I have to say, NPR has been killing it lately with these Tiny Desk Concerts. Last month, I became obsessed with PWR BTTM's, which you should certainly make time to watch now if you haven't already; I guarantee it'll be the most fun you have all week. But, since then, several others have caught my eye and ear as well. I highly recommend blocking out 40 minutes or so in your schedule to witness these awesome performances of some awesome songs.
Julia Holter released one of my favorite albums of 2015 in Have You in My Wilderness, and I've been falling more in love with her every day since. Her live performances are just as gripping as her studio recordings, and the intimate Tiny Desk setting is perfect for a more stripped-down approach to her rich chamber pop compositions. Here, her band configuration consists of only piano, viola, upright bass, and drums, but the fullness of sound achieved is remarkable. The set opens with a solid performance of one of the album's catchiest tracks, "Sea Calls Me Home." But things really gain momentum with "In the Green Wild" from 2013's Loud City Song, during which Holter sits at her piano bench, eyes closed, and voices the idiosyncratic lyrics like a woman possessed. Finally, she delivers a stirring rendition of what is arguably Wilderness' centerpiece, the six-minute cinematic epic "Betsy on the Roof," complete with an improvised coda that intensifies the sense of desperation and longing.
Florist has the honor of being today's header image because I couldn't pass up the opportunity to use such an adorable photo. Led by Emily Sprague, this is another band associated with the Epoch collective, which I'm just going to keep repping here because all of its members are incredibly talented. In fact, you may recognize Felix Walworth from Told Slant on drums; they've actually appeared on Tiny Desk three times (previously with Eskimeaux and Bellows), which must be some sort of record. The gentle, honest simplicity of Florist's low-key performance is instantly charming, and I've now fallen head over heels for their recent debut album, The Birds Outside Sang, which I'll surely have more to say about later. That album's sweetly unassuming sing-along "1914" closes the set, but "Vacation" and "Cool and Refreshing" from last year's Holdly EP make up the bulk of it. Sprague writes direct, hard-hitting observations (i.e. "Please remember to feed the cat/Please remember that I'm never coming back") but sings them so nonchalantly that it takes a moment for their full impact to hit.
Seratones is a blues-and-gospel-infused rock band out of Shreveport, Louisiana. They released their first album, Get Gone, a few weeks ago, and, as is so often the case, Spotify's Discover Weekly feature introduced them to me. My playlists have been pretty spotty recently, but within the first thirty seconds of "Don't Need It," I knew it was a winner. It's the first song of their Tiny Desk set, too, and AJ Haynes' fiery, versatile vocals will knock your socks off (meanwhile, her giggly nervous energy between songs will put hearts in your eyes). Even her occasional flaws play well against the loose, rollicking style of the instrumentation. Seratones' music has already drawn comparisons to Alabama Shakes, but their tight songwriting and performance skills make them more than a mere imitation. Their talent is solidified by "Get Gone" and "Chandelier," though these offer only a tiny, tantalizing taste of what's to be found on their impressively consistent debut.
