Season 2016 (2016)
Episodes: 91
Star Cast:
Episodes List
Ep.1 Rapsody
Air Date: 2016-01-05
Watch the rapper perform three songs from Beauty And The Beast live at the NPR Music offices.
Ep.2 Mariachi Flor De Toloache
Air Date: 2016-01-08
While on tour with The Arcs, the powerhouse mariachi band performs live in the NPR Music offices.
Ep.3 Natalie Merchant
Air Date: 2016-01-12
The singer-songwriter gives a warmhearted performance of two new songs, an old favorite and a hymn.
Ep.4 Benny Sings
Air Date: 2016-01-15
The Dutch singer layers R&B, jazz and pop over hip-hop beats in his first-ever U.S. appearance.
Ep.5 River Whyless
Air Date: 2016-01-19
The North Carolina band fills its rootsy music with unexpected instruments and clever ideas.
Ep.6 Wolf Alice
Air Date: 2016-01-22
The band's music can be noisy and primal, but at the Tiny Desk it showed a different side.
Ep.7 The Arcs
Air Date: 2016-01-25
It's our 500th show at the Tiny Desk, featuring The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and his new band.
Ep.8 EL VY
Air Date: 2016-01-29
The National's Matt Berninger and Menomena's Brent Knopf team up in an intimate setting.
Ep.9 Car Seat Headrest
Air Date: 2016-02-08
Will Toledo is a wordsmith with a vision, as well as a DIY sound that's still finely crafted.
Ep.10 Chelsea Wolfe
Air Date: 2016-02-12
Wolfe takes three songs from the metallic Abyss and makes them howl by their lonesome.
Ep.11 Ben Folds
Air Date: 2016-02-16
Performing solo, Folds performs three songs from his new album and two old favorites.
Ep.12 Wilco
Air Date: 2016-02-23
Bands don't typically get to play the Tiny Desk more than once, but Wilco is a natural exception.
Ep.13 Brushy One String
Air Date: 2016-02-27
The word-of-mouth star's sound is made by one big fat E-string and a rich, powerful voice.
Ep.14 Lake Street Dive
Air Date: 2016-02-29
Performed live at the Tiny Desk, the band's songs often tilt toward soul or rock danceably.
Ep.15 Monsieur Periné
Air Date: 2016-03-04
The Colombian band channels an unlikely inspiration: 1920s-era, guitar-driven jazz from the U.S.
Ep.16 Julien Baker
Air Date: 2016-03-07
The young Tennessee singer performs three of her spare, sad, simple songs at the NPR Music offices.
Ep.17 Gaelynn Lea
Air Date: 2016-03-11
Watch the singer and violinist who stood out from 6,000-plus entries in NPR's Tiny Desk Contest.
Ep.18 Graham Nash
Air Date: 2016-03-14
In a short set that spans 50 years, the CSNY veteran's voice resonates and cuts to the core.
Ep.19 Tedeschi Trucks Band
Air Date: 2016-03-25
Singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi and guitarist Derek Trucks celebrate the blues, jazz and much more.
Ep.20 Anthony Hamilton
Air Date: 2016-03-28
Hear the soul star and his band perform "Amen," plus three songs that have defined his career.
Ep.21 Ane Brun
Air Date: 2016-04-01
Watch Brun play three new songs, each of which speaks to newfound freedom and fresh opportunities.
Ep.22 PWR BTTM
Air Date: 2016-04-04
The duo has a keen sense of mischief and a gift for honest, punk-infused, tongue-in-cheek pop gems.
Ep.23 Mothers
Air Date: 2016-04-08
Mothers' members chose a few of their slowest, most languid songs to perform in the NPR offices.
Ep.24 Palehound
Air Date: 2016-04-11
Ellen Kempner and her band perform tense and evocative songs amid the silence of a rapt crowd.
Ep.25 Seratones
Air Date: 2016-04-15
The Louisiana band takes gospel into the garage, and what comes out is fiery rock 'n' roll.
Ep.26 Benjamin Clementine
Air Date: 2016-04-18
There are intimate moments of revelation in Clementine's immersive, breathtaking performance.
Ep.27 Julia Holter
Air Date: 2016-04-22
The most minute details become a grandiose spectacle in Holter's cosmic cabaret.
Ep.28 Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds
Air Date: 2016-04-25
The band's punchy horn section, bluesy vocals and harmonica solos instantly demand attention.
Ep.29 Peter Frampton
Air Date: 2016-04-27
Frampton brought some classic songs to the Tiny Desk. We couldn't help but sing along.
Ep.30 Florist
Air Date: 2016-04-29
Emily Sprague performs three delicate songs with help from members of New York's Epoch collective.
