Extra-Innovative Tiny Desk (Home) Concerts From Billie Eilish, Tame Impala And Yola

Plus, remembering Justin Townes Earle.

by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna NPR We haven’t stepped foot in the NPR Music offices for months — in fact, none of our colleagues have. But this week, megastar Billie Eilish made us feel a little nostalgic for our cubicles. Thanks to some video magic, Billie and her brother Finneas managed to make their home look pretty much exactly like Bob Boilen’s desk for their Tiny Desk (home) concert, playing two excellent standalone singles she’s released in the past year. The rest of this week’s Tiny Desk (home) concerts bring that same spirit of innovation — recontextualizing the songs for new settings — that makes the series so special to us. Tiny Desk producer Bobby Carter had long wanted to bring Tame Impala to the Desk; for Kevin Parker’s (home) concert, the Australian songwriter and producer invited some friends to what he called an “electronic jam with heaps of equipment” to recreate the songs he usually records solo. Across the world, British singer-songwriter Yola has spent her quarantine in Nashville, Tenn. Even in a backyard, her (home) concert is every bit as powerful as her set from NPR HQ earlier this year.  We miss the Tiny Desk, Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music We update our Press Pause playlist of the best music you may have missed each weekday. This week, we put the spotlight on New York R&B duo Black Grapefruit’s “Inside,” a stellar song that asks an essential question: "What you follow, fear or love?" Back in 2017, Katy Perry released Witness, an album that was supposed to showcase a different, more authentic side of the pop hitmaker. The problem? It wasn’t very well-received. Her follow-up, Smile, is a testament to resiliency and artistic expansion, Perry told NPR’s Morning Edition. This week’s All Songs Considered New Music Friday show features the exploratory sounds of Georgia Anne Muldrow recording under her Jyoti moniker, an adventurous album of covers from bluegrass virtuoso Molly Tuttle, stripped-down solo recordings from Angel Olsen and a new gospel record from PJ Morton.  Nashville singer-songwriter Ruston Kelly’s debut, Dying Star, was a brutal thing of beauty – a clear-eyed look back at the wreckage wrought by past addictions. His new album, Shape & Destroy, offers a path forward in which the process of recovery continues with resolve. Featuring With live music indefinitely postponed, independent music venues continue to be among the businesses hardest hit by the global pandemic. But those same spaces are where the majority of musicians get their start. Without federal intervention, independent venues may not be able to avoid corporate buyouts — which some fear could lead to more closures. Justin Townes Earle, the award-winning Nashville singer-songwriter and son of Steve Earle, died at the age of 38. Named after his father's friend and beloved songwriter Townes Van Zandt, Earle won the Americana Music Honors & Awards new and emerging artist of the year in 2009 and released eight full-length albums during his solo career. Fifty years ago this week, Jimi Hendrix opened a psychedelic recording space in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. Through success, decline and rebirth as a palace of hits, Electric Lady Studios broke the mold for what a recording studio could be. This week, Riley Gale, the throat-shredding vocalist for the Texas-based metal band Power Trip, died Monday at the age of 34. Gale’s lyrics often dealt with destruction, but also social inequity, and the band was beloved for its live shows that were somewhere between a party and a rally. Athens, Ga., band Pylonhas a reputation as your favorite band’s favorite band; new bands still sound like Pylon and beloved bands still like the music better than their own. Ahead of a catalog reissue, its three remaining members spoke to Lars Gotrich about the band’s legacy. (And if you’re not sure how to get into Pylon’s music, Lars included a playlist to get you started.) One More Thing One part science experiment, one part pop concert. 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 Books, Pop Culture, Health and more! Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music! You received this message because you're subscribed to NPR Music emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy