Season 5

2012-01-05

Even in a stripped-down acoustic set, Tinariwen's trance-inducing desert music doesn't disappoint.

2012-01-09

Watch singer Teri Gender Bender transform from a soft-spoken musician into a rock 'n' roll beast.

2012-01-17

The band's keen sense of song prevails, especially in a new song called "It All Means Nothing."

2012-01-19

Banjo master Schepps and friends create an intriguing goulash of Bartók, bluegrass and bebop.

2012-01-23

Watch the masterful folk guitarist perform a lovely instrumental set at the NPR Music offices.

2012-01-26

Calvi plays songs from her self-titled debut in this powerful performance at the NPR Music offices.

2012-01-30

The San Antonio trio gets back to basics to explore its songs' forms and the soul of its lyrics.

2012-02-03

The brilliant and nimble guitarist reinvents the songs of John Lennon at the NPR Music offices.

2012-02-06

The group has revitalized a long-lost culture through music performed entirely in Haitian Creole.

2012-02-09

The Hold Steady singer's stark side is nicely conducive to barren arrangements at the NPR offices.

2012-02-14

The dance-friendly, India-inspired funk group performs a high-energy set at the NPR Music offices.

2012-02-16

"The Duke of Bachata" gives a raw but beautiful interpretation of bachata at the NPR Music offices.

2012-02-20

Hear the fresh-faced opera singers perform Puccini at the NPR Music offices.

2012-02-23

In this performance at the NPR Music offices, the Irish pop band mixes new songs with early hits.

2012-02-27

A band of selective minimalism, Milagres gets the most of simple sounds at the NPR Music offices.

2012-03-01

Through her insightful lyrics, Sandra Velasquez conjures the sounds of the Mexican desert.

2012-03-05

Her gorgeous, whispery voice inspired the Tiny Desk Concerts series in 2008. Now, Laura Gibson returns with her band to perform four songs from her new album, La Grande.

2012-03-08

The saxophonist's new repertoire salutes electric funk, South Indian modes and swarming solos.

2012-03-12

Real Estate wears placidity well: It's a band born and bred to convey and celebrate laconic comfort.

2012-03-24

A soulful master musician from Iran, Kalhor performs a beautiful improvisation at the NPR offices.

2012-03-28

Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg make charming, folk-infused pop music that lulls and enchants.

2012-04-02

The ensemble employs all kinds of toys, from an amplified cactus to a mug filled with spare change.

2012-04-05

The Canadian singer performs four sweet, warm, relatable songs that soothe as they nourish.

2012-04-10

Caveman writes guitar-based pop songs full of space and melodies you can carry around in your head.

2012-04-12

At the NPR offices, the band plays in a lean, funky configuration that gets the room grooving along.

2012-04-16

The group fuses the music of many Christian cultures, with nods to African songs of celebration.

2012-04-23

Holland plays songs with an unadorned tone that makes the voice and lyrics all the more touching.

2012-04-26

The venerable band sounds as poignant and tender as ever in this performance at the NPR offices.

2012-04-30

The group doesn't overwhelm so much as it wears listeners down with a subtle charm offensive.

2012-05-03

The guitarist displays intricate fingerpicking in two songs inspired by Kentucky Derby racehorses.

2012-05-07

The jazz quartet draws from post-bop, 20th-century chromaticism and New Orleans funeral marches.

2012-05-10

K Ishibashi is a master at building songs from live violin loops, layered singing and beatboxing.

2012-05-14

The improvisational music of the father-son, guitar-cello duo functions as a beautiful conversation.

2012-05-16

The Godfather of Go-Go died Wednesday. In 2010, he brought his full band to the NPR Music office.

2012-05-17

Rooted in acoustic traditions, the music of Arborea stands out for its calm beauty and rough edges.

2012-05-21

Tiersen's rich, liltingly eccentric pop music is constructed from lots of sweet, intricate pieces.

2012-05-26

The venerable brass quintet sports virtuosic, fresh-faced players in tried-and-true repertoire.

2012-05-31

Watson has a lovely voice and a gift for wringing evocative sounds out of everything he touches.

