Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 9 days 23 hours 50 minutes
It's clear from this Tiny Desk Concert, recorded without amplification at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen, that Maria Taylor has never made a go of it as a busker: In terms of volume, she's closer to a whisper than a scream. But hers is a wonderfully warm presence, and the setting brings out her songs' winsome essence.
With all due respect to its terrific albums and kinetic, frenetic live shows, if The Avett Brothers could put on a three-song acoustic concert at every workplace in America, the band would be a world-beating colossus. For proof, listen to this performance in the NPR Music offices.
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.
The classical guitarist has a wide ranging appetite for music, and plays with a clear, lyrical technique. His diverse set at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen mixes the baroque, Argentine dance, West African rhythms and a classic from Spain.
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...
Singer Tony Dekker has a sterling track record for gentle, sweet-voiced ruminations on nature, beauty, conflict and the human body. He sheds his backing band, Great Lake Swimmers, long enough to perform three of his songs at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.
Watch The Decemberists play "The Hazards Of Love 2 (Wager All)" live from SXSW. It was a bold move: Introduce the world to your ambitious concept record by performing it in its entirety to a national audience, a week before the CD release. But The Decemberists did just that at SXSW this past March, and now you can watch some beautifully shot videos from the album's live premiere at Stubb's Bar-B-Q in Austin, Tex. on March 18, 2009. See more videos at npr.org/sxsw.
Benjy Ferree is a character with just enough charisma to draw you into his oddball world. While his subject matter is dark (his latest album revolves around a child actor whose life ended tragically), Ferree's music often has a lilt with hints of humor, as is evidenced by his Tiny Desk Concert.
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.