#tinydeskcontest
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Goodbye from the Tiny Desk Contest (for now)
Our 2017 Tiny Desk Contest has come to an end.
We’ve just returned from our tour, hosting concerts in 10 cities with lineups featuring 36 different bands who had entered the Tiny Desk Contest. The joy of seeing so much remarkable talent spoke to the spirit of the Contest as a whole, from the day we announced we were running it again (with help from our sponsors and fellow music-lovers Lagunitas Brewing Co.), through the time you spent gathering together to make and enter your videos, to the time we all spent together in your home scenes.
At each stop — in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Charleston, Nashville and Austin — we saw communities in love with the music of their town. We hope we helped fans discover new bands from their own neighborhoods. If this Contest teaches us anything, it’s that there’s great music all around you — you just may not know it yet. (You can still see everyone’s entry — and even filter by location — on our website, look at photos from the tour in this slideshow and read all about it on our blog.)
Among the many special things about this whole experience was the chance for us to travel with and get to know Tank and the Bangas. They’re a remarkable band from New Orleans, combining a dash of Disney, the heart of hip-hop, the roll of R&B and the power of poetry and storytelling into a music like nothing else I’ve heard. It’s the sound of celebration — a celebration of life, in its ups and downs, but most of all a celebration of other people.
In that way, they are perfect ambassadors for the Tiny Desk Contest. The group’s will to unite people around music is something I identify strongly with — it’s part of what I’ve dedicated my career to. It’s what we’ve tried to do here in this Contest. And that’s what every single one of you has done with us, together. So for all those who participated as artists or listeners, from my heart to yours, thank you. Thank you for reminding me why we on the Tiny Desk Contest team — and at NPR Music as a whole — do what we do:
For the love of music, for the love of community.
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Listen To Tank And The Bangas On NPR’s Ask Me Another
On the first night of our Tiny Desk Contest tour, Tank and the Bangas appeared at the Bell House in Brooklyn, N.Y. for a live taping of NPR’s Ask Me Another. You can listen to them play a short set — and compete to see whether Tank knows Disney songs better than Albert does.
Image credit: Mike Katzif/NPR
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From One Tiny Desk Contest Entrant To Another
On Tuesday night, the second night of three consecutive southern Tiny Desk Contest shows, we returned to The Basement East for the second year in a row. We had an amazing line-up of four local Tiny Desk Contest entrants — Liz Cooper & The Stampede,Ike and the Crooked Souls,Peyton ParkerandScriptkiddie.
Someone else was in the crowd too — two-time entrant Scott Mulvahill, who played our showcase last year. We learned that it was his performance at the 2016 showcase that inspired singer-songwriter Peyton Parker to enter the beautiful “A Million Things” this year. That song earned her the spot onstage that night. And it reminded us of just what it is the Tiny Desk Contest community does best — inspire each other.
Thank You, Austin!
Yesterday evening, we had our last night of the Tiny Desk Contest tour. It’s been a whirlwind, and we’ll have some thoughts on the experience to share soon, but in the meantime we just want to thank KUTX and everybody who came to the show for making it so special. You can keep up with the bands who performed via their Facebook pages:
Belcurve
Kiko Villamizar
Pocket Sounds
Tank and the Bangas
Thank you again for such a special night — and for an amazing tour. Stay tuned for more soon.
Image credits: Lizzie Chen
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Thank you, Nashville!
Last night, we returned to the Basement East for our Nashville Tiny Desk Contest event. We had a great time last year, and this year was every bit as great. We co-hosted the event with WPLN and WMOT and featured four local acts who entered the Contest, each of whom put on a stellar show. Stay up to date with them via their Facebook pages:
Liz Cooper & The Stampede
Ike and the Crooked Souls
Peyton Parker
Scriptkiddie
Tonight, we have our last night of the tour in Austin. It’s been a wild and lovely few days, filled with new people and great new music. We wouldn’t have it any other way.
Image Credits: Bob Boilen/NPR
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Thank you, Charleston!
On Monday night, we brought the Tiny Desk Contest tour to the Lagunitas Charleston TapRoom & Beer Sanctuary in Charleston, S.C. The show, co-hosted with SCPR, featured three local artists, and a fiery performance from Tank and the Bangas. Follow up with the bands below:
Human Resources
SondorBlue
Chaquis Maliq
Tank and the Bangas
We’re on the southern leg of the 2017 Tiny Desk Contest tour, and it’s been a joy to meet you all. We hope to see some of you in Austin tonight!
