joy Williams and John Paul White display their swooning chemistry and stirring harmonies at the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:11:35 |
| YACHT: Tiny Desk Concert | For some acts, stripping a sound down to essentials is easy: Strap on the acoustic guitar and maybe use a snare drum instead of a full kit. It was different for YACHT; it's not a simple guitar-bass-drums band. Listen to the electro-pop group's striking performance. | National Public Radio | 00:13:57 |
| Charlie Siem: Tiny Desk Concert | The stylish young violinist pulls out a bag of tricks in music by Paganini. Siem tosses off left-hand pizzicatos, double-stop harmonics and spiccato bowing as if he were buttering bread. | National Public Radio | 00:11:03 |
| The Decemberists: Tiny Desk Concert | Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy wasn't expecting to be staring into dozens, if not hundreds, of rapt faces. Yet here he is anyway! | National Public Radio | 00:13:42 |
| Chris Thile And Michael Daves: Tiny Desk Concert | Thile and Daves play traditional bluegrass music of icons Bill Monroe & Flatt and Scruggs with 'Big Apple' intensity. They perform songs from 'Sleep With One Eye Open' at our offices. | National Public Radio | 00:23:51 |
| The Black Angels: Tiny Desk Concert | The Black Angels' music is hardly the stuff of stripped-down acoustic confessionals: It's the sound of a distant rumble, possibly beamed from a garage in a distant decade. | National Public Radio | 00:13:54 |
| Kopecky Family Band: Tiny Desk Concert | We stumbled onto the Tennessee band's music at the CMJ Music Festival last fall, and quickly fell in love. The Kopeckys' sweet, swollen folk-rock songs keep blooming into something irresistible. | National Public Radio | 00:13:37 |
| Sasquatch 2011: The Decemberists | The band interspersed old favorites with tunes from this year's The King Is Dead. Recorded live at The Gorge on Monday, May 30, The Decemberists performs here as part of the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival. | National Public Radio | 00:57:58 |
| Sasquatch 2011: Wolf Parade | Following a tour in support of its 2010 album Expo 86, the band announced it would be going on indefinite hiatus. Recorded live at The Gorge on Sunday, May 28, Wolf Parade performs here as part of the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival. | National Public Radio | 00:42:51 |
| Sasquatch 2011: Sharon Van Etten | Van Etten is no ordinary guitar-wielding singer-songwriter: Sure, she sings softly and woundedly, but her music has teeth. Recorded live at The Gorge on Saturday, May 28, as part of the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival. | National Public Radio | 00:33:01 |
| Sasquatch 2011: Washed Out | Featuring songs from his forthcoming album, Ernest Greene brings hazy bedroom electronica to the Sasquatch Music Festival with a broader sound and an expanded backing band. Recorded live at The Gorge as part of the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival. | National Public Radio | 00:38:13 |
| Sasquatch 2011: Aloe Blacc | One of the great recent records to accompany a late-night drive through the city, Aloe Blacc's Good Things synthesizes the sounds of vintage soul with a contemporary vision. Recorded live at The Gorge on Saturday, May 28, during the 2011 Sasquatch Music Festival. | National Public Radio | 00:36:26 |
| Sasquatch 2011: Local Natives | The band plays briskly infectious, harmony-rich folk-pop music that benefits greatly from its propulsive, Afrobeat-inspired rhythms. It performed songs from its 2010 album at Sasquatch. | National Public Radio | 00:41:42 |
| Sasquatch 2011: The Head And The Heart | The Seattle folk-rock sextet showcases songs from its sweet self-titled debut outside Seattle. | National Public Radio | 00:43:06 |
| Low: Tiny Desk Concert | Low continues to find new ways to sound alternately (and even simultaneously) swoony and unnerving. Singers Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker perform three songs from their gorgeous new album, C'mon. | National Public Radio | 00:11:36 |
| Future Islands: Tiny Desk Concert | Future Islands cathartic set managed to keep the intensity up, and even got folks dancing in the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:13:53 |
| Neil Innes: Tiny Desk Concert | As a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus, The Bonzo dog Doo-Dah Band, and The Rutles, Innes' humorous music is packed with jokes and laugh-out-loud satire. | National Public Radio | 00:09:14 |
| Julieta Venegas: Tiny Desk Concert | Venegas is still maturing as a performer and songwriter, while still defying expectations. Watch her perform three memorable songs from the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:09:57 |
| Booker T. Jones: Tiny Desk Concert | 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. Here he plays it with such joy, you'd swear he just discovered it. | National Public Radio | 00:17:46 |
| Wu Man: Tiny Desk Concert) | Watch the world's reigning pipa virtuoso play ancient music from her Chinese homeland in the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:11:13 |
| Steve Earle: Tiny Desk Concert | Earle displays a wide-eyed, unmistakable fearlessness with which he goes about his life these days. Here he showcases his talents at the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:09:18 |
| PJ Harvey Live In Concert | Iconoclastic singer-songwriter PJ Harvey is making four U.S. stops. Featuring songs from her latest album 'Let England Shake,' recorded live from the Warfield Theater in San Francisco on April 14, 2011. | National Public Radio | 00:38:12 |
| Pokey LaFarge: Tiny Desk Concert | LaFarge writes and performs original music steeped in American blues, country and Western swing from the days when 78's ruled. He and his band, The South City Three, perform a short set. | National Public Radio | 00:10:04 |
| Mount Kimbie: Tiny Desk Concert | In the few years that Mount Kimbie has been creating music, the London-based dubstep duo has crossed over to find fans in the U.S. | National Public Radio | 00:17:10 |
| Otis Taylor: Tiny Desk Concert | Banjo-playing bluesman Otis Taylor plays trance-inducing music that's often built around a single chord - an approach that allows his songs to go on for as long as 10 or even 15 minutes. | National Public Radio | 00:20:03 |
| Josh Ritter: Tiny Desk Concert | Josh Ritter carries himself with the bearing of a folk-singing mayor: gregarious, charming, down-to-earth and impeccably dressed as he performs "The Temptation Of Adam," "Lark Rattling Locks" and "Kathleen." | National Public Radio | 00:16:58 |
| Lost In The Trees | Hear the band recorded live in concert from the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. on March 25, 2011. | National Public Radio | 01:06:41 |
| Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars: Tiny Desk Concert | Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars rolled through on a Friday afternoon, giving us something lively to get the blood pumping for the weekend. | National Public Radio | 00:17:06 |
| Nellie McKay: Tiny Desk Concert | You wouldn't think to call someone audacious who once devoted an entire album to Doris Day songs, but Nellie McKay is. Her bold personality shines through in every project she tackles. | National Public Radio | 00:14:51 |
| Agalloch In Concert | Surrounded by banners adorned with elk, with incense lit at the front of the stage, Agalloch's performance felt like a savagely beautiful and personal ritual. Hear the black-metal band's first-ever New York City performance, recorded live at Le Poisson Rouge on March 22, 2011. | National Public Radio | 01:35:03 |
| Worm Ouroboros In Concert | Dreamy and haunting, Worm Ouroboro's set at Le Poisson Rouge on March 22, 2011 felt like a processional. Led by two vocalists, the band's quiet, almost medieval melodies led down a path leading to heavy doom metal. | National Public Radio | 00:33:58 |
| SXSW 2011: Bright Eyes Live In Concert | On the new People's Key, Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst is no longer a prodigiously gifted kid; he's become an adventurous, fully formed folk-rock icon. | National Public Radio | 02:02:11 |