Ep.31 Eighth Blackbird
Air Date: 2016-05-02
Watch the sextet perform new music by David Lang, Bryce Dessner and Robert Honstein.
Ep.32 Monika
Air Date: 2016-05-06
When you hear Monika, life feels good: The singer's performances and presence are simply winning.
Ep.33 Lara St. John
Air Date: 2016-05-09
With her intrepid pianist in tow, the violinist performs rowdy tunes that will leave you breathless.
Ep.34 Daymé Arocena
Air Date: 2016-05-13
Arocena's voice combines Aretha Franklin's soul and the sabor of Cuban music queen Celia Cruz.
Ep.35 Steve Kimock
Air Date: 2016-05-16
The veteran jam-rock guitarist's dedication to his instrument is matched only by his imagination.
Ep.36 Andy Shauf
Air Date: 2016-05-20
The Saskatchewan singer-songwriter performs three quietly affecting songs in the NPR Music offices.
Ep.37 Robert Ellis
Air Date: 2016-05-23
Ellis plays thoughtfully stripped-down arrangements from his ambitious country record.
Ep.38 Carrie Rodriguez
Air Date: 2016-05-27
Watch the singer, guitarist and fiddler play three songs that reflect her many cultural influences.
Ep.39 Andrew Bird
Air Date: 2016-05-31
For this performance of three new songs, Bird comes with a stripped-down acoustic band.
Ep.40 Barry Douglas
Air Date: 2016-06-03
Watch the award-winning Irish pianist play traditional songs from the homeland.
Ep.41 Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop
Air Date: 2016-06-06
Iron & Wine's singer performs three songs with the charming, inventive singer Jesca Hoop.
Ep.42 Weaves
Air Date: 2016-06-10
The band's music is playful and quirky — sometimes loud, sometimes gentle and always a trip.
Ep.43 Chick Corea & Gary Burton
Air Date: 2016-06-13
The two highly decorated jazz legends could barely fit their instruments behind the Tiny Desk.
Ep.44 Alessio Bax
Air Date: 2016-06-17
For Father's Day, watch the pianist play lullabies to his daughter, who nearly steals the show.
Ep.45 Brandy Clark
Air Date: 2016-06-20
The country singer-songwriter has a rare gift for making any room feel warmly human.
Ep.46 Mashrou' Leila
Air Date: 2016-06-24
A rock band from Beirut performs songs that mix hedonism and hyper-literate lyrics.
Ep.47 Charles Lloyd & Jason Moran
Air Date: 2016-06-28
The saxophonist and pianist play three tunes that draw from their past while looking to the future.
Ep.48 Adia Victoria
Air Date: 2016-06-30
Performing at the NPR Music offices, Adia Victoria's voice is powerful and direct, with no artifice.
Ep.49 Los Hacheros
Air Date: 2016-07-05
Los Hacheros' members tap into the deep groove of Afro-Caribbean music that inspires modern salsa.
Ep.50 Valley Queen
Air Date: 2016-07-08
Valley Queen plays with nuance and depth, rooted in a California country sound.
Ep.51 Jane Bunnett
Air Date: 2016-07-12
The Canadian jazz multi-instrumentalist performs with some of the top young women musicians in Cuba.
Ep.52 Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band
Air Date: 2016-07-15
There's a point when a jam is just a jam, but when a jam becomes a journey... man.
Ep.53 Gregory Porter
Air Date: 2016-07-18
Porter's music can be serious and heartwarming, but it never loses its sense of wonder and delight.
Ep.54 John Congleton And The Nighty Nite
Air Date: 2016-07-22
The decorated producer seizes the spotlight with songs about how extraordinary it is to be ordinary.
Ep.55 Xenia Rubinos
Air Date: 2016-07-25
Rubinos uses her Afro-Caribbean roots as a jumping-off point for inventive, provocative songs.
Ep.56 Lucy Dacus
Air Date: 2016-07-29
The Virginia musician writes songs that can be thoughtful, playful and powerful.
Ep.57 Kevin Morby
Air Date: 2016-08-01
The singer, known for Woods and The Babies, performs carefully crafted songs with powerful lyrics.
Ep.58 Rachel Barton Pine
Air Date: 2016-08-05
Watch the genial violinist commune with nearly 300-year-old music for solo violin by J.S. Bach.
Ep.59 The Jayhawks
Air Date: 2016-08-08
The beloved band displays its signature country-tinged rock and close harmonies in four new songs.
Ep.60 René Marie
Air Date: 2016-08-12
Joined by her Experiment In Truth band, the jazz singer performs songs from Sound Of Red.
