Introducing Tiny Desk Korea

Plus, a look at Noname's new album, the rise of NewJeans and thoughts on disruptive fans at concerts.

View this email online by Stephen Thompson This week, we’re excited about an extension and expansion of the Tiny Desk brand; plus, a look at Noname’s new album, the rise of the K-pop group NewJeans and thoughts on disruptive fans at concerts. courtesy of Tiny Desk Korea NPR Music has recorded roughly 1,100 Tiny Desk concerts in the past 15-plus years, which doesn’t even count the Tiny Desk (home) concerts we began rolling out in the early days of the pandemic. But we’ve never lent the Tiny Desk name to a third party, until now. On August 24, our play-cousins at Tiny Desk Korea published their first recorded performance, featuring the Kim Chang Wan Band. But the performance doesn’t take place in an international NPR bureau’s equivalent of Bob Boilen’s desk; instead, it’s an offshoot launched in partnership with LG U+ and Something Special, whose goal is to showcase the amazing breadth of Korean music. There’s a desk, there are shelves loaded with books and, most crucially, there’s an extremely talented assortment of sound engineers, videographers and curators working to make the shows happen. And everything they’re doing is in consultation with our Tiny Desk team, in a way that both expands the global reach of Tiny Desk concerts and deepens our relationship with and knowledge of Korean music. The early results, if we do say so ourselves, are extremely encouraging. For those who don’t know the Kim Chang Wan Band, it’s led by the rock musician, actor and DJ who gives the band its name. The musician first revolutionized Korean music in the late ’70s, giving it a harder edge. Other genres, including jazz and K-pop, will pop up on Tiny Desk Korea in the next couple weeks — including, on Sept. 15, BTS’s V, whose performance is sure to generate quite a bit of interest. If you’re intrigued by Korea’s massively successful music industry, if you want to broaden your musical horizons, or if you just love Tiny Desk concerts, here’s the link to subscribe to Tiny Desk Korea’s YouTube channel. They’re planning to publish new shows on a weekly basis, with the same genre diversity for which the U.S. series is known. And, of course, their success will help us in our own mission to showcase more international stars at the Tiny Desk. What could be better? Newsletter continues after sponsor message More to read, watch and hear Reflecting on the rapper Noname, critic Harmony Holiday writes that “her trajectory to this point places her in conversation with Lauryn Hill and Nina Simone; she creates protest music in styles often reserved for hedonism and traumatic romance.” It’s a review — pegged to the release of Noname’s new album Sundial — that goes deep on revolutionary thinking, artistic activism and the legacy of so-called “conscious rap.” In the past year or so, NewJeans has become a global juggernaut, becoming the fastest K-pop act ever to reach a billion streams on Spotify. Earlier this summer, its new EP, Get Up, topped the Billboard 200 albums chart — even though “album” in this case refers to six tracks in 12 minutes. On Pop Culture Happy Hour, I recently got together with NPR Music writer and editor Sheldon Pearce to discuss NewJeans’ phenomenal success, the power of TikTok and more. At a recent Adele concert in Las Vegas, a fan stood up and sang along loudly while filming himself with a selfie stick. Security intervened, Adele herself spoke up on the fan’s behalf and … now we’re having a national debate about fan behavior at live shows. I tend to reside squarely and stubbornly on the side of Team “You Are Not The Show,” but NPR’s Elizabeth Blair does a really nice job gathering a broader range of perspectives. Fans of ambient music recently lost a towering figure in Brian McBride, who was one-half of Stars of the Lid. McBride, who was only 53, made orchestral, cinematic music that could fill your head and soothe your soul at once. If you’re curious about Stars of the Lid’s medicinal music, try 2007’s perfect “Even If You're Never Awake (Deuxième),” as well as this wonderful piece of solo music McBride released back in 2010. On a new episode of Alt.Latino, Anamaria Sayre and Felix Contreras interview Spanish singer Omar Montes to discuss his flamenco influences, his Romani ancestry and the connections between reggaeton and flamenco. Oh, and here’s your reminder to check out Montes’ Tiny Desk concert from a few weeks ago, if you haven’t already. Between Tiny Desk Korea and two awesome new Tiny Desk concerts, it’s been a big week for videos of live concerts. But don’t forget to also bookmark our Live Sessions page, which features performances recorded at NPR Music’s member stations! If you’re looking for a place to start, Austin’s great KUTX recently published a terrific set by the Afro-Latin funk and soul band Brownout. All Songs Considered published a new episode of New Music Friday this week, and even though I’m guest-hosting, I still think you should listen! A distinguished panel joined me to discuss new albums by Speedy Ortiz, Illa J, Puma Blue and Slowdive, as well as a lightning round of personal favorites. Tiny Desk Catie Dull Christian McBride’s New Jawn kicks off its Tiny Desk set with two minutes of absolute chaos — appropriate for a tune called “Head Bedlam.” From there, the jazz bassist, bandleader and Jazz Night In America host presides over an unpredictable, inventive, funky, soulful set.      Also this week: We first asked Speedy Ortiz to play a Tiny Desk concert around the time of the band’s first album, back in 2013. Now, the band finally shows up for a career-spanning performance, 10 years in the making. One More Thing I’m having trouble picturing the Venn diagram of this newsletter’s subscribers and fans of the TV reality competition Big Brother. But just in case you fall into both camps, did you know that flutist Izzy Gleicher performed at the Tiny Desk just a few weeks before entering the Big Brother house? (I am watching Big Brother this season and like Izzy very much, fwiw.) Listen to your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to hear live radio from WUFT 89.1 (edit station). 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