Image Credits: Bob Boilen/NPR
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Tank And The Bangas’ Tiny Desk Concert Has Over A Million Views On YouTube
Congratulations to Tank and the Bangas! You can watch their Tiny Desk Concert above, and check out a live set of theirs from our Tiny Desk Contest tour right here.
Next week is our last week on the road. There are still free tickets available for our Nashville show — Tank and the Bangas won’t be performing there, but four incredible local acts who entered the Contest will be. Check the line-up out & reserve your ticket here.
Thank You, Chicago!
On Tuesday night, at the heart of the Lagunitas Brewery in Chicago, Ill., four amazing artists took the Tiny Desk Contest stage. Co-hosted with our friends at WBEZ, we featured three local artists who entered the Contest along with a set from Tank and the Bangas to close out the night (you can watch the livestream of the band’s set here).
If you want to follow the artists we featured, check out their Facebook pages below:
Nashon Holloway
Will Phalen
Low Swans
We’ll be back on the road on Monday for a show in Charleston, S.C.! We hope to see you then.
Image Credits: Bob Boilen/NPR
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Thank You, Petaluma!
We had an amazing time at the Lagunitas TapRoom & Beer Sanctuary in Petaluma, Calif. on Tuesday of this past week. If you couldn’t be there with us in person, you can experience some of the evening via our Facebook livestream of three-time Tiny Desk Contest entrant Diana Gameros’ set. Check out all the awesome featured artists below:
Royal Jelly Jive
Diana Gameros
Black Sheep Brass Band
Tank and the Bangas
We’re back on the road this coming Tuesday in Chicago — and we’ll have a livestream from Tank and the Bangas that night, just in case (and in the statistically likely event) that you can’t be there with us. Either way, we hope to see you soon.
Image Credit: Bob Boilen/NPR
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Thank You, Azusa!
Last night, we had the last show of our tour’s west coast leg. In Azusa, Calif., we featured five bands — four local favorite acts and Tank and the Bangas — in our show co-hosted with KVCR at Lagunitas Azusa TapRoom & Beer Sanctuary. Keep up with the amazing featured artists below:
Leather Tramp
Smoke Season
Timotha Lanae & Clear Soul
Meilur
Tank And The Bangas
We’ll see you in Chicago next week!
Image credits: Bob Boilen/NPR
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Thank You, Portland!
Bob Boilen, he who sits behind the Tiny Desk, took some photos of the amazing local acts we featured at our Portland, Ore. showcase with opbmusic. Follow up with the bands below — and look for the three local acts from the bill if you’re ever in Portland, Ore.
Haley Heynderickx
Lola Buzzkill
Family Mansion
Tank and the Bangas
We’ll be back on the road next week in Chicago, and if you happen to live in Nashville, you can still reserve a free ticket for our 21+ Nashville show the week after right here.
Image Credits: Bob Boilen/NPR
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Thank You, Seattle!
It’s been a long week on the road, and it began with an incredible show Monday night at KEXP. We had an incredible bill, and if you want to follow up with any of the bands, you can find them here:
Kuinka
Breaks and Swells
The environment
motopony
We’re back on the east coast for a few days now, and then off to Chicago for a show with WBEZ! Stay tuned for more dispatches.
Image credit: Morgen Schuler
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Tank And The Bangas Just Released The Official Recording Of The Song That Won The Tiny Desk Contest
When we first saw the video of Tank And The Bangas performing “Quick” in that classroom, we were transfixed. Today, a couple short months after that video won them the Tiny Desk Contest, they’re releasing the official recording of “Quick.” You can listen to it on Spotify,Soundcloud andApple Music. From everyone in Bangaville & Tiny Desk-land, we wish you a happy single release day.
–Ben
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Thank You, Philly!
On Tuesday night, we had our second-ever Tiny Desk Contest tour event at World Cafe Live with our friends at WXPN. We featured four amazing local acts at the showcase, and you can watch their entries below. Each act put on an incredible show.
-ILL DOOTS
-Maitland
-APHRA
-Hardwork Movement
There are many great Philly-area entries to enjoy, though: This year, we had more entrants from Philadelphia than ever before. Check them out, share what you love and stay tuned for more updates from the road!
Image Credit: Bob Boilen/NPR
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Thank You, New York City!
