Jan 5, 2012
Even in a stripped-down acoustic set, Tinariwen's trance-inducing desert music doesn't disappoint.
NPR Tiny Desk Concerts
Intimate musical performances, recorded live at the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.
Season 5 Episodes
Browse every episode and jump into details.
Jan 9, 2012
Watch singer Teri Gender Bender transform from a soft-spoken musician into a rock 'n' roll beast.
Jan 17, 2012
The band's keen sense of song prevails, especially in a new song called "It All Means Nothing."
Jan 19, 2012
Banjo master Schepps and friends create an intriguing goulash of Bartók, bluegrass and bebop.
Jan 23, 2012
Watch the masterful folk guitarist perform a lovely instrumental set at the NPR Music offices.
Jan 26, 2012
Calvi plays songs from her self-titled debut in this powerful performance at the NPR Music offices.
Jan 30, 2012
The San Antonio trio gets back to basics to explore its songs' forms and the soul of its lyrics.
Feb 3, 2012
The brilliant and nimble guitarist reinvents the songs of John Lennon at the NPR Music offices.
Feb 6, 2012
The group has revitalized a long-lost culture through music performed entirely in Haitian Creole.
Feb 9, 2012
The Hold Steady singer's stark side is nicely conducive to barren arrangements at the NPR offices.
Feb 14, 2012
The dance-friendly, India-inspired funk group performs a high-energy set at the NPR Music offices.
Feb 16, 2012
"The Duke of Bachata" gives a raw but beautiful interpretation of bachata at the NPR Music offices.
Feb 20, 2012
Hear the fresh-faced opera singers perform Puccini at the NPR Music offices.
Feb 23, 2012
In this performance at the NPR Music offices, the Irish pop band mixes new songs with early hits.
Feb 27, 2012
A band of selective minimalism, Milagres gets the most of simple sounds at the NPR Music offices.
Mar 1, 2012
Through her insightful lyrics, Sandra Velasquez conjures the sounds of the Mexican desert.
Mar 5, 2012
Her gorgeous, whispery voice inspired the Tiny Desk Concerts series in 2008. Now, Laura Gibson returns with her band to perform four songs from her new album, La Grande.
Mar 8, 2012
The saxophonist's new repertoire salutes electric funk, South Indian modes and swarming solos.
Mar 12, 2012
Real Estate wears placidity well: It's a band born and bred to convey and celebrate laconic comfort.
Mar 24, 2012
A soulful master musician from Iran, Kalhor performs a beautiful improvisation at the NPR offices.
Mar 28, 2012
Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg make charming, folk-infused pop music that lulls and enchants.
Apr 2, 2012
The ensemble employs all kinds of toys, from an amplified cactus to a mug filled with spare change.
Apr 5, 2012
The Canadian singer performs four sweet, warm, relatable songs that soothe as they nourish.
Apr 10, 2012
Caveman writes guitar-based pop songs full of space and melodies you can carry around in your head.
Apr 12, 2012
At the NPR offices, the band plays in a lean, funky configuration that gets the room grooving along.
Apr 16, 2012
The group fuses the music of many Christian cultures, with nods to African songs of celebration.
Apr 23, 2012
Holland plays songs with an unadorned tone that makes the voice and lyrics all the more touching.
Apr 26, 2012
The venerable band sounds as poignant and tender as ever in this performance at the NPR offices.
Apr 30, 2012
The group doesn't overwhelm so much as it wears listeners down with a subtle charm offensive.
May 3, 2012
The guitarist displays intricate fingerpicking in two songs inspired by Kentucky Derby racehorses.
May 7, 2012
The jazz quartet draws from post-bop, 20th-century chromaticism and New Orleans funeral marches.
May 10, 2012
K Ishibashi is a master at building songs from live violin loops, layered singing and beatboxing.
May 14, 2012
The improvisational music of the father-son, guitar-cello duo functions as a beautiful conversation.
May 16, 2012
The Godfather of Go-Go died Wednesday. In 2010, he brought his full band to the NPR Music office.
May 17, 2012
Rooted in acoustic traditions, the music of Arborea stands out for its calm beauty and rough edges.
May 21, 2012
Tiersen's rich, liltingly eccentric pop music is constructed from lots of sweet, intricate pieces.
May 26, 2012
The venerable brass quintet sports virtuosic, fresh-faced players in tried-and-true repertoire.
May 31, 2012
Watson has a lovely voice and a gift for wringing evocative sounds out of everything he touches.
Jun 4, 2012
The unflappable singer performs three songs with seeming effortlessness and easygoing charm.
Jun 7, 2012
The drummer dedicates tunes to her friends, including her first teacher — a "sometimes great guy."
