The enduring power of The Mekons is the band’s nearly 50-year commitment to doing things their own way, creating a glorious snaggled-toothed sneer mixed with the most bittersweet sentimentality. This timeless punk rock attitude is the perfect soundtrack for moments when everything feels completely fraught, and The Mekons brought that energy straight to the Tiny Desk. The band immediately launched listeners back four decades, opening with the joyous and desperate “Last Dance,” a standout from their influential 1985 album ‘Fear and Whiskey’. This track is about falling in love during wartime, and its decades-old themes feel acutely relevant today. The middle of the set featured two phenomenal cuts from this year’s album ‘Horror’, starting with “War Economy,” which has that post-punk throwback energy reminiscent of the days when The Mekons borrowed Gang of Four’s instruments. They followed that with “Sanctuary,” where the always-steadying violin player Susie Honeyman takes a rare vocal lead, her gentle sing-songy voice providing an elegy-like wisp in the musical wind. The performance closed with another classic from ‘Fear and Whiskey’, the down-but-not-defeated barn burner “Hard to Be Human Again,” a song that demands to be sung loudly alongside comrades who have also been punched and beaten by life.
Nduduzo Makhathini Delivers A Deeply Spiritual NPR Tiny Desk Journey
Nduduzo Makhathini possesses an incredible, unique ability to absolutely transfix anyone listening, whether through his recorded albums or during his mesmerizing live performances like this recent Tiny Desk set. The South African pianist and Zulu healer creates music that is lush with spiritual exploration, meditations on Blackness, and ancestral invocation, always delivered with thoughtful intentionality. For this intimate concert, Makhathini presented a powerful cross-section of his work titled the Ntu Sonicities Devotion Suite in Five Movements, walking the audience through deeply personal concepts. The suite moves from “Kuzodlula,” which encourages stillness and inward emptiness, to the invocation of African deities in “Omnyama,” before offering a short reflection on Black aesthetics in “Equidistant Passage.” The journey builds to “Izinkonjana,” a transcendent song of grace that evokes the feeling of effortlessly flying birds, and culminates in “Imvunge,” a powerful song of protest and victory. Makhathini, along with bassist Zwelakhe-Duma Bell le Pere and drummer Kabelo Mokhatla, creates a truly immersive soundscape interwoven with Zulu spoken reflections, vocoder use, and sound design that truly compels the audience to participate in this profound act of devotion.
Guster Transforms NPR’s Tiny Desk Into A Symphony of Sounds
Guster’s long-awaited appearance at the Tiny Desk felt like a truly destined moment for a band that has always excelled at weaving incredible sonic landscapes and telling deeply meaningful stories, seamlessly blending new material with beloved older songs. They launched the set with the hopeful anthem “Manifest Destiny,” which is all about packing up and making a clean getaway, before the Washington DC Gay Men’s Chorus provided stunning, rich harmonies on the track “Empire State.”
Ty Segall Proves NPR’s Tiny Desk Can Handle Massive Rock Sounds
The biggest myth about the Tiny Desk series is that bands must go all-acoustic or keep the volume low, but Ty Segall went into his set with the clear goal of shattering that notion. When he received the invite to play in the office, his three-word reply by email was a simple, confident mission statement: “We shall rock.” True to his word, the full band delivered a stadium-sized vibe that immediately pushed the limits of the space. They opened with the pulse-spiking “You’re the Doctor” from the 2012 album ‘Twins’ and immediately brought the energy with the title track from this year’s ‘Possession’. That high-voltage sound continued into the rolling, harmony-rich track “Whisper” from 2021’s ‘Harmonizer’, showcasing genuinely glorious shredding you rarely see in such an intimate setting. They closed out the set with a gritty take on “Girlfriend,” a gem from 2010, and the excellent “My Best Friend” off last year’s ‘Three Bells’, leaving no doubt that this is one of the most powerful and electrifying sets the venue has ever hosted.