| SXSW 2011: Felice Brothers Live In Concert | Felice Brothers' mix of rock, country and folk has a freewheeling energy at its core: It accesses the spirit of Bruce Springsteen as frequently as it wallows in thoughtful, Bob Dylan-esque folk. | National Public Radio | 00:42:55 |
| SXSW 2011: Middle Brother Live In Concert | Middle Brother is a supergroup featuring the leaders of three largely likeminded bands - Dawes' Taylor Goldsmith, Deer Tick's John McCauley and Delta Spirit's Matthew Vasquez. Altogether, it adds up to roughly the sum of its parts. | National Public Radio | 00:28:05 |
| Late Night Dispatches From SXSW 2011: Day 3 | The NPR Music crew gather in a churchyard in Austin Texas for their 3rd SXSW 2011 nightly wrap up. Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton, Stephen Thompson, and Ann Powers talk about the music they loved on this 3rd day of the festival. | National Public Radio | 00:18:09 |
| Late Night Dispatches from SXSW 2011: Day 2 | The NPR Music crew gather on a street corner again in Austin Texas for their 2nd SXSW 2011 nightly wrap up. Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton, Stephen Thompson, and Ann Powers talk about the music they loved on this 2nd day of the festival. | National Public Radio | 00:24:07 |
| SXSW 2011: The Antlers Live In Concert | The Brooklyn band The Antlers, produce a sound that resonates in front of a crowd. | National Public Radio | 00:47:48 |
| SXSW 2011: The Joy Formidable Live In Concert | The group had to cut its set at NPR Music's daytime SXSW party in Austin down to a lean four songs due to time constraints. But those spiky, bouncy songs absolutely slayed. | National Public Radio | 00:23:13 |
| SXSW 2011: WILD FLAG Live in Concert | A new supergroup featuring Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney, Janet Weiss (of Sleater-Kinney and Quasi), Mary Timony (of Helium) and Rebecca Cole (of The Minders). Enjoy its rollicking, adventurous pop-rock. | National Public Radio | 00:26:37 |
| SXSW 2011: Khaira Arby Live In Concert | One of the great living legends of Malian music, Khaira Arby is widely hailed as the queen of Malian desert soul. She presides over a small army of brilliant African musicians, who create a hypnotic backdrop for her gloriously swooping vocals. | National Public Radio | 00:30:58 |
| SXSW 2011: tUnE-yArDs Live In Concert | On stage, tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus produces a big, full-blooded, unpredictable sound that often transcends genre altogether. For any other performer, that upper-and-lower-case typography might seem cloying, but for tUnE-yArDs, it reads like a mission statement. | National Public Radio | 00:29:48 |
| SXSW 2011: Colin Stetson Live In Concert | Colin Stetson is coveted as a sideman for countless big names. As a solo artist kicking off NPR Music's SXSW day party at The Parish in Austin, Texas, Stetson crafts vivid, enveloping, seemingly freeform soundscapes that sprawl and convulse. | National Public Radio | 00:13:07 |
| Late Night Dispatches From SXSW 2011: Day 1 | The NPR Music crew gather on a street corner in Austin Texas for their first SXSW 2011 nightly wrap up. Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton Stephen Thompson and Ann Powers talk about the music they loved on this first day of the festival. | National Public Radio | 00:21:30 |
| SXSW 2011: Raphael Saadiq Live In Concert | This set from Stubb's in Austin, Texas - recorded live as part of the South by Southwest music festival - is a full-blown soul revue, complete with choreographed backup singers and buckets of sweat. When a guy this cool exerts this much effort, it's a joy to behold. | National Public Radio | 00:38:07 |
| SXSW 2011: Smith Westerns Live In Concert | Just last year, Smith Westerns were a bunch of skinny, no-name teenagers winning over the crowd at NPR Music's annual daytime party. Hear the band perform live at SXSW from Stubb's in Austin, Texas, on March 16, 2011. | National Public Radio | 00:39:16 |
| SXSW 2011: Yuck Live In Concert | Yuck doesn't worry much about first impressions: Short of calling a band "We're Terrible," it's hard to imagine a name riper for dismissal. On stage, though, this is a remarkably assured young riser. | National Public Radio | 00:38:56 |
| Lizz Wright: Tiny Desk Concert | The ever-evolving Wright channels the gospel of her past while remaining coolly understated. It helps, of course, that she's got a subtly crafty band with her. | National Public Radio | 00:09:52 |
| Steve Riley And The Mamou Playboys: Tiny Desk Concert | Steve Riley and his Mamou Playboys make sweet Cajun music together - music steeped in the French heritage of southwestern Louisiana and driven by accordion and fiddle. | National Public Radio | 00:17:21 |
| Damien Jurado: Tiny Desk Concert | Jurado has spent the last decade churning out albums of raw, time-worn, authentically graceful music, and he's always possessed an innate gift for capturing the intricacies of human behavior. | National Public Radio | 00:13:43 |
| The Low Anthem Live | From the Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington DC, NPR Music presents The Low Anthem. in their first show for their new album "Smart Flesh." | National Public Radio | 01:30:00 |
| Local Natives: Tiny Desk Concert | The L.A.-based indie-rock band plays buoyant, infectious songs that brim with sunny melodies and three-part vocal harmonies. Local Natives' members bring their euphoric choruses and clattering Afrobeat rhythms to this stirring acoustic set. | National Public Radio | 00:12:50 |
| Turtle Island Quartet: Tiny Desk Concert | The Grammy-winning members of the Turtle Island Quartet swing and groove and pivot on a dime from classical quartet to jazz combo, complete with a rhythm section. | National Public Radio | 00:17:24 |
| Adele: Tiny Desk Concert | In a stripped-down three-song set, the Grammy-winning U.K. pop star showcases her brilliant voice and seemingly effortless charisma. She performs two new songs to go with her ubiquitous hit "Chasing Pavements." | National Public Radio | 00:14:34 |
| Ivan And Alyosha: Tiny Desk Concert | In preparation for South by Southwest 2010, we each listened to some 1,300 songs. Among the favorites was "Easy to Love" by Ivan and Alyosha. Listen to the band showcase its Beatles-esque pop harmonies and sweet melodies from the NPR Music offices. | National Public Radio | 00:13:01 |
| Stars: Tiny Desk Concert | Stars' Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell take two of the fizziest dance-pop tracks on The Five Ghosts (plus 2005's "Your Ex-Lover Is Dead") and transform them into chiming, charming folk songs. | National Public Radio | 00:10:12 |
| Wavves Live at the 9:30 Club | Wavves opened for Best Coast at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC on a cold winter night. Part of their "Summer is Forever" tour. | National Public Radio | 00:51:46 |
| Best Coast Live from 9:30 Club | Listen to Best Coast live from Washington DC's 9:30 Club. Their tour along with the band Wavves was billed as the Summer is Forever tour. That was a hopeful thought on a night when an ice storm was about to hit the city. | National Public Radio | 00:57:13 |
| Aurelio And Garifuna Soul: globalFEST 2011 | Composer and guitarist Aurelio Martinez is one of the leading singers of Garifuna music from Central America. The culturally endangered Garifuna song forms such as paranda ballads find new life as the Honduran musician complements them with his melancholy yet hopeful singing. | National Public Radio | 00:52:37 |
| Ballake Sissoko & Vincent Segal: globalFEST 2011 | Magic happens when Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal perform. Sissoko plucks sweet harp-like sounds from the 21-stringed kora, while Segal draws unexpected sounds from his cello, sometimes evoking woodwinds. | National Public Radio | 00:46:09 |
| Red Baraat: globalFEST 2011 | Red Baraat is the only bhangra brass band in North America. Hailing from New York City and formed in 2008, the group uses their improvisational sound to blend the dhol, a double-sided, barrel-shaped North Indian drum, with brass funk. It's a crazy blast of fun. | National Public Radio | 01:01:13 |
| Basia Bulat: Tiny Desk Concert | The sweetly engaging Canadian singer-songwriter sings highlights from her two albums, including "In The Night". As an added bonus, she trots out a surprise from Poland. | National Public Radio | 00:15:11 |
