If you’ve ever visited this music blog, chances are that you’ve already watched this. Watch it again.
Phish recently stopped by NPR’s Tiny Desk for a 35-minute, 5-song set.
You enjoy myself . . .
Setlist:
“Sigma Oasis”
“Evolve”
“You Enjoy Myself”
“Sample in a Jar”
“Chalk Dust Torture”
Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, Shahzad Ismaily live at NPR’s Tiny Desk (May 12, 2023).
Setlist:
Eyes Of The Endless
The Deets:
Musicians:
Vijay Iyer: Fender Rhodes, piano
Arooj Aftab: vocals
Shahzad Ismaily: bass, Moog
Tiny Desk Team:
Producer: Bob Boilen
Director/Editor: Maia Stern
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Videographers: Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Sofia Seidel
Audio Assistant: Hannah Gluvna
Production Assistant: Ashley Pointer
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Joshua Bryant, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Pilar Galván, Jill Britton
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
It’s only February, but I can already tell you that Jake Xerxes Fussell’s newest album Good and Green Again will be on my year-end favorites list.
Drawing from folk, American and even bits of Appalachian music, Fussell has created a beautiful, challenging and yet hopeful album. His incorporation of strings and horns (sometimes reminding me of Gregory Alan Isakov flourishes) brings a lushness to the music that’s comfortable in all the right ways.
Earlier this year, Fussell recorded his (at home) NPR Tiny Desk Concert. According to NPR: “Fussell recorded at a friend's home in Pittsboro, N.C., with Casey Toll on upright bass and Libby Rodenbough on violin, harmonium and backup vocals. The mantle behind them is adorned with a tiny desk surrounded by various vegetable-shaped candles.”
You’re not going to find much better things to do with 18 minutes. Give it a try:
Setlist:
“The River St. Johns"
"Have You Ever Seen Peaches Growing on a Sweet Potato Vine?"
"Breast of Glass"
Players:
Jake Xerxes Fussell: guitar, vocals
Libby Rodenbough: violin, harmonium, backing vocals
Casey Toll: upright bass
NPR introduces this terrific set by saying:
“Beauty Pill's music is an invitation. In it, life whirs with plunderphonic glee and riffs are funky from the inside out, with rhythms that are equal parts hip-hop and go-go. Conceived, recorded and meticulously tinkered with over the course of eight years, Beauty Pill Describes Things As They Are was partly made in front of an audience after member Chad Clark recovered from a viral infection in his heart that nearly killed him. It's one of the year's most stunning records, as well as an argument for letting art rest, live and breathe before it's ready to be known by a listener. “
Setlist:
"Afrikaner Barista"
"Drapetomania!"
"Exit Without Saving"
Deep Sea Diver recently recreated the Red Room from Twin Peaks for their NPR Tiny Desk concert.
Setlist:
"Impossible Weight"
"Lights Out"
"Wishing"
"Stop Pretending"
Players:
Jessica Dobson: vocals, guitar, piano
Peter Mansen: drums
Elliot Jackson: keys, guitar
Elijah Thomson: bass
Natalie Schepman: backing vocals
Meegan Closner: backing vocals
Henry Lee: beagle
Important People and Details:
Video: Tyler Kalberg, Luke Dumke, Dylan Priest
Audio: Trevor Spencer
TINY DESK TEAM
Producer: Marissa Lorusso
Video Producer: Maia Stern
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Associate Producer: Bobby Carter
Tiny Production Team: Kara Frame, Bob Boilen, Gabrielle Pierre
Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
Tuareg wunderkind Mdou Moctar performs (at home) for the NPR Tiny Desk and this is my love language.