2012-06-04

The unflappable singer performs three songs with seeming effortlessness and easygoing charm.

2012-06-07

The drummer dedicates tunes to her friends, including her first teacher — a "sometimes great guy."

2012-06-11

Watch three songs by a troubled soul with a talent for writing honest, disarmingly direct music.

2012-06-17

Hansard flexes his neck muscles a bit as he performs new songs and deep cuts at the NPR offices.

2012-06-21

The band plays with just the right mixture of passion and pathos in a fun set at the NPR offices.

2012-06-25

The comedian and musician performs spontaneous improvisations full of killer grooves and humor.

2012-07-02

The band plays a beautifully buzzing, nuanced set, marked by gorgeous grace and stirring melodies.

2012-07-09

At the NPR offices, Carlile and her band sing from-the-gut songs about messy lives, loudly lived.

2012-07-12

Two songs from A Creature I Don't Know bookend a gorgeous new, unreleased song called "Once."

2012-07-15

A soulful yet steely singer-songwriter from Algeria charts her own course in these four songs.

2012-07-16

Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale sing sweet but intricate folk-pop songs in the NPR offices.

2012-07-22

Feder marries classical and folk techniques with otherworldly guitar textures and sounds.

2012-07-29

The band makes the Tiny Desk accommodate its booming sound rather than the other way around.

2012-08-06

Known for mixing folk and electronics, Orton unveils three new songs with just an acoustic guitar.

2012-08-12

Two surviving members of the band still have the same chemistry here in a stripped-down performance.

2012-08-20

By the middle of Wainwright's final song, "Montauk," few dry eyes remained in the NPR offices.

2012-08-27

Watch the renowned double bassist thump, strum and loop his way through three mesmerizing songs.

2012-09-10

Avital's mandolin sings with the sounds of Ernest Bloch and a raucous Bulgarian folk tune.

2012-09-17

These songs' fervor is the product of a singer armed with intensity and musicians who can match it.

2012-09-24

Watch Las Vegass bring a punk aesthetic to Venezuelan folk music with a cuatro at the NPR offices.

2012-10-01

Hearing the 29-year-old singer makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen.

2012-10-04

It's one thing for 11 musicians to make a big sound, but what stands out is Antibalas' subtlety.

2012-10-08

The group plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and washboard, all gathered around a single microphone.

2012-10-15

The band unleashes a gorgeous flurry of shambolic rumbling, prolific hairiness and dramatic yelling.

2012-10-22

Like any great blues singer, Cray makes heartache and dysfunction sound engaging and relatable.

2012-10-25

The band's rich harmonies are welcoming, its lyrics relatable and its live performances thrilling.

2012-10-29

Michael Angelakos makes electro-pop with monster hooks. But his songs are sturdy, versatile things.

2012-11-05

The longtime frontman for Grandaddy goes it alone with acoustic solo songs from his latest record.

2012-11-12

The conjunto icon spins magic, and stays true to tradition, with his trademark button accordion.

2012-11-19

For Tiny Desk Concert No. 250, the Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service singer performs solo.

2012-11-26

Wainwright roughs up life's smooth spots, then digs her fingertips into the cracks that form.

2012-11-29

Victoria Bergsman's songs seem to come from a place somewhere between a dream state and waking life.

2012-12-03

The Seattle duo literally shakes the dust off the ceiling tiles at the NPR Music offices.

2012-12-06

The singer-songwriter performs three of Young Man in America's most bracingly beautiful songs.

2012-12-09

Once the acoustic guitarist zeroes in on the center of a song, it's easy to get lost in it yourself.

2012-12-10

Lovett gives a loose, engaging performance that feels like both an introduction and a victory lap.

2012-12-17

The Mercury Prize-winning band plays angular, poetic, inventive music that takes unexpected turns.

2012-12-21

The sprawling group, 17 strong, squeezes behind Bob Boilen's desk for a special holiday performance.

2012-12-31

Performing at the NPR Music offices, Miguel strips his highly produced hits down to their bones.