Ep.61 Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals
Air Date: 2016-08-15
Watch the invigorating, genre-busting bandleader, drummer, singer and rapper perform four songs.
Ep.62 Eddie Palmieri
Air Date: 2016-08-19
An icon for modern and Latin jazz, the veteran performer continues to break tradition and innovate.
Ep.63 Margaret Glaspy
Air Date: 2016-08-22
No overplaying, no frills, just great music and an artist who sounds thrilled to be playing it.
Ep.64 Nina Diaz
Air Date: 2016-08-26
As a solo artist on leave from Girl In A Coma, the singer finds new ways to sound ferocious.
Ep.65 Big Thief
Air Date: 2016-08-29
The band's songs exude muscular warmth, with lyrics that are both memorable and meaningful.
Ep.66 William Bell
Air Date: 2016-09-07
The 77-year-old blues and soul hitmaker returns to the spotlight with the aid of a 12-piece band.
Ep.67 The Secret Sisters
Air Date: 2016-09-12
The Alabama sibling duo's music can be hymn-like: plain but powerful, heartsick and hopeful.
Ep.68 Saul Williams
Air Date: 2016-09-16
You can feel the singer and poet's passion in every sharp, thoughtful, powerful, provocative word.
Ep.69 Corinne Bailey Rae
Air Date: 2016-09-19
The genre-defying English singer-songwriter performs material from her first album in six years.
Ep.70 Blue Man Group
Air Date: 2016-09-26
The world-famous entertainers retrofitted their instruments and confetti cannons to fit the desk.
Ep.71 Joshua Bell & Jeremy Denk
Air Date: 2016-09-30
Two A-list classical artists work up a sweat as they revel in the turbulent, tender music of Brahms.
Ep.72 Common At The White House
Air Date: 2016-10-04
The veteran rapper fronts an all-star band at the White House.
Ep.73 Haley Bonar
Air Date: 2016-10-11
The Minnesota singer-songwriter achieves a nifty balance of intimacy and impeccable polish.
Ep.74 RDGLDGRN
Air Date: 2016-10-14
A striking mix of rock, hip-hop, funk, go-go and Brazilian sounds, fused with energy and humor.
Ep.75 Billy Bragg & Joe Henry
Air Date: 2016-10-17
The two songwriters celebrate the romance and vitality of the modern railroad.
Ep.76 Blind Pilot
Air Date: 2016-10-21
The folk-pop band performs four songs from its shimmery new album, And Then Like Lions.
Ep.77 Drive-By Truckers
Air Date: 2016-10-24
The long-running rock band holds a mirror to the hard realities of America right now.
Ep.78 Joseph
Air Date: 2016-10-28
The trio strips anthemic songs down to the essentials: just sisterly harmonies and acoustic guitar.
Ep.79 The Westerlies
Air Date: 2016-11-02
The self-described "accidental brass quartet" swims comfortably in jazz, classical and pop music.
Ep.80 Ta-ku & Wafia
Air Date: 2016-11-07
The two Australians' chemistry is apparent the instant you hear their voices intertwined in song.
Ep.81 Adam Torres
Air Date: 2016-11-11
The Austin singer-songwriter showcases his high, lonesome voice and atmospheric storytelling.
Ep.82 John Paul White
Air Date: 2016-11-14
Formerly half of The Civil Wars, White returns to perform three songs from his solo debut, Beulah.
Ep.83 Attacca Quartet
Air Date: 2016-11-18
The young quartet navigates smoke rings, alligators and the stormy fluctuations of the 18th century.
Ep.84 Tegan And Sara
Air Date: 2016-11-21
The Canadian pop duo crafts acoustic versions of pop anthems like "Closer and "Boyfriend."
Ep.85 Margo Price
Air Date: 2016-11-28
On the morning after Election Day, Price sang three cathartic country songs loaded with new meaning.
Ep.86 Pinegrove
Air Date: 2016-12-02
Watch the New Jersey band squeeze four songs into a scrappy, warmhearted 13-minute set.
Ep.87 Ro James
Air Date: 2016-12-05
The R&B singer performs three funky, sexy, stripped-down songs from his debut album, Eldorado.
Ep.88 Alsarah & The Nubatones
Air Date: 2016-12-09
In the band's hands, East African music comes alive in a mix of tradition and contemporary sounds.
Ep.89 Gucci Mane
Air Date: 2016-12-12
The rapper has spent the year on an extended victory tour. Here are the spoils.
Ep.90 Derek Gripper
Air Date: 2016-12-16
The classically trained guitarist performs songs originally written for the kora.
Ep.91 The Oh Hellos
Air Date: 2016-12-19
The nine-piece band returns to the Tiny Desk to fill the air with fake snow and real joy.