| First Listen Live: Iron And Wine | Like 'The Shepherd's Dog,' 'Kiss Each Other Clean' showcases Iron and Wine's subtly exploratory, even meandering side. Hear the increasingly exploratory band perform its new album at New York City's Greene Space. | National Public Radio | 01:03:09 |
| Jonsi Live In Concert | Hear the Sigur Ros singer in a stunning solo concert, recorded live from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Nov. 9, 2010. | National Public Radio | 01:29:11 |
| Tallest Man On Earth | Swedish singer and guitarist Kristian Matsson is a soft-spoken guy who stands somewhere around five and a half feet tall. But on stage, he's known as The Tallest Man on Earth. Hear him perform live in this full concert, recorded in Washington, D.C. Oct. 3, 2010. | National Public Radio | 01:24:08 |
| S. Carey Live From Washington, D.C. | Sean Carey, who performs as S. Carey, was best known as the beautifully understated drummer for Bon Iver before releasing his own solo album this year called "All We Grow." Hear him in this full concert, recorded live from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Oct. 3, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:58:32 |
| Of Montreal in Concert 2010 | "Of Montreal" stages fantastically theatrical concerts with elaborate sets, multiple costume changes and synchronized dancing, all driven by breathlessly unpredictable songs. "Of Montreal" is on tour for its latest album, False Priest. From the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. | National Public Radio | 01:38:15 |
| Superchunk | Hear the band recorded live in concert from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club. | National Public Radio | 01:28:02 |
| John Prine: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | It's no surprise that musicians greatly admire folk-rock singer John Prine, whose brilliant songs have been covered countless times. His new tribute album, "Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs of John Prine," features the likes of Conor Oberst, Justin Vernon, My Morning Jacket, Josh Ritter, and The Avett Brothers. | National Public Radio | 01:14:19 |
| The Swell Season: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | The Swell Season, formerly The Frame, performs live at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, R.I. | National Public Radio | 00:47:30 |
| Ben Sollee & Daniel Martin Moore: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | It's no surprise that two Kentucky singer-songwriters would come together to bond over their love of mountain life. But the first album-length collaboration by cellist Ben Sollee and guitarist/banjo player Daniel Martin Moore, 'Dear Companion,' is about little else. Recorded to raise money and awareness for Appalachian preservation, most pointedly in opposition to mountaintop-removal coal mining, the album was produced by another likeminded Kentuckian, Jim James of "My Morning Jacket." | National Public Radio | 01:03:03 |
| Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | You can't turn on a TV these days without hearing a song by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Still, the absolute best place to take in the 10-piece band's gloriously uplifting ruckus is on the concert stage, where the music takes on the celebratory and intense air of a revival show. | National Public Radio | 00:52:33 |
| Pokey LaFarge & The South City Three: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | You wouldn't expect someone called Pokey LaFarge to grow up in fancy boarding schools, so it's not a huge surprise to learn that he came of age as an all-around rural wanderer who found his voice in roving packs of fellow buskers. Naturally, he keeps one eye on tradition, but, true to form for an adventure-seeking free spirit, he's always looking forward, too. | National Public Radio | 01:02:24 |
| David Wax Museum: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | David Wax Museum knows how to make the most of an opportunity. The talented Boston roots-folk band won its spot on a Newport Folk Festival stage after winning a contest, then spent the first day of the festival courting fans cheerfully but aggressively. | National Public Radio | 00:54:58 |
| Punch Brothers with Chris Thile: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | When Nickel Creek broke up in 2006, it was only a matter of time before the massively popular bluegrass band would spin off into new projects. Among the most prominent is singer-mandolinist Chris Thile's creatively ambitious Punch Brothers, whose recordings have already included a 40-minute suite called "The Blind Leaving the Blind." | National Public Radio | 00:58:11 |
| Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | One of the most self-assured stage performers in the business, Sharon Jones commands her audience's attention for every second of her hard-hitting concerts. For proof, look no further than her remarkable performance at NPR Music's SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas, this past March: Even if she didn't have the brilliant Dap-Kings horn section backing her blazing throwback soul songs, she'd have dominated. | National Public Radio | 00:54:09 |
| April Smith and The Great Picture Show: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | April Smith sounds like an artist out of time: Her massive voice seems particularly well suited to the pop sounds of the '30s and '40s, when brassy belters reigned. Funded through $13,000 in donations from fans, Smith's recent album with her band The Great Picture Show, 'Songs for a Sinking Ship,' is a buoyant collection of quirky, charming songs. | National Public Radio | 00:47:49 |
| Cory Chisel & The Wandering Sons: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | Cory Chisel grew up in Appleton, Wis., where he got into music while singing in church for his father, a Baptist minister. But while that period of his life helped him find his voice, particularly in performances with his family, Chisel remained isolated from popular culture at large. That changed when his uncle introduced him to classic rock and soul music, which in turn helped led to his recording career. | National Public Radio | 00:44:21 |
| Tao Rodriguez Seeger: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | Tao Rodriguez-Seeger, the grandson of folk all-timer Pete Seeger, has put out four albums with his band The Mammals, played with Sarah Lee Guthrie (Woody Guthrie's granddaughter) in the group RIG, and even sung with Bruce Springsteen and Pete Seeger at President Obama's inaugural celebration. | National Public Radio | 00:47:54 |
| Dawes: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | This is a golden age for fans of beardy guys who infuse the indie-rock sound with rich vocal harmonies that recall the heady days of Crosby, Stills & Nash. The L.A. band Dawes performs live at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, RI. | National Public Radio | 01:05:48 |
| Horse Feathers: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | Two factors elevate Horse Feathers to greatness: 1) That is a hell of a stirring string section; and 2) singer Justin Ringle knows how to use his warm, kind tenor to mask powerful lyrics about dark secrets and bruised souls. Hear Horse Feathers perform songs from this year's excellent 'Thistled Spring.' | National Public Radio | 00:48:43 |
| O'Death: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | The only way O'Death could be a better name for a Gothic folk-punk band would be if the band only performed on St. Patrick's Day. As it is, the New York group plays grippingly intense Americana, in the process bringing to mind the white-knuckle hellrides of '16 Horsepower.' O'Death plays songs from its latest album, 'Broken Hymns, Limbs and Skin.' | National Public Radio | 00:55:07 |
| Calexico: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | An Arizona band led by singer-guitarist Joey Burns and drummer/multi-instrumentalist John Convertino, Calexico has spent a decade and a half as a go-to purveyor of atmospheric, even cinematic desert pop. With the aid of trumpets, pedal-steel guitars and piano, Calexico has become a festival favorite (playing a set at Bonnaroo earlier this summer), recorded high-profile collaborations (including 'In the Reins,' a tremendous album with Iron & Wine), and evolved into a consistent studio force (most recently releasing the well-received 'Carried to Dust'). | National Public Radio | 00:58:50 |