Setlist:
Ya Habibti
Tala Tannam
Afrique Victime
Players:
Mahamadou "Mdou Moctar" Souleymane: lead guitar, vocals
Ahmoudou Madassane: rhythm guitar, vocals
Mikey Coltun: bass
Souleymane Ibrahim: calabash
Important People:
Video: Mamadou Halidou, WH Moustapha, Sabrina Nichols
Audio: Mikey Coltun, Seth Manchester
Special Thanks: Dynamique Image and Machines with Magnets
Tiny Desk People:
Producer: Bob Boilen
Video Producer: Kara Frame
Audio Mastering: Josh Rogosin
Associate Producer: Bobby Carter
Tiny Production Team: Maia Stern, Gabrielle Pierre
Executive Producer: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann
Visit Mdou Moctar’s Facebook page
Follow Mdou Moctar on Twitter
Purchase Mdou Moctar’s music at Bandcamp
Purchase Mdou Moctar’s music at Amazon
Listen to Tarha” by Mdou Moctar, from the ‘Blue Stage Session,’ featured on Episode 43 of The Global Elite Music Radio Podcast Supershow
Visit all Holiday at the Sea Mdou Moctar posts
Yo La Tengo perform an acoustic set for the Tiny Desk. From the notes:
“We've been filming Tiny Desk concerts for more than 10 years. While revisiting our archives, we discovered that some of our earliest concerts never made it to YouTube! Watch Yo La Tengo’s Tiny Desk concert from 2013”
Setlist:
"Is That Enough"
"Tears Are In Your Eyes"
"Ohm"
Important People:
Producer: Otis Hart;
Editor: Denise DeBelius;
Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait;
Videographers: Lizzie Chen, Denise DeBelius, Gabriella Garcia-Pardo;
photo by Marie McGrory/NPR
“Watch the world's reigning pipa virtuoso play ancient music from her Chinese homeland in the NPR Music offices. When her fingers start to fly, Wu Man can create scenes of cinematic grandeur or serene, moonlit moments.”
Setlist:
"Ambushed From All Sides"
"Night Thoughts"
"White Snow In Spring"
“Oct. 27, 2017 | Felix Contreras -- Natalia Lafourcade is a successful singer-songwriter whose voice and music live on the edge of pop, but maintain a distinct independence.”
Setlist:
"Soledad y el Mar"
"Mi Tierra Veracruzana"
"Tú Sí Sabes Quererme"
“A few years ago, while Lafourcade was traveling Brazil, she felt a great nostalgia for her native Mexico and its folk music. When she finally returned home, she immediately called some friends for the kind of party that is ubiquitous in Latin America: lots of social drinking, lots of food and lots of guitars and singing. Classic folk songs were on the playlist and a good time was had by all.
Someone recorded the informal jam session and Lafourcade's management team heard the tapes. "This is your next record!" they told her.
That record, Musas: Un Homenaje al Folclore Latinoamericano en Manos de los Macorinos, Vol. 1, was a commercial and critical hit, and received a Latin Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. It only made sense for Lafourcade to bring her Musas tour to the Tiny Desk. The performances are an ode to a magical time in Mexican popular music, one that is revived with every note this singer and her band perform.
One important historical note: The two older gentlemen on the video are Juan Carlos Allende and Miguel Peña, two revered musicians who played with the iconic ranchera singer Chavela Vargas.”
Here is a collection of unreleased live instrumental material by Daniel Lanois that I’ve collected over the years. All of these are available on Youtube, so I have included session info and links to the respective Youtube link if you’re interested. These recordings are not to be sold or distributed individually.
Enjoy.
Tracklisting:
Iceland // #
Souix Lookout // #
Harvest Picnic Rehearsals // %
Sci Fi // @
Satie // +
Burning Spear // $
Aquatic // #
Elevator // @
Senegal // $
Opera // $
Apres Calypso // @
Soho Dourado // ^
The End // #
Key and Source Links:
# = Artbound Presents Studio A: Daniel Lanois (2014). KCETOnline. Daniel Lanois on various instruments and Kyle Crane on drums.
% = Harvest Picnic Rehearsals: Daniel Lanois, Jim Wilson and Steve Nistor Rehearsing (August 2013).
@ = NPR Tiny Desk Concert (2015). Daniel Lanois on knobs and wires, Jim Wilson on Bass, and Brian Blade on drums.
+ = Daniel Lanois and Rocco DeLuca live in Lanois’ studio. Song from the album 'Goodbye To Language' (2016).
$ = KEXP presents Daniel Lanois performing live in the Robert Lang Studios. Recorded February 27, 2015. Daniel Lanois, Jim Wilson, and Kyle Crane.
The video’s Youtube page says:
“Armed with the incredible vocalist Bilal, The Roots performed the signature track from Detroit, a film about the race riots in 1967. "It Ain't Fair" glares unflinchingly, takes a knee and raises a fist against the societal construct that has systematically denied equality of experience to those "presumed inferior," to quote one of Bilal's verses. And it achieves all this while covering its heart with its right hand. This reflective hymn tenderly yanks your heart strings and offers a window into the ethos of those who would like to stand for the flag but cannot in good principle, lest these same evils continue to exist.”