Whistling Artist Ralph Giese Impressively Covers Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Massive “Freebird” Guitar Solo
The exceptionally talented Ralph Giese has tackled the famously difficult guitar solo from the classic Lynyrd Skynyrd track “Free Bird.” Giese performed an impressive whistle cover of the entire solo, which runs for almost four minutes. His unique technique involves whistling with his tongue, allowing him to enunciate notes more clearly than traditional mouth whistling.
TOTO Deliver Explosive Encore Of “Africa” Live With David Paich
Rock icons TOTO delivered an explosive encore performance of their classic hit “Africa” live at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. The unforgettable moment included a special appearance by TOTO founding member David Paich. The band was also joined on stage by music legends Christopher Cross, Colin Hay, and Men at Work for the performance in Inglewood, California.
Postmodern Jukebox And Ruby Leigh Channel Patsy Cline On Bee Gees’ “I Started a Joke”
Postmodern Jukebox has partnered with the talented musician Ruby Leigh to release a 1960s country cover of the classic Bee Gees song “I Started a Joke.” Leigh, a self-taught The Voice finalist, brings a soul from another time to the collaboration. Her vocal performance and style on this country-with-strings remake strongly evoke the spirit of the legendary Patsy Cline.
Post-Disco Band Change Reissues Landmark Debut Album ‘The Glow Of Love’
The Italian-American post-disco band Change has reissued their landmark debut album, ‘The Glow Of Love’, which is available now on CD via Omnivore Recordings. The Gold-certified album features star-making performances from vocalists Luther Vandross and Jocelyn Brown, plus four bonus tracks. Goody Music Production introduced the band’s sound in 1978 with the intention of conquering the U.S. market, blending Italian musicians with American vocalists for a mix that leaned towards soul.
The album’s first single, “A Lover’s Holiday,” featuring Zachary Sanders on vocals, quickly rose to No 1 on Billboard‘s Disco chart. Jocelyn Brown handled vocals on “It’s A Girl’s Affair” and “Angel In My Pocket,” while Luther Vandross’ soaring vocals on “Searching” and the title track launched his groundbreaking solo career. ‘The Glow Of Love’ reached No 10 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart and became the bedrock for Janet Jackson’s 2001 smash “All For You.”
The remastered and expanded reissue includes the promo-only long version of the title track with Vandross’ vocals, as well as new liner notes from author Tim Dillinger detailing the band’s origins and the making of the album.
Dance Icon Crystal Waters Returns With Explosive House Single “Umm Bop”
Multi-platinum dance icon Crystal Waters has reunited with Stockholm-London duo ManyFew for their explosive third single, “Umm Bop.” The track is a high-octane, jazz-infused house anthem made for peak summer sets. The collaborators deliver a hook-driven groove, elevated by sleek house production and Waters’ unmistakable vocal firepower. Waters shares, “I’m excited for everyone to hear this one,” adding that it was fun to “add a little jazzy vibe to a House track” which has a “special urban feel to it.”
The single follows their number one UK hit “You & Me” and the success of their second single, “Big Bite,” which has racked up 74.9K streams. The extended mixes, including Vocal, Dub, and Instrumental versions, are available now on DJ-focused outlets, alongside a radio edit on all major platforms. Adding to the excitement, Waters and ManyFew teamed up with nonprofit Change The Beat for the “Umm Bop” Remix Challenge, in partnership with I Am House Records, which received over 60 remixes submitted across various styles.
Alt-Pop-Punk Artist Keeper Shares Nostalgia-Infused Banger “Figure Me Out”
UK alt-pop-punk artist Keeper, also known as Emanuel Andrade, has released his new single, “Figure Me Out.” The track is a nostalgia-infused banger about finally knowing who you really are and represents the culmination of years of personal and musical exploration. “Figure Me Out” is the sixth and final A Side from the EP, ‘Songs That Would’ve Gotten Me Bullied Sixteen Years Ago’.
Andrade shares that the EP is about “rediscovering the music, hobbies, and passions I had when I was younger” and finding his way back to them through difficult adult years. He explains, “At 27, I can finally say I know who I am, and I’m genuinely content with that. I recognise my flaws, but I’m no longer ashamed of the younger me who developed them.” The EP features collaborations with Sleeping With Sirens vocalist Kellin Quinn, Tally Spear, and Tom Connolly.