| Sam Bush: Newport Folk Fest 2010 | Eight albums into his Grammy-decorated solo career, Sam Bush has become a consistent heavy hitter in the world of bluegrass. On his new album, 'Circles Around Me,' Bush collaborates with giants such as Del McCoury and Edgar Meyer. And, of course, Bush rarely travels without some of the best bluegrass players in the business: bassist Byron House, drummer Chris Brown, banjoist Scott Vestal and guitarist Stephen Mougin. | National Public Radio | 01:02:29 |
| A.A. Bondy: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | A.A. Bondy writes dark songs about staying a half-step ahead of damnation and doom. Fortunately, Bondy's gentle voice and low-key arrangements help him cut through the bleakness with considerable warmth and pop appeal. Expect him to showcase songs from last year's 'When the Devil's Loose.' | National Public Radio | 00:55:33 |
| Blitzen Trapper: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | Drenched in Crosby, Stills & Nash-style harmonies, Blitzen Trapper's recent 'Destroyer of the Void' meanders through country, '70s-style soft rock and the occasional acid-rock freak-out, all held in one place with the help of singer-songwriter Eric Earley. | National Public Radio | 00:55:03 |
| The Low Anthem: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | In 2008, The Low Anthem's members were volunteering at the Newport Folk Festival, helping to maintain the grounds. The next year, they were on stage, winning the home-state crowd's affections with their frequently gorgeous mix of folk, rock and wrenchingly atmospheric ballads. They play their big-label debut, 'Oh My God, Charlie Darwin.' | National Public Radio | 00:44:29 |
| Liz Longley: Newport Folk Festival 2010 | A hardworking young folksinger with an impressive pedigree. Educated at Berklee College of Music and co-winner of the 2009 Mountain Stage New Song Contest, Liz Longley is particularly highly regarded for her personal, emotionally engaging songwriting. | National Public Radio | 00:48:50 |
| The New Pornographers Live (2010) | The New Pornographers' latest album, Together, is a thrilling parade of infectious hooks, power-pop guitars, whistled melodies and sweet harmonies. The New Pornographers share highlights from the album, along with old favorites, in this full concert recorded live at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club on June 23, 2010. | National Public Radio | 01:33:51 |
| 'Weird Al' Yankovic: Tiny Desk Concert | In these three 'Weird Al' Yankovic originals (1988's "Good Old Days," 1992's "You Don't Love Me Anymore" and the new White Stripes pastiche "CNR"), it's remarkable how quickly the singer and his band adjust and thrive. | National Public Radio | 00:12:51 |
| Roger McGuinn with The Rock Bottom Remainders | The Rock Bottom Remainders Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, Roy Blount Jr., Kathy Kamen Goldmark and Sam Barry didn't bring any instruments to their performance at Bob Boilen's desk. But they were smart enough to bring a ringer: The Byrds' Roger McGuinn. | National Public Radio | 00:06:04 |
| Public Image Ltd. | After a nearly 20-year hiatus, the highly revered and often imitated post-punk group Public Image Ltd. has re-formed and launched a new U.S. tour. The band made a stop in Washington, D.C., for a full concert, recorded live at the 9:30 Club. | National Public Radio | 02:01:52 |
| Toro Y Moi Live | Hear Toro Y Moi in a full concert, recorded live from the Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. May 10, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:36:38 |
| Caribou Live | Hear Caribou recorded live in concert from the Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington, D.C. This program originally webcast live on NPR Music May 10, 2010. | National Public Radio | 01:16:59 |
| Freelance Whales Live | Hear the Queens NY band Freelance Whales, recorded live in concert from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. They performed songs from their new album called "Weathervanes." This concert was recorded May 2nd 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:46:59 |
| Shout Out Louds Live | Hear the Swedish pop group Shout Out Louds, recorded live in concert from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. They performed songs from their new album called "Work" and a lot of old favorites. This concert was recorded May 2nd 2010. | National Public Radio | 01:24:40 |
| Hot Chip Live | Hot Chip came to the 9:30 Club to make a thousand people dance and scream. They succeeded. Playing many songs from their new album One Life Stand, the band headed by Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard played unwavering cheery dance music with synthesizers and electronic beats as the pulse. This podcast may be hard not to dance to. Turn it up. | National Public Radio | 01:23:22 |
| The xx Live | The xx performing at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC. The band is at the end of a 6 week U.S. tour. playing songs from their lugubrious spacious and charming debut album. The short 35 minute set left the sold out crowd wanting more. | National Public Radio | 00:36:01 |
| Kings Go Forth | Since forming a few years ago in Milwaukee, Wis., the 10-piece group Kings Go Forth has been thrilling audiences in and around its hometown with a groove-heavy, horn-powered mix of funk and soul. Now, Kings Go Forth is taking that show on the road, with its first-ever tour of the East Coast. Hear Kings Go Forth in a full concert, recorded live from Washington D.C.'s U Street Music Hall. This performance was originally webcast live on NPR Music on April 20, 2010. | National Public Radio | 01:04:01 |
| Joanna Newsom Live | Joanna Newsom live from the 6th and I Synagogue in Washington, DC. Hear Joanna and her band perform songs from her new album "Have One on Me" also "Ys" and "Milk-Eyed Mender" | National Public Radio | 01:27:08 |
| SXSW 2010: Broken Bells (Concert Excerpt) | Note: This is a three-song excerpt from the Broken Bells set at SXSW. Hear the full show at npr.org/sxsw. The Shins' James Mercer and the highly sought-after producer Danger Mouse just released their debut album as Broken Bells. Making one of its first-ever live appearances, the band appears on NPR Music's South By Southwest showcase at Stubb's in Austin, Texas, on March 17, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:13:08 |
| Late Night Dispatches From SXSW: Saturday | And so brings the beginning of the end. In their final late night dispatch from SXSW, Bob Boilen, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson have met up to retrace their steps and remember their favorite moments from Saturday at the festival, including a bittersweet tribute to Big Star's Alex Chilton. | National Public Radio | 00:30:32 |
| Late Night Dispatches From SXSW: Friday | At the weary end of every night throughout South By Southwest, Bob Boilen, Carrie Brownstein, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson have met up on the Austin streets to break down all the events of the day. And then, in the cruel light of morning, we've posted these rambling and often existential recaps here in podcast form. In this third installment, the gang, recap their favorite moments including Japanese band Camisama, a new band from Jason Lytle and Earlimart, party rocker Andrew WK, The xx and so much more. | National Public Radio | 00:18:09 |
| Late Night Dispatches From SXSW: Thursday | Every night — or really, early morning — during South By Southwest, Bob Boilen, Carrie Brownstein, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson will meet up on some random street corner in Austin, Texas and break down the events of the day. And every morning during the festival we'll post these lively and increasingly loopy recaps here and on the blog. In this second installment, the gang met up around 2:30 a.m. to rave about NPR Music's SXSW daytime party at The Parish, which included Brooklyn Rider, Smith Westerns, Local Natives, G-Side, Surfer Blood, and Sleigh Bells. They also talk about some of the shows they were able to catch later that night in venues all across Austin. | National Public Radio | 00:20:17 |
