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Woodstock Returns; Sketches From The Tiny Desk

Angela Hsieh/NPR From mid-December through early January, it’s pretty quiet in the corner of NPR’s office where Bob Boilen sits. But once the new year begins, the noise comes back: Tiny Desk concerts return. For our team, it's a thrill to watch the concerts come to life. For NPR illustrator Angela Hsieh, it's an artistic opportunity of her own. Over the past few months, she’s attended nearly every Tiny Desk concert and sketched the performers as the show unfolds. “Few things make me say, ‘I can't believe this is part of my real job’ quite like sketching Tiny Desk concerts as they happen,” she says. She collected some of her favorites for us so you can get your own view from the front row, too. From the desk, Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna New Music Amidst all of 2019's political rhetoric, of raising walls and closing borders, the artists at globalFEST, New York's annual one-night festival of global music, found meaning in tradition while clearly— and pointedly — pushing forward. So far, 2019 has brought some great new Latin tracks, including a new Ozuna hit, a dreamy Spanish-language cover of the Psychedelic Furs "Pretty In Pink" and the first single from a musical project recorded on a trip through the Caribbean and Latin America. Check out those songs and more on Alt.Latino's playlist of their favorite Latin songs this week. “The Seduction of Kansas,” the title track to Priests' forthcoming album, is a reminder of what makes the band's sharp, cerebral music so exciting. To Read Coming this August: Woodstock 50. According to festival organizer Michael Lang, the three-day event slated for upstate New York will include a mix of legacy acts and up-and-comers. Last week, NPR spoke with dream hampton, executive producer of the Lifetime docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly. But the case laid out in the series represents just one more milestone in a quarter-century of controversy surrounding the R&B superstar. And facing renewed backlash, Lady Gaga is vowing to remove her 2013 track "Do What U Want" with R. Kelly from streaming platforms. How did a delightful song (or grating, never-ending slog, if you're a parent of a young child) about a family of sharks scouring the seas for their next meal make its way to the Billboard Hot 100? Over 130 critics voted in NPR Music's 2018 Jazz Critics Poll. Celebrated elders dominated the top of the results, but a class of younger musicians is rising. Tiny Desk Cameron Pollack/NPR Even 10 years into the tradition of Tiny Desk concerts, there’s still room for firsts. The latest: Composer and performer Carolina Eyck was the first artist to play a theremin behind Bob Boilen’s desk. Buddy, a Compton rapper whose full-length debut was one of our favorite rap albums of 2018, brought his flair for the dramatic (and a small act of rebellion) to the Tiny Desk. Incoming Next week, Sharon Van Etten will return with Remind Me Tomorrow, her first record of new material since 2014. We can’t wait to hear her track-by-track interview with Robin Hilton on the album’s inspirations. One More Thing A bookstore and creative hub in New York City that has served the acting community for more than 100 years was slated to close this month. Lin-Manuel Miranda to the rescue! ✏️ What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: nprmusic@npr.org 📬 Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. 📧 Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including News, Politics, Health and more! 🎵 Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify! You received this message because you're subscribed to our NPR Music emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002