Tinariwen
E1
Even in a stripped-down acoustic set, Tinariwen's trance-inducing desert music doesn't disappoint.
Le Butcherettes
E2
Watch singer Teri Gender Bender transform from a soft-spoken musician into a rock 'n' roll beast.
Screaming Females
E3
The band's keen sense of song prevails, especially in a new song called "It All Means Nothing."
Jake Schepps' Expedition Quartet
E4
Banjo master Schepps and friends create an intriguing goulash of Bartók, bluegrass and bebop.
Glenn Jones
E5
Watch the masterful folk guitarist perform a lovely instrumental set at the NPR Music offices.
Anna Calvi
E6
Calvi plays songs from her self-titled debut in this powerful performance at the NPR Music offices.
Girl In A Coma
E7
The San Antonio trio gets back to basics to explore its songs' forms and the soul of its lyrics.
Bill Frisell
E8
The brilliant and nimble guitarist reinvents the songs of John Lennon at the NPR Music offices.
The Creole Choir Of Cuba
E9
The group has revitalized a long-lost culture through music performed entirely in Haitian Creole.
Craig Finn
E10
The Hold Steady singer's stark side is nicely conducive to barren arrangements at the NPR offices.
Red Baraat
E11
The dance-friendly, India-inspired funk group performs a high-energy set at the NPR Music offices.
Joan Soriano
E12
"The Duke of Bachata" gives a raw but beautiful interpretation of bachata at the NPR Music offices.
Joyce El Khoury And Brian Jagde
E13
Hear the fresh-faced opera singers perform Puccini at the NPR Music offices.
The Cranberries
E14
In this performance at the NPR Music offices, the Irish pop band mixes new songs with early hits.
Milagres
E15
A band of selective minimalism, Milagres gets the most of simple sounds at the NPR Music offices.
Pistolera
E16
Through her insightful lyrics, Sandra Velasquez conjures the sounds of the Mexican desert.
Laura Gibson
E17
Her gorgeous, whispery voice inspired the Tiny Desk Concerts series in 2008. Now, Laura Gibson returns with her band to perform four songs from her new album, La Grande.
Rudresh Mahanthappa
E18
The saxophonist's new repertoire salutes electric funk, South Indian modes and swarming solos.
Real Estate
E19
Real Estate wears placidity well: It's a band born and bred to convey and celebrate laconic comfort.
Kayhan Kalhor
E20
A soulful master musician from Iran, Kalhor performs a beautiful improvisation at the NPR offices.
First Aid Kit
E21
Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg make charming, folk-infused pop music that lulls and enchants.
So Percussion
E22
The ensemble employs all kinds of toys, from an amplified cactus to a mug filled with spare change.
Kathleen Edwards
E23
The Canadian singer performs four sweet, warm, relatable songs that soothe as they nourish.
Caveman
E24
Caveman writes guitar-based pop songs full of space and melodies you can carry around in your head.
Novalima
E25
At the NPR offices, the band plays in a lean, funky configuration that gets the room grooving along.
Soweto Gospel Choir
E26
The group fuses the music of many Christian cultures, with nods to African songs of celebration.
Jolie Holland
E27
Holland plays songs with an unadorned tone that makes the voice and lyrics all the more touching.
Cowboy Junkies
E28
The venerable band sounds as poignant and tender as ever in this performance at the NPR offices.
Hospitality
E29
The group doesn't overwhelm so much as it wears listeners down with a subtle charm offensive.
Nathan Salsburg
E30
The guitarist displays intricate fingerpicking in two songs inspired by Kentucky Derby racehorses.
Endangered Blood
E31
The jazz quartet draws from post-bop, 20th-century chromaticism and New Orleans funeral marches.
Kishi Bashi
E32
K Ishibashi is a master at building songs from live violin loops, layered singing and beatboxing.
Pedro Soler And Gaspar Claus
E33
The improvisational music of the father-son, guitar-cello duo functions as a beautiful conversation.
Chuck Brown
E34
The Godfather of Go-Go died Wednesday. In 2010, he brought his full band to the NPR Music office.
Arborea
E35
Rooted in acoustic traditions, the music of Arborea stands out for its calm beauty and rough edges.
Yann Tiersen
E36
Tiersen's rich, liltingly eccentric pop music is constructed from lots of sweet, intricate pieces.
Canadian Brass
E37
The venerable brass quintet sports virtuosic, fresh-faced players in tried-and-true repertoire.
Patrick Watson
E38
Watson has a lovely voice and a gift for wringing evocative sounds out of everything he touches.