Jun 11, 2012
Watch three songs by a troubled soul with a talent for writing honest, disarmingly direct music.
Jun 17, 2012
Hansard flexes his neck muscles a bit as he performs new songs and deep cuts at the NPR offices.
Jun 21, 2012
The band plays with just the right mixture of passion and pathos in a fun set at the NPR offices.
Jun 25, 2012
The comedian and musician performs spontaneous improvisations full of killer grooves and humor.
Jul 2, 2012
The band plays a beautifully buzzing, nuanced set, marked by gorgeous grace and stirring melodies.
Jul 9, 2012
At the NPR offices, Carlile and her band sing from-the-gut songs about messy lives, loudly lived.
Jul 12, 2012
Two songs from A Creature I Don't Know bookend a gorgeous new, unreleased song called "Once."
Jul 15, 2012
A soulful yet steely singer-songwriter from Algeria charts her own course in these four songs.
Jul 16, 2012
Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale sing sweet but intricate folk-pop songs in the NPR offices.
Jul 22, 2012
Feder marries classical and folk techniques with otherworldly guitar textures and sounds.
Jul 29, 2012
The band makes the Tiny Desk accommodate its booming sound rather than the other way around.
Aug 6, 2012
Known for mixing folk and electronics, Orton unveils three new songs with just an acoustic guitar.
Aug 12, 2012
Two surviving members of the band still have the same chemistry here in a stripped-down performance.
Aug 20, 2012
By the middle of Wainwright's final song, "Montauk," few dry eyes remained in the NPR offices.
Aug 27, 2012
Watch the renowned double bassist thump, strum and loop his way through three mesmerizing songs.
Sep 10, 2012
Avital's mandolin sings with the sounds of Ernest Bloch and a raucous Bulgarian folk tune.
Sep 17, 2012
These songs' fervor is the product of a singer armed with intensity and musicians who can match it.
Sep 24, 2012
Watch Las Vegass bring a punk aesthetic to Venezuelan folk music with a cuatro at the NPR offices.
Oct 1, 2012
Hearing the 29-year-old singer makes it virtually impossible to do anything but stop and listen.
Oct 4, 2012
It's one thing for 11 musicians to make a big sound, but what stands out is Antibalas' subtlety.
Oct 8, 2012
The group plays fiddle, banjo, guitar and washboard, all gathered around a single microphone.
Oct 15, 2012
The band unleashes a gorgeous flurry of shambolic rumbling, prolific hairiness and dramatic yelling.
Oct 22, 2012
Like any great blues singer, Cray makes heartache and dysfunction sound engaging and relatable.
Oct 25, 2012
The band's rich harmonies are welcoming, its lyrics relatable and its live performances thrilling.
Oct 29, 2012
Michael Angelakos makes electro-pop with monster hooks. But his songs are sturdy, versatile things.
Nov 5, 2012
The longtime frontman for Grandaddy goes it alone with acoustic solo songs from his latest record.
Nov 12, 2012
The conjunto icon spins magic, and stays true to tradition, with his trademark button accordion.
Nov 19, 2012
For Tiny Desk Concert No. 250, the Death Cab for Cutie and Postal Service singer performs solo.
Nov 26, 2012
Wainwright roughs up life's smooth spots, then digs her fingertips into the cracks that form.
Nov 29, 2012
Victoria Bergsman's songs seem to come from a place somewhere between a dream state and waking life.
Dec 3, 2012
The Seattle duo literally shakes the dust off the ceiling tiles at the NPR Music offices.
Dec 6, 2012
The singer-songwriter performs three of Young Man in America's most bracingly beautiful songs.
Dec 9, 2012
Once the acoustic guitarist zeroes in on the center of a song, it's easy to get lost in it yourself.
Dec 10, 2012
Lovett gives a loose, engaging performance that feels like both an introduction and a victory lap.
Dec 17, 2012
The Mercury Prize-winning band plays angular, poetic, inventive music that takes unexpected turns.
Dec 21, 2012
The sprawling group, 17 strong, squeezes behind Bob Boilen's desk for a special holiday performance.
Dec 31, 2012
Performing at the NPR Music offices, Miguel strips his highly produced hits down to their bones.
Season 5 FAQ
Quick answers about this season's release timeline and episode lineup.
When did NPR Tiny Desk Concerts Season 5 premiere?
NPR Tiny Desk Concerts Season 5 premiered on January 5, 2012.
How many episodes are in NPR Tiny Desk Concerts Season 5?
NPR Tiny Desk Concerts Season 5 has 77 episodes.
What is the first episode of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts Season 5?
The season opens with Season 5 Episode 1, "Tinariwen". It aired on January 5, 2012.
Go to Season 5 Episode 1