Last Call To Enter The Tiny Desk Contest

Plus, a new collaboration between Mitski, David Byrne and Son Lux.

View this email online March 12, 2022 by Marissa Lorusso This week, we’re sharing details about our annual Tiny Desk Contest, which closes soon — plus, a musical protest from Yo-Yo Ma. NPR Every year, the Tiny Desk Contest team watches as entries flood in from across the country in every style and genre imaginable — and every year, the team is blown away by the creativity and talent they get to witness. If you’re looking for your next favorite song, you might just find it on the Tiny Desk Contest website, where you can watch every single eligible entry we’ve received so far. Looking for jazz from Tennessee? You got it. High-energy pop from Georgia? We have that. A video shot in the Nevada desert or on a cold New York beach? You can see those, too. And despite the huge range, these videos all have one thing in common: They each feature one song from an unsigned, under-the-radar artist who would love to play a Tiny Desk concert. (Per the Tiny Desk Contest rules, they also share something else: Each video must include a desk.) If you are — or you know — someone who’s interested in playing behind Bob Boilen’s desk, there’s still time, but move fast because it’s running out. The Contest is accepting entries until March 14 at 11:59 p.m. ET. You can learn more and read the official rules on the Tiny Desk Contest website. Newsletter continues after sponsor message New Music Rex Orange County is back this week with an album the artist wrote and recorded in just 12 days. You can hear a conversation about that album — plus rare recordings from New Orleans soul singer Irma Thomas, a new album from rapper Fly Anakin and more great new releases out this week — on New Music Friday from All Songs Considered. Across Jenny Hval’s music, she continually grapples with what it means to reclaim her art, her desires and her body. On her latest album, Classic Objects, the Norwegian songwriter interrogates what it means for her self-image to be centered on her art, while grappling with the way capitalist forces threaten to mute her work’s radical possibilities. This week’s New Mix from All Songs Considered is full of some of Bob Boilen’s favorite artists, including new songs by Sharon Van Etten and Regina Spektor and a collaboration between Mitski, David Byrne and Son Lux. Featuring Yo-Yo Ma made a personal stand with Ukraine this week, performing on the sidewalk outside of the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. next to an improvised street sign reading "Zelensky Way." “Everyone has to do something,” the cellist told a passing cyclist who stopped to listen. This week, cornetist, composer and bandleader Ron Miles died at his home in Denver. Our jazz critic, Nate Chinen, wrote in an obituary that Miles’ playing combined a distinctly American harmonic palette with an openhearted emotional clarity uncommon in modern jazz. Last year, our Turning the Tables series asked writers to tell us about one record by a woman artist that changed their lives. Now we’re digging deeper into that conversation with a series of podcast episodes featuring writers talking about that life-altering music. On the latest episode, my colleague Ann Powers is joined by three great critics whose essays explored how it feels to hear a life-changing album as a teenager from different angles. Tiny Desk NPR Bob Boilen says that when he was directing All Things Considered, he’d often play the music of Abdullah Ibrahim between segments to give the audience a chance to reflect. In the celebrated South African pianist’s Tiny Desk (home) concert, hear music that reflects on the past and helps clarify the present. Plus: Patricia Kopatchinskaja is considered one of today's most courageous, forward-thinking violinists. For her Tiny Desk (home) concert from her Vienna apartment, she sets fire to Beethoven and offers rarely heard American music. This week, we also shared a set from Colombian singer-songwriter Camilo, which my colleague Anamaria Sayre describes as “15 minutes of soul-baring intimacy” that lets “the world view his fairytale life in full bloom.” One More Thing Back when it was all a dream … Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). Need a new playlist? Follow NPR Music on Spotify and Apple Music 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! 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