Tiny Desk Edition: The Japanese House

Plus, we dip into the archives for a 2010 set with newly minted Emmy winner "Weird Al" Yankovic

View this email online January 18, 2024 by Stephen Thompson Amber Bain and her band give The Japanese House’s electro-pop songs organic new arrangements; plus, we dip into the archives for a 2010 set with newly minted Emmy winner “Weird Al” Yankovic. Zayrha Rodriguez/NPR Surprise guests have popped up at the Tiny Desk over the years — like the time Jon Batiste flew in to support Juvenile’s tribute to New Orleans, or when Common, Robert Glasper and Karriem Riggins showed up with guest vocalists Brandy, Samora Pinderhughes, Andra Day and Maimouna Youssef in tow. Other musicians have brought their parents, their kids, their friends and even their pets; we still laugh about the time Shovels & Rope visited the Tiny Desk with their sweet dog and the crowd lost its collective mind. During the early stages of production for The Japanese House’s Tiny Desk debut, I was given a list of the performers, managers and publicists who’d need to be cleared through security the morning of their show. One name jumped off the page: Joni Jones, a.k.a. singer Amber Bain’s beloved dog, referenced in The Japanese House’s song “One for Sorrow, Two for Joni Jones.” I was excited about meeting Bain and the band — The Japanese House’s In the End It Always Does was my favorite album of last year — but I was borderline starstruck at the thought of meeting Bain’s muse, and even went so far as to have a name tag prepared for her at NPR’s front desk. Sadly, Joni was a no-show: The Tiny Desk marked the final stop on The Japanese House’s 2023 tour, and Bain had boarded her before then to give her a break from the road. But the promise of that sweet pup’s presence got me thinking about the many behind-the-scenes surprises that don’t always make their way to the videos we end up publishing: the milestones, the bloopers and mishaps, things artists say as they enter the room for the first time, and the occasional odd anecdote like the time an audience member proposed to his girlfriend at the end of Laura Stevenson’s set. Starting today, we’re breaking Tiny Desk concerts out into their own dedicated newsletter. In the weeks and months to come, we’ll shine a light on the new shows we’re publishing, while also telling a few stories about the moments you might not have seen: the pets, the laughs, the surprises, the milestones and other details from behind the scenes. To get us kicked off, I’m urging you to check out The Japanese House’s Tiny Desk debut, in which Amber Bain’s warm electro-pop songs are recast in fresh arrangements that highlight the organic sounds of brushed drums, a violin, a spare piano and the occasional baritone sax (but sadly, no barking). It’s a gorgeous set that offers a new way of enjoying a handful of 2023’s most beguiling songs. Newsletter continues after sponsor message Catie Dull/NPR Recent Tiny Desk concerts yMusic’s unique sound, driven by its peculiar blend of trumpet, winds and strings, seems like a compelling soundtrack for an age when music genres are becoming increasingly arbitrary. Rwandan band The Good Ones has an inspiring determination to spread its musical message. The Chihuahuan artist Kevin Kaarl transfigures traditional Sinaloan instrumentation into folky new styles. Working with his band Wild Wild East, Sunny Jain (formerly of Red Baraat) promotes the idea of not just crossing boundaries, but obliterating them altogether. Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford lead the Broadway cast of Sweeney Todd, complete with Tiny Desk-sized orchestrations by Stephen Sondheim’s longtime collaborator, Jonathan Tunick. Around public radio KEXP in Seattle shared a studio session with Kara Jackson, who made my colleague Ann Powers’ favorite album of 2023. KCRW squeezed Wilco into Los Angeles’ Apogee Studios, where the group played a nine-song set heavy on tracks from the recent Cousin. WFUV, New York City’s public radio music station, hosted Australian rapper and singer Genesis Owusu, who played one of our stations’ favorite songs of 2023, “Leaving the Light.” Philadelphia’s WXPN is streaming a live concert from the legendary U.K. shoegaze band Ride on Friday, Jan. 19 at 12 p.m. ET. Here’s hoping they play “Vapour Trail.” WNXP in Nashville welcomed indie-rock favorite Palehound to its Sonic Cathedral for three songs from the band’s 2023 album, Eye on the Bat. Tiny Desk Contest update NPR We’re entering the 10th year of our Tiny Desk Contest, which has helped launch many careers in music: Our first-ever winner (Fantastic Negrito) has gone on to win three Grammys and counting — 2017’s winner, Tank and the Bangas, even got nominated for best new artist a few years back — while others have gone viral, signed major-label deals and toured the world. Just as importantly, the Tiny Desk Contest has created a community of musicians who enter by the thousands each year. We’ll highlight some of this year’s notable entries in this space and elsewhere, but in the meantime, be sure to tell your musician friends that this year’s window for entries opens next Tuesday, Jan. 23.  From the archives Five-time Grammy winner “Weird Al” Yankovic is now halfway to the EGOT that has long been his destiny: The pop parodist just won his first Emmy Award for his work as a producer of Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, which picked up a trophy for outstanding television movie. Watch Yankovic and his band perform “You Don’t Love Me Anymore,” “Good Old Days” and “CNR” at the Tiny Desk back in 2010. 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