Review: The Thermals, ‘We Disappear’
Fatalism and hope, realism and romance from the acidic, adrenalized Portland punk trio.
Tag: NPR
Review: Parker Millsap, ‘The Very Last Day’
A young Oklahoman with Pentecostal roots looks at apocalypse from surprising angles, in music ranging from rockabilly to blues.
Review: Bwana, ‘Capsule’s Pride’
A young Toronto-based producer plunders the riches of the animated science fiction classic Akira to create a sweeping sonic experience.
Gaelynn Lea: Tiny Desk Concert
Watch the singer and violinist who stood out from 6,000-plus entries in NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest. Gaelynn Lea performs two of these four songs with fellow Duluth, Minn., musician Alan Sparhawk of Low.
First Listen: Damien Jurado, ‘Visions Of Us On The Land’
Jurado finishes a trilogy of albums with a sprawling, 17-song story arc that leaves loose ends while remaining anchored in gorgeous songwriting and lush, layered indie-folk arrangements.
First Listen: Glenn Jones, ‘Fleeting’
The American Primitive-style acoustic guitarist makes albums that fit together beautifully, working together rather than merely occupying the same piece of vinyl.
First Listen: Iggy Pop, ‘Post Pop Depression’
The rock legend’s new album with Queens Of The Stone Age’s Josh Homme is all sharp angles, hard muscles and decadent ecstasy.
Announcement! Presenting The Best D.C. Tiny Desk Video, According To You
Growing up in a family of vocalists, Rich Trent didn’t always know he could sing. “I sang for my girlfriend in high school, and…
First Listen: Mind Spiders, ‘Prosthesis’
On Prosthesis, bandleader Mark Ryan indulges some of his obsessions: vaguely sci-fi-influenced, tightly wound rock ‘n’ roll, set off by dual drummers and portentous electronics.
First Listen: Lucius, ‘Good Grief’
As rapturous as the band’s second album feels in its catchiest moments, it’s all in service to songs that touch on the dueling bittersweet experiences of love.
Vote For Your Favorite D.C. Tiny Desk Contest Video
Update, March 7: We’re extending the voting deadline. Pick your favorite D.C. Tiny Desk Video until 3 p.m. March 7….
Brushy One String: Tiny Desk Concert
Subtlety and nuance are more easily found in minimalism than excess. Brushy One String’s sound is made by one big fat E-string and a rich, powerful voice.
Review: Heron Oblivion, ‘Heron Oblivion’
Meg Baird leads a supergroup with the skills, the background and the vision to play dark acid-folk for a modern generation.
Review: M. Ward, ‘More Rain’
On his eighth solo album, the singer and multi-instrumentalist crafts a warm, thoughtful mood piece, buoyed by guest stars but desolate where necessary.
Review: Polica, ‘United Crushers’
The Twin Cities band’s roiling, hands-on electronic music hews between dance fare that could catalyze a club and slower new-wave sounds.
Review: Nada Surf, ‘You Know Who You Are’
Almost 25 years into its career, the stalwart power-pop band seems like an inexhaustible force on its eighth album, which smartly juxtaposes the epic and the everyday.
Review: Thao & The Get Down Stay Down, ‘A Man Alive’
On her new album, Thao Nguyen and her band sound emboldened and unafraid to delve into some heavy, nervy stuff.
Wilco: Tiny Desk Concert
Bands don’t typically get to play the Tiny Desk more than once, but Wilco is a natural exception. Watch the group perform “The Joke Explained” and three songs from its late-’90s catalog.
Review: School Of Seven Bells, ‘SVIIB’
Shadowed by death and encased in digital production, the duo’s fourth and final album is nonetheless warm and beautiful, and by no means mired in gloom.
Review: Yuck, ‘Stranger Things’
The London grunge-pop band may not make the rules, but it knows just how to tweak them for maximum emotional resonance.