Music Monday: Tiny Desk Concerts

NPR's All Songs Considered has a series of Tiny Desk concerts. In a sense, this is sort of a polar opposite of the Concerts a Emporter, which are recorded in various open air locations around France. The tight space makes for an interesting setting, and a diverse set of artists have tried it out.

Booker T. Jones: Green Onions, [conversation], Born Under a Bad Sign, Down in Memphis

Holy cow! This is THE Booker T with a Hammond B3 right there at the tiny desk. Green Onions is such an iconic song, but he breathes new life into the classic he wrote 5 decades ago. He then describes how he first encountered the B3 and the story is delightful. If you only watch one of these videos, let this be the one.

tUne-yArDs: You Yes You, Doorstep, My Country
OK, so Merrill Garbus is insanely cool and she rocks that sample pedal. Watching her spin her magic on the fly is great.

Adele: Someone Like You, Chasing Pavements, Rolling In The Deep

Everyone seems to love her, but I've never really sat down to listen to Adele. I can see why she is so well loved. She has tremendous talent.

Foster the People: Houdini, Helena Beat, Pumped Up Kicks

The contrast between this and the beautiful energy they exude in full concerts is remarkable. Honestly, I am rather sick of Pumped Up Kicks, but this version is nice.

More that caught my ear:

• Givers: Meantime, Up Up Up, Atlantic
• Basia Bulat: The Shore, W Zielonym Zoo, Heart of My Own, In the Night
• They Might Be Giants: Can't Keep Johnny Down, Cloisonne, Fingertips
• The Cranberries: Linger, Tomorrow, Ode To My Family, Zombie, Raining In My Heart
• Bill Frissell: Nowhere Man, In My Life, Strawberry Fields Forever
• Beirut: East Harlem, Santa Fe, Serbian Cocek

Check out some of the other concerts: Tom Jones, Yo Yo Ma, Noah and the Whale, Gogol Bordello, YACHT, Esperanza Spalding, Fanfarlo, and many more.