Setlist:
"It Ain't Fair"
Musicians:
Curtis L. Jones Jr (Trombone)
Arnetta Johnson (Trumpet)
Hiruy E. Tirfe (Sax)
Richard L. Tate II (Sax)
Joseph Streater (Trumpet)
Norman J. Bradshaw (Trombone)
Damon Bryson (Sousaphone)
Ahmir (Questlove) Thompson (Drums)
Tarik (Black Thought) Trotter (Emcee)
Bilal Oliver (Vocals)
Important People:
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Alyse Young
Photo: Claire Harbage/NPR
Roy Ayers’ stopped by the NPR Tiny Desk in March 2018 with keyboardist Mark Adams, bassist Trevor Allen and drummer Christopher De Carmine.
Setlist:
"Searching"
"Black Family"
"Everybody Loves The Sunshine"
Musicians:
Roy Ayers, Mark Adams (keyboards)
Trevor Allen (bass)
Christopher De Carmine (drums)
Important People:
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith;
Creative Director: Bob Boilen;
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin;
Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Kara Frame, Bronson Arcuri, Dani Lyman;
Production Assistant: Joshua Bote;
Photo: Jenna Sterner/NPR.
Erykah Badu performs for NPR’s Tiny Desk. 08/15/18.
Felix Contreras says:
“Some folks around the NPR Music office said they felt an almost spiritual connection to Erykah Badu during her visit to the Tiny Desk. And that was before she and her band even played a single note. It came from the waft of earthly scents that followed in her wake, to the flowing dreads and clothes that hung on her like robes.
After her self-introduction, which included a rundown of her spiritual and creative aliases, Badu rolled into one of her earliest musical calling cards, "Rimshot." It's an ode to the sound the percussionist makes when a drumstick is struck against the metal edge of the snare drum. On this performance, as on her 1997 album Baduizm, it becomes a device to play with time — stretching it, stopping it, suspending it. Propelled by jazz chords on the piano and the steady pulse of the acoustic bass, the playful performance unfolded in the tradition of the best bebop.
But the panoramic song "Green Eyes" is the centerpiece of Badu's Tiny Desk performance. It's wide-ranging in scope and musical arrangement and brilliantly executed by the jazz and hip-hop musicians in her backing band. The story of heartbreak is striking enough, but her interpretation showcases her formidable vocal skills. By the time it was over, we were all just as emotionally and spiritually spent as she was from the experience.
Erykah Badu is an artist for the ages. To old-school jazz fans like myself, names like Nina Simone, Betty Carter and Shirley Horn come to mind as much as Billie Holiday because of Badu's singular approach to a lyric. They all cut their own creative path and left behind a legacy that you can identify with just one note. Erykah Badu is on that same path, and one day her name will be mentioned along with the other Elders who share her spirit of musical adventure.”
Setlist:
"Rimshot"
"Green Eyes"
Players:
Erykah Badu (lead vocals)
RC Williams (Keys)
Braylon Lacy (bass)
Cleon Edwards (Drums)
Frank Moka (Percussion)
Kenneth Whalum (Sax)
Keyon Harrold (Trumpet)
Dwayne Kerr (Flute)
Credits:
Producers: Abby O'Neill, Morgan Noelle Smith
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Videographers: Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern, Kara Frame, Khun Minn Ohn, CJ Riculan
Production Assistants: Catherine Zhang, Téa Mottolese
Photo: Morgan Noelle Smith/NPR.
Thanks to a friend with a great name (Brent. His name is Brent. Actually, you might know him from his previous recommendations here at Holiday at the Sea: An Hour With Pink Floyd), for posting this fantastic 2012 Spiritualized concert from the 9:30 Club in Washington DC. on May 10, 2012.
I don’t know that I really need to say much more other than enjoy.
