Watch Our Tiny Desk Contest Winner’s Tiny Desk (Home) Concert

Plus, our new podcast about about rap, race, infamy and injustice.

by Marissa Lorusso and Lyndsey McKenna NPR In August, we announced the winner of 2020’s Tiny Desk Contest: Linda Diaz, a New York-based singer and songwriter. Her entry video for “Green Tea Ice Cream” won over our judges with its soulful R&B sound and charming, self-affirming message. And since the Tiny Desk is working from home for the foreseeable future, we worked with Diaz to put together an unforgettable Tiny Desk (home) concert. She and her band (and a team of Tiny Desk videographers) traveled to the top of New York City's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and performed a socially-distanced concert in front of the city's skyline. “Even though I couldn't be at the Desk, I'm feeling lucky to have been able to share some extra little parts of my personality with my (home) concert,” Diaz says. “In more ways than one, this concert is a victory and a dream come true for me.” Diaz and her band performed three songs from her Magic EP, including the song that earned her the grand prize. Despite the challenging circumstances of this year, Diaz’s performance radiates warmth and optimism, and comes with a powerful message. “Black joy is radical because it actively opposes defeat,” she says. “It is necessary.” Nothing short of magic, Marissa Lorusso Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music This week in All Songs Considered’s New Mix: a reflective call for justice from Maren Morris, math-rock from Gulfer, and a handful of songs that recall the past. Plus, on New Music Friday, we run through the week’s essential releases, including some completely remixed songs from John Lennon's solo catalog, devotional piano music from Laraaji, Afro-fusion and funk from The Budos Band and more. In a year when big-budget Hollywood movies keep getting delayed, the duo of 21 Savage and Metro Boomin delivered Savage Mode 2: a rare blockbuster sequel in the COVID-19 era. On his new album Agüita, genre-bending multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Garzón-Montano takes listeners around the world in less than an hour. But he says the album isn't just a musical vacation; it’s also meant as a rebuke of an American culture obsessed with classifying everything. This week, our friends at KUTX shared a socially distanced video of singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriguez performing her song “Absence.”  Louder Than A Riot This week, we launched Louder Than A Riot, our podcast about rap, race, infamy, injustice and the artists caught up in it all. According to the hosts, our colleagues Rodney Carmichael and Sidney Madden, this podcast “is for contextualizing mass incarceration — the most pressing civil rights issue of our time — through the language and the soundtrack and the people who it's affecting the most.”  The podcast’s first episode digs into a conspiracy theory that alleges collusion between record execs and the prison industry to promote criminal behavior in hip-hop. And the second episode kicks off a three-episode series about Mac Phipps: a rap phenom who was charged with murder and has been fighting to clear his name for 20 years. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts for new episodes weekly.  Featuring This week, the legendary guitarist and songwriter Eddie Van Halen died at the age of 65. His unique style — heavy on tapping, with both hands on the neck of the instrument — was deeply influential and nearly inimitable, making him a lodestar for generations of guitarists. Linda Ronstadt received a Hispanic Heritage Award this week, honoring both her beloved pop music and her smash-hit mariachi albums. Ronstadt spoke to Weekend Edition about the role of her Mexican-American identity in her career and what music she's been listening to lately. Last month, Megan Thee Stallion accused rapper Tory Lanez of shooting her, allegations he denied. Now, Lanez has been charged with assaulting a woman in the Hollywood Hills on July 12 — while the alleged victim was not listed by name, the incident's timing and details line up with Megan Thee Stallion’s allegations. Mohammad Reza Shajarian, an Iranian singer whose voice was regarded as one of his country's national treasures (and who then ran afoul of the regime) died this week. He earned the title of ostad — master — and was beloved for his commanding voice that could cry with haunting pain and soar with deep soul. Tiny Desk NPR Our colleague Ann Powers says the first time she saw Little Big Town perform live, she knew a Tiny Desk concert was in the group’s future. And while the pandemic got in the way of the band's trip to the Tiny Desk, Little Big Town’s Tiny Desk (home) concert gathered its expert band and crazy powerful harmonies for a career-spanning living room session. This week, we also shared a Tiny Desk (home) concert from Angel Olsen: just her and a guitar, from the porch of the singer-songwriter’s new Asheville, N.C. home. One More Thing Live from New York, it’s COVID-19 protocols! 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