| SXSW 2010: Sleigh Bells | Written on a laptop, Sleigh Bells' songs rely heavily on bombastic beats that are pushed as far into the red as they can go. Combined with Alexis Krauss' sultry vocals and Derek Miller's trashy guitar riffs, their blown-out beats leap out of the speakers. The electro-pop duo headlines at The Parish at NPR Music's SXSW daytime party. | National Public Radio | 00:23:39 |
| SXSW 2010: Surfer Blood | The Florida band's self-described "anthemic, bombastic, life-affirming indie-pop" project seems to have arisen as spontaneously as its name, which came up when one of Surfer Blood's members shouted it out in a car at random. The group performs as part of NPR Music's South By Southwest daytime party at The Parish in Austin, Texas, on March 18, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:28:25 |
| SXSW 2010: G-Side | Hailing from Huntsville, Ala., G-Side is a rap duo that rhymes about the experience of living in a midsize city in the American south. The group performs as part of NPR Music's South By Southwest daytime party at The Parish in Austin, Texas, on March 18, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:28:56 |
| SXSW 2010: Local Natives | The Los Angeles band's sound synthesizes vocal harmonies influenced by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (or the more contemporary Fleet Foxes) with the reverberant rhythms of Afrobeat, indie rock and chamber pop. Local Natives performs as part of NPR Music's South By Southwest daytime party at The Parish in Austin, Texas, on March 18, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:29:47 |
| SXSW 2010: Smith Westerns | The songs of the young Chicago band are, unmistakably, the guttural outpourings of raucous adolescents. But the group's members have talent well beyond their years, as well as an undeniable gift for writing rousing, sneakily infectious rock. The band performs as part of NPR Music's South By Southwest daytime party at The Parish in Austin, Texas, on March 18, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:27:40 |
| SXSW 2010: Brooklyn Rider | Drawing from its globe-trotting experience with Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, Brooklyn Rider blends genres and influences seamlessly, carving out its own unique space within the world of chamber music. The string quartet performs as part of NPR Music's South By Southwest daytime party at The Parish in Austin, Texas, on March 18, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:29:51 |
| Late Night Dispatches from SXSW 2010: Wednesday | SXSW is upon us. In the first late night dispatch from South By Southwest, Bob Boilen, Carrie Brownstein, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson recap the day's events from the streets of Austin, Tex. Here they share their favorite moments from NPR Music's SXSW showcase at Stubb's that included Visqueen, The Walkmen, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Broken Bells and Spoon. They also highlight other bands they've been able to see so far and preview what's in store for the rest of the week. | National Public Radio | 00:16:56 |
| SXSW 2010: Spoon | Fresh off the release of its seventh album, 'Transference,' the Austin pop-rock band Spoon headlines NPR Music's South By Southwest showcase at Stubb's in Austin, Texas, on March 17, 2010. | National Public Radio | 01:17:19 |
| SXSW 2010: Sharon Jones And The Dap-Kings | The soul sensation appears on NPR Music's South By Southwest showcase at Stubb's in Austin, Texas, on March 17, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:47:06 |
| SXSW 2010: The Walkmen | The ramshackle indie-rock band plays NPR Music's South By Southwest showcase at Stubb's in Austin, Texas, on March 17, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:40:44 |
| SXSW 2010: Visqueen | The charismatic power-pop band opens NPR Music's South By Southwest showcase at Stubb's in Austin, Texas, on March 17, 2010. | National Public Radio | 00:20:14 |
| Ray Davies: The Kinks Choral Concert | For some diehard Kinks fans, the idea of mixing the band's classic songs with a full choir had little appeal. One of those fans, All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen, was dubious, before he heard the results on the latest CD from Kinks frontman Ray Davies, The Kinks Choral Collection. Boilen was part of a rapt audience at a Nov. 20 performance of the songs, recorded live in New York, by Ray Davies and the Dessoff Chamber Choir. Hear that show in its entirety here. | National Public Radio | 01:03:17 |
| Patrick Watson In Concert | One of Bob Boilen's favorite discoveries of the year, Watson makes imaginative pop with a cinematic bent. So NPR Music jumped at the opportunity to record his concert at The Mercury Lounge in New York City Thursday, performed as part of the CMJ Music Festival. | National Public Radio | 00:36:28 |
| Moby, Recorded Live In Berlin | Moby's latest album, Wait for Me, is his best new release in a decade, full of beauty, sadness and celebration. The singer and electronic artist is currently on tour in support of the record, giving sold-out performances to packed arenas and smaller clubs throughout Europe and the U.S. For this stellar concert, recorded live in Berlin on June 26, Moby treated fans to nearly two hours of new songs and old favorites from a career spanning nearly 20 years. | National Public Radio | 01:44:08 |
| Dinosaur Jr. In Concert | When the original lineup of Dinosaur Jr. reunited in 2005, more than 20 years after the band first formed in Amherst, Mass., skeptics figured the group was looking for an excuse to recycle its back catalog. Hear Dinosaur Jr. perform selections from their latest album 'Farm' — along with an assortment of old favorites — in a full concert, recorded live at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club. | National Public Radio | 01:24:42 |
| The Gossip In Concert | The Gossip has built its reputation on its incredible live performances. The post-punk trio, based in Olympia, Wash., mixes incendiary guitar noise with funk bass lines and adrenaline-infused rhythms, while frontwoman Beth Ditto thrashes onstage, sometimes stripping down to her underwear. Fans can experience this sonic jolt firsthand in this full concert by The Gossip, recorded live from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. The performance is hosted by All Songs Considered's Bob Boilen and Monitor Mix blogger Carrie Brownstein. | National Public Radio | 01:18:35 |
| M. Ward In Concert | Hear singer, songwriter and guitarist M. Ward in a full concert, recorded live at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. Ward is currently on tour in support of his latest album, Hold Time. One of the year's strongest releases, the disc features a mix of country-flavored pop songs, with finger-picked guitars, upright bass and shuffling rhythms, all tied together by Ward's achy voice. | National Public Radio | 01:13:37 |
| Jason Lytle In Concert | Three years after the breakup of his widely adored space-pop group Grandaddy, singer Jason Lytle has returned with one of the year's best albums, Yours Truly, The Commuter. Lytle showcased the new songs, along with some old Grandaddy favorites, in this full concert, recorded live at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City July 11. | National Public Radio | 01:12:16 |
| Joan Baez: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Just one year after her first Newport appearance, Baez released her self-titled debut and began a decades-spanning career that traversed not only American folk styles, but also a broad assortment of social issues. It would become the mark of her music that it was inextricably linked to social and political change. | National Public Radio | 01:07:48 |
| The Low Anthem: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | The Rhode Island band's restless experimentation and ever-changing arrangements reflect the disparate interests and careers (art, Americana and technology) of its three members. | National Public Radio | 00:56:56 |
| Deer Tick: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Weathered and shot through with bursts of noise, Deer Tick's tunes could be endearingly sloppy, but the band's arrangements remain thoughtful. The lyrics tend toward folks who have it hard, but don't make things any easier on themselves. | National Public Radio | 00:57:24 |