Setlist:
"Hey Jane"
"Lord Let It Rain On Me"
"Headin' for the Top Now"
"Walkin' with Jesus"
"Oh Baby"
"Rated X"
"Born Never Asked"
"Electric Mainline"
"Soul on Fire"
"I Am What I Am" *
"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" *
"Mary"
"Stay with Me" *
"So Long You Pretty Thing" *
"She Kissed Me (And It Felt Like a Hit)" *
"Come Together" *
"Cop Shoot Cop"
NPR’s original page adds the following commentary:
“Pierce almost died twice in the last seven years, once from double-pneumonia and once from degenerative liver disease which necessitated chemotherapy. He recorded Spiritualized's remarkable new record, Sweet Heart Sweet Light, while recovering from the latter, and its songs don't hesitate to leer into the abyss. Even as they swagger and seethe, they document a frail and flawed man's circuitous journey through self-inflicted agonies and righteous redemption, and back around to agony.
That said, a Spiritualized concert is the stuff of big-hearted, spaced-out, bliss-packed joy and celebration. Sweet Heart Sweet Light overtly pursues salvation through divine intervention — it doesn't take a careful parsing of lyrics to figure that out — so it's appropriate that Spiritualized in concert can convey the spirit of a revival show.”
Since you, dear friends, trust my musical explorations, I know you remember my recent post about Shabaka and the Ancestors: Soul Jazz For The End of Days.
Between Shabaka and the Ancestors, Sons of Kemet, and The Comet is Coming, I dig the musical universe of Shabaka Hutchings in a way I have dug a musical universe in quite a while. While Shabaka and the Ancestors scratch my soul/spiritual-groove-roots-jazz itch, The Comet Is Comet channels my Quarantine angst with electronics, pulsating beats and skreeking skronks and some of the most evocative playing I’ve heard in a while.
The group’s Facebook page says:
“The Comet is Coming to destroy illusions. It will manifest new realities, perceptions, levels of awareness and abilities to coexist. It is a musical expression forged in the deep mystery. It is the overcoming of fear, the embracing of chaos, the peripheral sight that we might summon the fire.
Through the transcendent experience of music we reconnect with the energy of the Lifeforce in hope of manifesting higher realities in new constructs. Because the end is only really the beginning.”
Late last year, the group recorded an NPR Tiny Desk Concert, performing tracks from Trust in the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery.
Setlist:
"Super Zodiac"
"Summon The Fire"
"Blood Of The Past"
Musicians:
King Shabaka: saxophone;
Danalogue: synthesizer;
Betamax: drums
Visit the official Shabaka Hutchings website.
Visit the official website for The Comet Is Coming.
Follow The Comet Is Coming at Facebook.
Visit The Comet Is Coming’s Bandcamp page.
Purchase The Comet Is Coming’s Music at Amazon.
Visit Shabaka and the Ancestors’ Bandcamp page.
Follow Shabaka and the Ancestors at Facebook.
I used to do a lot of live concert trading. I got rid of quite a bit of my collective over the years, but I did keep a few personal favorites for the treasure box.
Here we have three different radio appearances by Nebraska’s Josh Rouse. Two from 1998 and one from 2000, which also includes a couple of interview segments.
Originally from Nebraska, Rouse mined that heritage for his 1998 debut Dressed Up Like Nebraska, of which Allmusic says:
“Josh Rouse plays it straight like the roads and byways which criss-cross the Great Plains. This music is the no-frills variety that takes a bit of getting used to, but once acclimated, listeners start to feel like they've come across something real. The songs which comprise Dressed Up Like Nebraska sound like they've really happened, if not to the artist, then to those near and dear to him.”
21 years and 13 albums later, Rouse has left Nebraska but continues to play earnest Americana Folk Rock Pop(™).
Josh Rouse Live at Mountain Stage (The Culture Theatre, Charleston, WV, 08/22/98)
Introduction
Dressed Up Like Nebraska
Late Night Conversation
Suburban Sweetheart
The introduction has some static and unfortunately, there is what sounds like a CD skip during the first few seconds of “Suburban Sweetheart.” I have had this disc since approximately 2001 and have just never tried to fix it. Sorry about that, but hey, otherwise this is a fantastic early acoustic set. Enjoy.
Josh Rouse Live at E-Town (Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO, 11/22/98)
Introduction
Everybody Knows What’s Going On
Interview
Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want
Little Know It All
Interview
Dressed Up Like Nebraska
White Freightliner
Josh Rouse Live at NPR’s World Cafe (Cafe Studios, Philadelphia, PA, 08/14/00)
Introduction
Marvin Gaye
Interview
Laughter
Interview
Direction
Interview
100M Backstroke
Interview/Closing