Last week, we had the first two stops of our 2017 Tiny Desk Contest tour. Tank And The Bangas took a live taping of NPR’s Ask Me Another by storm on Monday night at The Bell House in Brooklyn, N.Y. And on Wednesday night, we featured four incredible entrants — CE, Darling Din, Madison McFerrin and The New Review — at our first entrant showcase, an evening at Rockwood Music Hall with our friends from WFUV. Thank you to everyone who came out and made both of these events such special occasions. Tomorrow, it’s onto Philadelphia, Pa. for a show with WXPN! More soon.
Image Credit for Rockwood: Annabel Edwards / NPR
Image credit for Tank And The Bangas: Mike Katzif / NPR
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From our “10 More Tiny Desk Contest Entries We Love” article:
The Break Lights, “Holiest Ghost”
The Break Lights was a favorite among our judges. The members of the New Jersey rock group are masters at defying expectations. Unassuming in instrumentation, visuals and sound, they begin “Holiest Ghost” as a standard rock band shooting a simple basement video; the camera even blurs with the bass-drum hits. Then, Jake Roggenkamp starts singing. The sound of his voice is completely unexpected — it sounds almost like Janis Joplin’s: high, reedy and powerful. “Holiest Ghost” is a flawlessly constructed rock song — pulling back and letting loose in all the right places in its ode to the religious feeling of good love — and Roggenkamp’s voice is what gives it a unique flavor. — Ben
From our “10 More Tiny Desk Contest Entries We Love” article:
Haley Heynderickx, “The Bug Collector”
At the beginning of her entry video, you can hear Haley Heynderickx call out “Take one? Kind of?” before launching into “The Bug Collector.” The folk singer from Portland, Ore., has a smoky, sweet voice and a knack for intricate guitar lines. Though her entry video evinces solitude — she performs alone in a dimly-lit room with high ceilings — her lyrics evoke intimacy and compassion. Just after she finishes the song, you hear a voice — presumably her videographer — say “I think that was it,” and Heynderickx’s joy is audible. Even she seems surprised at the beauty in her performance (and, perhaps, at how quickly it came together); it certainly impressed us. — Marissa
Virginia singer-songwriter Catherine Backus, who performs as Catherine the Great, has a classic, aching folk sound. Her entry is set in a backyard that looks like it has seen better days; it’s a fitting backdrop for a song about the all-American struggle of getting left behind in a changing world. While the themes are familiar, the song feels timely, and Backus’s voice rings out with a powerful honesty.
— Marissa
We’re sharing some of the many 2017 Tiny Desk Contest entries that have caught our eyes and ears. You can enter the Contest until 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 29. Check out the Official Rules, film your video and submit it here!
It’s crunch time, y’all!
You Can Now Enter The 2017 Tiny Desk Contest
The 2017 Tiny Desk Contest is now open! Starting today, I’ll be watching your videos in search of the next great undiscovered artist to play at the Tiny Desk. And I won’t be doing it alone. Our team of judges includes these fantastic musicians:
- Anthony Hamilton
- Miguel
- BANKS
- Trey Anastasio of Phish
- Ben Hopkins of PWR BTTM
I’ll also be joined by Rita Houston of WFUV, Stas THEE Boss of KEXP, Talia Schlanger of WXPN’s World Cafe and Robin Hilton, my co-host on All Songs Considered. We’re accepting entries until Jan. 29, and we can’t wait to hear what you’re making.
To enter, you’ll need to:
- Film a video of you (or your band) performing an original song at a desk (any desk!).
- Put that video on YouTube.
- Submit it through our entry form by 11:59 p.m. ET on Jan. 29.
To make sure you’re eligible, you can take this quiz (or check out our Official Rules for all the details). If you win, you’ll get to play a Tiny Desk concert at NPR’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Plus, you’ll get to come on a nationwide tour with NPR Music and Lagunitas Brewing Company.
Above all, this contest is about two things: music and community. Whether you build an elaborate, creative setup for your entry or shoot something simple on a smartphone (like last year’s winner), we’re listening for your music above all else.
The past two Contests have not only brought into our lives undiscovered musicians we cherish — they’ve also shown us what local music scenes across the country are made of. Already, we’ve been digging through the greatbehind-the-scenespictures and videos you’re posting of your entries. (Feel free to email us your behind-the-scenes shots and stories or put them on social media with the #TinyDeskContest hashtag.)
You can follow along as we fall in love with new artists and songs: We’ll be sharing it all right here on the Tumblr and in our weekly newsletter. And even if you don’t plan to send in a video, we hope the Tiny Desk Contest helps you discover new music and makes you proud of the musical community right in your backyard, wherever that is.
From the Tiny Desk,
Bob Boilen
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