| Ramblin' Jack Elliott: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Elliott's voice — flat, tinged with sadness, with a matter-of-fact delivery — has become a template for generations of folksingers, as well as an influence on Bob Dylan. On the day he performs at Newport, he will turn 78. | National Public Radio | 00:55:28 |
| David Rawlings Machine: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Gillian Welch and David Rawlings put out Soul Journey, their last record under Welch's name, in 2003, and since then have toured under the moniker David Rawlings Machine. For most listeners, Welch may be the name in lights, but the best trick she and Rawlings play is to keep the focus shifting between their marvelously paired voices. | National Public Radio | 01:02:34 |
| Arlo Guthrie: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Son of the legendary folksinger Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1947. The younger Guthrie has released more than two dozen albums, founded the Guthrie Center and devoted himself to numerous political causes, most recently attracting attention for his support of 2008 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. | National Public Radio | 01:02:34 |
| Billy Bragg: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Armed with an electric guitar and a sharp wit, Billy Bragg is a one-man punk band with a Woody Guthrie-sized heart. Since the mid-'80s, Bragg has tirelessly railed against injustice in his music, while remaining tethered to the intricacies of human interaction. | National Public Radio | 00:53:48 |
| Neko Case: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Neko Case and her killer live band put on an impassioned and energetic set at Newport. | National Public Radio | 01:01:01 |
| Iron & Wine: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Eschewing his full touring band, Iron & Wine's Sam Beam performed a beautiful solo set at Newport. | National Public Radio | 01:02:00 |
| Mavis Staples: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | The lifelong activist and singer brought some serious soul to the Folk Festival at Newport. | National Public Radio | 01:14:36 |
| Pete Seeger Singalong Saturday: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Closing the day at Folk Festival 50, legendary folksinger Pete Seeger and his son, Tao Rodriguez Seeger, led a hootenanny with some of their closest friends and musicians, including members of The Decemberists and Fleet Foxes. | National Public Radio | 00:59:15 |
| Pete Seeger Singalong Sunday: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | In the midst of pouring rain, nothing could stop the Newport audience from singing even louder at the Sunday night singalong. Pete Seeger and his grandson, Tao Rodriguez, led the festivities with Joan Baez, Ben Jaffe and members of Balfa Toujours. | National Public Radio | 00:33:53 |
| The Decemberists: Highlights From Newport Folk Festival 2009 | Colin Meloy and his crew led the crowd in a singalong of "Sons and Daughters." | National Public Radio | 00:18:09 |
| The Avett Brothers: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | The Avett Brothers stomped and hollered high-energy songs from its new album at Newport Folk. | National Public Radio | 00:58:32 |
| Gillian Welch: Newport Folk Festival 2009 | It's been a number of years since Gillian Welch has put out a new album or regularly performed, but she's a regular fixture at Newport no matter what. With David Rawlings, they treated fans to many Welch classics, plus threw in a cover of Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit." | National Public Radio | 01:01:39 |
| Sonic Youth | After spending nearly 20 years delivering crunchy, underground guitar rock for a major label, Sonic Youth has returned to its indie roots for its 16th studio album, The Eternal. Out now on Matador Records, Sonic Youth's latest effort is among the band's finest, with a fuzzy, tightly orchestrated mix of psych-punk rock and noisy jams. The band showcased the album in a full concert, recorded live from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club July 7. | National Public Radio | 01:28:07 |
| The Antlers In Concert | The Antlers have released one of the year's best albums. 'Hospice' is s an epic but intimate album of astonishing beauty, as well as one of the most moving, heart-wrenching set of songs I've had the pleasure of hearing. It evolves and unfolds majestically, soaring from hushed moments to grand, cage-rattling swells of shredded guitar noise. This performance was recorded live at the Black Cat in Washington, DC in March, 2009. | National Public Radio | 00:41:36 |
| Metric Live in Concert | Hear Metric in a full concert from Washington DC's 9:30 Club. | National Public Radio | 01:22:51 |
| Passion Pit (Includes Interview At End) | Passion Pit is poised to be one of the year's breakout bands. Hailing from Cambridge, Mass., the brash and high-energy electronic outfit received a ton of hype thanks to last summer's single "Sleepyhead," a concise burst of blissful electronic pop. A year later, Passion Pit follows up its debut EP, Chunk of Change, with its first full-length album: Manners pairs that glossy, ebullient music with dark, soul-searching songs. Hear selections from Manners and more in a full concert recorded live from Washington, D.C. The performance is followed by an interview with the band. | National Public Radio | 00:57:52 |
| 'Dark Was The Night' From Radio City Music Hall | In a year of great music, the 'Dark Was the Night' compilation is near the top. Now comes 'Dark Was the Night': The Concert, a truly mammoth undertaking. Members of The National curated the event to benefit AIDS research with performances by David Byrne, The Dirty Projectors, Bon Iver, Sharon Jones and My Brightest Diamond. | National Public Radio | 01:44:03 |
| St. Vincent In Concert | Annie Clark, who writes and records under the name St. Vincent, has never been a fan of convention. Her 2007 debut, Marry Me, was filled with off-kilter rhythms, strangely melodic electronic arrangements, and cryptic narratives. St. Vincent's latest release, a candidate for one of 2009's best albums, is even more surprising and inventive. Hear selections from the album, Actor, as St. Vincent gives a full concert, recorded live from Washington, D.C. on Friday, May 23, 2009. | National Public Radio | 01:16:36 |
| Dan Deacon (With Interview At End) | Dan Deacon has built his reputation on live shows: comically unpredictable messes of frenetic dancing, audience participation and theatrics, all powered by the Baltimore resident's wildly addictive electro-freak-pop. Since getting his start in 2003, Deacon has always performed alone. But for his latest tour, he's joined by a 15-piece backing band. Deacon conducts the traveling orchestra from the dance floor, where he plants himself in the audience with a tangle of cables, analog drum machines and vintage electronics. This concert, from the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC was recorded and webcast live on May 17, 2009. | National Public Radio | 01:55:50 |
| Animal Collective 2009 | When the enigmatic rock group Animal Collective released Merriweather Post Pavilion in January, it immediately became an early frontrunner for 2009's best record. Months later, it remains the year's most wildly imaginative release, with a strangely infectious stew of tribal rhythms, pulsing synths and shimmering vocals. Here, Animal Collective stops by Washington, D.C., for a full concert — a show webcast in its entirety at NPR Music. In addition to live streaming, the performance from the 9:30 Club will remain archived on this page and in the Live In Concert podcast. | National Public Radio | 01:56:28 |
| Neko Case (Middle Cyclone Tour) | Emerging out of the sound of the spring peepers that close her new album, Middle Cyclone, Neko Case and her five-piece band opened the night's performance with "Maybe Sparrow." The stage was set in something out of a nature cartoon with trees painted on long banners and an owl overseeing it all. Behind them videos of cyclones, airplanes and anthropomorphic animals were projected on a screen. But the attention was clearly on Case, her stunning voice, as well as her solid backing band. She gave a full concert from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club, which was webcast live on NPR.org. | National Public Radio | 01:31:01 |