Kelly Hogan
E39
The unflappable singer performs three songs with seeming effortlessness and easygoing charm.
Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom
E40
The drummer dedicates tunes to her friends, including her first teacher — a "sometimes great guy."
Daniel Johnston
E41
Watch three songs by a troubled soul with a talent for writing honest, disarmingly direct music.
Glen Hansard
E42
Hansard flexes his neck muscles a bit as he performs new songs and deep cuts at the NPR offices.
Mariachi El Bronx
E43
The band plays with just the right mixture of passion and pathos in a fun set at the NPR offices.
Reggie Watts
E44
The comedian and musician performs spontaneous improvisations full of killer grooves and humor.
Exitmusic
E45
The band plays a beautifully buzzing, nuanced set, marked by gorgeous grace and stirring melodies.
Brandi Carlile
E46
At the NPR offices, Carlile and her band sing from-the-gut songs about messy lives, loudly lived.
Laura Marling
E47
Two songs from A Creature I Don't Know bookend a gorgeous new, unreleased song called "Once."
Souad Massi
E48
A soulful yet steely singer-songwriter from Algeria charts her own course in these four songs.
The Milk Carton Kids
E49
Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale sing sweet but intricate folk-pop songs in the NPR offices.
Janet Feder
E50
Feder marries classical and folk techniques with otherworldly guitar textures and sounds.
The Walkmen
E51
The band makes the Tiny Desk accommodate its booming sound rather than the other way around.
Beth Orton
E52
Known for mixing folk and electronics, Orton unveils three new songs with just an acoustic guitar.
The Zombies
E53
Two surviving members of the band still have the same chemistry here in a stripped-down performance.
Rufus Wainwright
E54
By the middle of Wainwright's final song, "Montauk," few dry eyes remained in the NPR offices.
Renaud Garcia-Fons
E55
Watch the renowned double bassist thump, strum and loop his way through three mesmerizing songs.
Avi Avital
E56
Avital's mandolin sings with the sounds of Ernest Bloch and a raucous Bulgarian folk tune.
Amanda Palmer And The Grand Theft Orchestra
E57
These songs' fervor is the product of a singer armed with intensity and musicians who can match it.
Yva Las Vegass
E58
Watch Las Vegass bring a punk aesthetic to Venezuelan folk music with a cuatro at the NPR offices.
Kat Edmonson
E59
Hearing the 29-year-old singer makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen.
Antibalas
E60
It's one thing for 11 musicians to make a big sound, but what stands out is Antibalas' subtlety.
Spirit Family Reunion
E61
The group plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and washboard, all gathered around a single microphone.
Dirty Three
E62
The band unleashes a gorgeous flurry of shambolic rumbling, prolific hairiness and dramatic yelling.
Robert Cray Band
E63
Like any great blues singer, Cray makes heartache and dysfunction sound engaging and relatable.
Lord Huron
E64
The band's rich harmonies are welcoming, its lyrics relatable and its live performances thrilling.
Passion Pit
E65
Michael Angelakos makes electro-pop with monster hooks. But his songs are sturdy, versatile things.
Jason Lytle
E66
The longtime frontman for Grandaddy goes it alone with acoustic solo songs from his latest record.
Flaco Jimenez
E67
The conjunto icon spins magic, and stays true to tradition, with his trademark button accordion.
Ben Gibbard
E68
For Tiny Desk Concert No. 250, the Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service singer performs solo.
Martha Wainwright
E69
Wainwright roughs up life's smooth spots, then digs her fingertips into the cracks that form.
Taken By Trees
E70
Victoria Bergsman's songs seem to come from a place somewhere between a dream state and waking life.
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
E71
The Seattle duo literally shakes the dust off the ceiling tiles at the NPR Music offices.
Anaïs Mitchell
E72
The singer-songwriter performs three of Young Man in America's most bracingly beautiful songs.
Daniel Bachman
E73
Once the acoustic guitarist zeroes in on the center of a song, it's easy to get lost in it yourself.
Lyle Lovett
E74
Lovett gives a loose, engaging performance that feels like both an introduction and a victory lap.
Alt-J
E75
The Mercury Prize-winning band plays angular, poetic, inventive music that takes unexpected turns.
The Polyphonic Spree
E76
The sprawling group, 17 strong, squeezes behind Bob Boilen's desk for a special holiday performance.
Miguel
E77
Performing at the NPR Music offices, Miguel strips his highly produced hits down to their bones.