Bob Boilen

Billy Bragg: Tiny Desk Concert

Bob Boilen — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 18:13:00 +0000

OK Go helped us move the Tiny Desk from our old building to NPR's new headquarters, and The National performed the first full new-building Tiny Desk Concert we posted to the site, but Billy Bragg gave us the first full Tiny Desk Concert we

First Watch: Sonny And The Sunsets, 'Green Blood'

Bob Boilen — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 20:04:00 +0000

I adore this song, and the video makes me love it all the more. "Green Blood" is from Sonny and the Sunsets' new album, Antenna to the Afterworld. It's a record filled with cinematic tales, told simply with guitars, bass and drums.

Rhye, Live In Concert

Bob Boilen — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 12:03:00 +0000

This is some of the sexiest music I've heard in years, with seductive sounds that are subtle and fragrant. Rhye is the music of Danish songwriter-producer Robin Hannibal and Toronto-born Mike Milosh, a man with an androgynous and mysterious voice.

What's your Favorite Concert of the Year (So Far)?

Bob Boilen — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 21:06:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spcowpcNZCE

OK Go: A Tiny Desk Concert In 223 Takes

Bob Boilen — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 18:00:00 +0000

Unknown Mortal Orchestra: NPR Front Row

Bob Boilen — Wed, 29 May 2013 16:58:00 +0000

"No Need for a Leader," from Unknown Mortal Orchestra's recent album II, is the song that really drew me into the band's recent concert at Washington, D.C.'s Rock and Roll Hotel, recorded live on Feb. 27.

James Blake, Live In Concert

Bob Boilen — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:20:00 +0000

Each time I see James Blake and his band perform, I feel the extreme rush of hearing something for the very first time. The sound is sharp and visceral; it oddly vibrates the hair on my arms and, at moments of extreme bass, gets me feeling claustrophobic before the inevitable release when Blake sings. It's hopeful, mournful, always thoughtful.

These days, Blake seems to be in love, and the songs from his new album Overgrown reflect that emotional dance.

Do You Have A Favorite Record Label?

Bob Boilen — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:51:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT5A3Ikosj4

Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale: Tiny Desk Concert

Bob Boilen — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:03:00 +0000

There's something endearing, old-timey and almost vaudevillian about Buddy Miller and Jim Lauderdale — even the way they bill themselves as "Buddy and Jim." Both veteran musicians are in love with country music in all its many forms and influences; their music incorporates the blues and bluegrass, rock 'n' roll and a good deal of craft.

Buddy Miller is the guitar player to hire if you're playing heartfelt, not-so-shiny country-rock songs.

First Watch: Gary Clark Jr., 'Numb'

Bob Boilen — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

In the seven months since Gary Clark, Jr. released his major label debut, Blak and Blu, he's played for the President at the White House with Mick Jagger and blues legend B.B.