| Mates of State | The music of Mates of State has always been playfully innocent and unabashedly upbeat. Since forming a decade ago in Lawrence, Kan., the husband-and-wife duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel has released a string of sticky-sweet studio albums with hooky synth lines, two-part harmonies and bounding rhythms. But on their latest CD, Re-Arrange Us, Gardner and Hammel show that they've grown a little older and wiser, with their richest and most reflective collection of songs to date. The band was recorded live at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. on Apr. 4, 2009. | National Public Radio | 01:05:37 |
| SXSW '09 Wrap Up | Since the 2009 South by Southwest music festival and conference ended a week ago, we've spent much of our time back decompressing and making sense of everything we saw and heard. All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen, Monitor Mix blogger Carrie Brownstein, All Songs Considered producer Robin Hilton and Song of the Day editor Stephen Thompson discovered dozens of new bands, took in more concerts than most people see in a year, and came back with some new favorite artists. On this edition of All Songs Considered we wrap up our SXSW '09 coverage with a final look at some of the most memorable acts. | National Public Radio | 01:24:48 |
| SXSW 2009: Blitzen Trapper | Last year's Furr found its way onto many best-of lists, including NPR's, and with good reason: It refines the rough edges of Wild Mountain Nation without losing Blitzen Trapper's natural forward motion. The band headlined NPR Music's day party from The Parish in Austin, Tex., on March 19. | National Public Radio | 00:34:20 |
| SXSW 2009: The Dirty Projectors | David Longstreth, the visionary behind The Dirty Projectors, has a knack for deconstructing music and then reassembling it with distinct guitar-and-vocal arrangements. At The Dirty Projectors' SXSW concert, the band presented new material from Bitte Orca, a new album due June 9. Recorded at the SXSW showcase at The Parish in Austin, Tex., on March 19, 2009. | National Public Radio | 00:23:50 |
| SXSW 2009: K'Naan | K'Naan questions the credibility of American hip-hop: After all, even the toughest American neighborhoods aren't as dangerous as his hometown of Mogadishu. His background informs a style that hits hard, with a message that hits even harder. K'Naan's latest album, Troubadour, features the talents of Mos Def, Chali 2na and Metallica's Kirk Hammett. Recorded at the SXSW showcase at The Parish in Austin, Tex., on March 19, 2009. | National Public Radio | 00:26:29 |
| SXSW 2009: BLK JKS | The Johannesburg natives in BLK JKS brew an impressive blend of punk, metal, dub, soul and Jimi Hendrix-inspired guitar explosions. The group made its first trip to SXSW this year, showcasing songs from the Mystery EP and some new material. Recorded at the SXSW showcase at The Parish in Austin, Tex., on March 19, 2009. | National Public Radio | 00:26:00 |
| SXSW 2009: Blind Pilot | The Portland, Ore., duo finally acquired a van to reach SXSW this year, ditching its usual touring transportation: a pair of bicycles. Now filled out with additional players for a national tour, the band will showcase its rustic folk-pop stylings in full effect. Recorded at the SXSW showcase at The Parish in Austin, Tex., on March 19, 2009. | National Public Radio | 00:32:18 |
| SXSW 2009: Thao With The Get Down Stay Down | Thao Nguyen and her backing band, The Get Down Stay Down, make mixing indie-pop and folk sound easy. Nguyen's exuberant voice filled up NPR's offices this past September, and christened its SXSW showcase at The Parish in Austin, Tex., on March 19, 2009. | National Public Radio | 00:34:37 |
| SXSW 2009: The Avett Brothers | Hailing from North Carolina, the band (which includes two actual brothers) takes Southern music traditions and merges them into a uniquely catchy musical sensibility. Hear The Avett Brothers premiere songs from a forthcoming album as part of NPR Music's nighttime SXSW showcase. Originally recorded 18 March 2009 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas. | National Public Radio | 00:41:13 |
| SXSW 2009: The Heartless Bastards | The powerhouse singer Erica Wennerstrom recently moved to Austin, secluded herself in her apartment for six months, wrote a new album's worth of songs and re-formed her band The Heartless Bastards. Hear the standout garage rockers perform as part of NPR Music's nighttime SXSW showcase. Originally recorded 18 March 2009 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas. | National Public Radio | 00:45:57 |
| SXSW 2009: The Decemberists | Already known for its creative ambition, the hyperliterate and sweepingly melodic band The Decemberists has just made its most grandiose record yet: a narrative song-cycle called The Hazards of Love. Hear the band premiere the entire work live in concert at NPR Music's nighttime SXSW showcase. Originally recorded 18 March 2009 at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Texas. | National Public Radio | 01:20:51 |
| Antony And The Johnsons (with interview) | Hear and see video of the band, recorded live in concert from the Sixth and I Synagogue in Washington, D.C. This stunning performance includes songs from the band's new album, The Crying Light, as well as its 2005 breakthrough, I Am a Bird Now. Video of the performance is provided by Pitchfork.tv. | National Public Radio | 01:50:15 |
| M. Ward: Studio Performance | o mark the Feb. 17 release of his new record, Hold Time, singer-guitarist M. Ward gives a special solo performance. Hear selections from the new album, recorded live from the studios of WNYC in New York. The acoustic performance includes an interview with M. Ward as he takes questions from listeners, WNYC's Alana Harper and All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. | National Public Radio | 00:46:00 |
| Loney Dear in Concert | Emil Svanagen, a Swedish singer and former pro cyclist, writes and performs as Loney Dear. Loney Dear's music is sweetly innocent and mostly joyful, with candy-coated layers of delicate tones and atmospherics. As with his 2007 debut, Loney, Noir, Svanagen recorded his new album, Dear John, by himself in his living room and his parents' basement. For this performance, recorded live at the 9:30 Club, Loney Dear featured a full-band lineup, including Samuel Starck (keyboards), Malin Stahlberg (tambourine, vocals, keys), Ola Hultgren (drums) and David Lindvall (bass). | National Public Radio | 00:49:11 |
| Andrew Bird in Concert | Andrew Bird is a gangly, classically trained violinist who mixes jazz, folk and quirky art-pop with whistled melodies. Along the way, he's attracted the kind of screaming crowds normally reserved for pop stars. At a recent show in his native Chicago, thousands of breathless fans came to see the singer, many of them shouting "I love you!" between songs. Hear what the hype is about with this entire concert, recorded live from the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 3. | National Public Radio | 01:50:55 |
| The Elephant 6 Orchestra (with interview) | It was a magical and historic night for indie-rock. For the first time in more than a decade, the founding members of the widely adored and influential Elephant 6 Collective, including Robert Schneider (The Apples in Stereo) and the famously reclusive Jeff Mangum (Neutral Milk Hotel), took the stage together for a sprawling live performance. The group, which featured 15 artists from 10 different bands, served up more than three hours of joyous, psych-tinged singalongs under the glow of the rainbow-colored lights at Chicago's Bottom Lounge on Oct. 21, 2008. A full sit list is available at our Web site: nprmusic.org. | National Public Radio | 02:44:35 |
| Ra Ra Riot (with interview) | It's been a rough but rewarding road for the Syracuse, N.Y., band Ra Ra Riot: In the two years since it formed, the group has endured a grueling tour schedule, inflated expectations from critics and the sudden death of drummer John Pike, one of the band's creative leaders. But Ra Ra Riot emerged from it all this year, wiser and more focused, with a beautifully polished and inspired debut, The Rhumb Line. Hear the group showcase the album in a full concert, webcast live from the Black Cat in Washington, D.C. This performance is followed by an interview with the band and All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen | National Public Radio | 01:07:13 |
| Of Montreal (with interview) | The Athens, Ga., band Of Montreal has been making some of the most wildly adventurous (if bizarre) music of the past decade. The group, led by frenetic frontman Kevin Barnes, has built a reputation on meticulously crafted, synth-driven psych-pop, with flamboyant production and gleeful sonic flourishes. Of Montreal brought this musical spectacle to Washington, D.C., for a full concert, originally webcast live at NPR.org Oct. 9. This podcast version includes an interview after the performance with Of Montreal frontman Kevin Barnes. | National Public Radio | 02:14:59 |
| Sam Phillips (with interview at end) | Of all of Sam Phillips' roles as a musician — first as a contemporary Christian singer, later as an ornate pop artist — her latest incarnation is the most alluring. Her jangly, mostly acoustic songs rattle and shake with graceful, noirish tales of broken lives. Phillips is currently on tour in support of her latest CD, Don't Do Anything. She showcased the album in a full concert, recorded live at the Rams Head in Annapolis, Md. This concert recording is followed by an interview with the band and All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. | National Public Radio | 01:25:00 |
| Radiohead Live | Hear the band recorded live in concert, from one of the year's most memorable tours. Radiohead ended its run of U.S. cities this summer with a dazzling spectacle of sight and sound at the Santa Barbara Bowl, in Santa Barbara, Calif. | National Public Radio | 02:06:03 |
| Newport Folk Festival - Jim James | The solo sets of Jim James have become somewhat of a hushed spectacle, the kind that leaves a person spellbound for days afterward. Performing with just an acoustic guitar and a little help from M. Ward, the bearded singer practically hypnotized the audience with his stunning voice. Originally recorded from the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, R.I. on August 2, 2008. | National Public Radio | 01:06:04 |
| Newport Folk Festival - She & Him | Technical difficulties didn't deter M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel from plugging on ahead, even if that meant plugging in an electric guitar instead of an acoustic guitar. And then Newport's infamous rain came down hard. But that didn't stop them, either, nor did it prevent special guest appearances by Jim James and Becky Stark. Originally recorded from the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, R.I. on August 2, 2008. | National Public Radio | 00:51:59 |
| Newport Folk Festival - Steve Earle | Right from the beginning, Steve Earle openly channeled the spirit of Woody Guthrie, noting that we need him now more than ever. Out of all the artists at the Newport Folk Festival, Earle's invocation is arguably the most appropriate — he would have fit in well at the festival's inception. Originally recorded from the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, R.I. on August 2, 2008. | National Public Radio | 00:57:20 |
| Newport Folk Festival - Young @ Heart Chorus, Jakob Dylan | Following the success of the documentary film of the same name, the Young @ Heart chorus — a stunning collection of octogenarians — proved to be one of the biggest surprise at the Newport Folk Festival, proving that they could definitely rock the house. Then with a small backing band, Jakob Dylan came to the Newport Folk Festival armed with not only songs from his first solo album, Seeing Things, but also music from the entire Wallflowers catalog. Originally recorded from the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, R.I. on August 2, 2008. | National Public Radio | 01:07:08 |
| Tom Waits | Recorded at Atlanta's historic Fox Theater on July 5, Waits delivers a stunning and epic two-and-a-half hour performance, including songs he says he's never attempted outside of the studio before. Backing Waits is a five-piece group featuring Seth Ford-Young (upright bass), Patrick Warren (keyboards), Omar Torrez (guitars), Vincent Henry (woodwinds) and Casey Waits (drums and percussion). "They play with racecar precision and they are all true conjurers," says Waits. "They are all multi-instrumentalists and they polka like real men." | National Public Radio | 02:22:13 |
| Spiritualized | Just when it seemed to be permanently defunct, the British space-rock group Spiritualized returned with its first album since 2003, Songs in A&E. The band is touring in support of the disc, and lands at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club on July 25 for a live concert, webcast on NPR.org. See a complete set list at our Web site: www.npr.org/allsongs | National Public Radio | 01:44:48 |
| The Ting Tings | The Ting Tings played for only 45 minutes at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club, but they served up enough infectious dance pop to exhaust a wildly enthusiastic audience that scarcely stopped jumping up and down through the entire show. The English electro-pop duo, featuring drummer Jules De Martino and guitarist Katie White, ran through much of their debut album, We Started Nothing, including the hits "Shut Up And Let Me Go," (featured earlier this spring in an iPod commercial) and "That's Not My Name," the band's first single. | National Public Radio | 00:49:43 |
| Fleet Foxes (With Interview) | The members of Fleet Foxes like to say they're not much of a rock band, but they are one of the year's breakout acts. The group's self-titled debut, released earlier this year on the Sub Pop label, has earned universal acclaim for its timeless mix of folk, choral and rock. Hear Fleet Foxes recorded live in concert from Washington, D.C.'s Black Cat. this includes an interview at the end of the performance. A complete set list can be found at npr.org/liveconcerts | National Public Radio | 01:15:42 |
| Orchestra Baobab in Concert | Nearly 40 years after first forming in Dakar, Senegal, Orchestra Baobab remains one of the world's foremost purveyors of Afro-Cuban pop. The ten-piece group will play songs from its new album, Made in Dakar, in a full concert, webcast live on NPR.org tonight The performance was recorded from the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va. on June 19, 2008. | National Public Radio | 02:02:35 |
| Shearwater Live (with Interview at end) | This is a full concert by Shearwater, recorded live at the Black Cat in Washinton, D.C. June 15, 2008. It includes an interview after the performance with Shearwater singer/songwriter Jonathan Meiburg and All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen. | National Public Radio | 01:10:03 |
| The Raconteurs | The Raconteurs just want to have fun. Loud and brash with an arsenal of infectious riffs, the quartet plays with swagger, a wry sense of humor and one, singular message: Let's rock. Hear The Raconteurs in a full concert, recorded live from Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club on May 27, 2008. | National Public Radio | 01:33:59 |
| DeVotchKa | Best known for scoring the endearing soundtrack to Little Miss Sunshine, the Denver-based band DeVotchKa makes bittersweet songs with whistled melodies and sorrowful tales of the brokenhearted. Now on tour for its latest CD, A Mad and Faithful Telling, DeVotchKa gave a full concert at Washington, D.C.'s 9:30 Club, originally webcast live on NPR. May 16. | National Public Radio | 01:53:58 |
| The Black Keys | The Black Keys' performance from the 9:30 club in Washington DC was an unabashed, hard-driving rock show. There weren't any ballads in their nearly hour-and-a-half set; it was all about Dan Aurbach's distorted guitar and Patrick Carney's fiery drums. In an interview before the show with All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen, the band talked about their slow, comfortable climb to success. That slow climb brought hardcore fans to the club, about a thousand a night for two sold out shows. The band played music from all five of their albums and, for the dedicated fans in the club and in our chat room, it was a thrill to hear some of those older tunes. The group is on tour in support of its latest album, Attack and Release. An album produced by Brian Burton also known as Danger Mouse. | National Public Radio | 01:35:32 |
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