NPR Tiny Desk Concerts (2008)

Sunny Jain's music promotes the idea of not just crossing boundaries but obliterating them all together.

The Chihuahuan artist transfigures traditional Sinaloan instrumentation into folky new styles.

The Rwandan group's determination to spread its musical message is an inspiration.

The band's unique sound, driven by its peculiar blend of trumpet, winds and strings, seems like a compelling soundtrack for an age when music genres are becoming increasingly arbitrary.

The U.K. singer-songwriter recasts four of her electro-pop songs in fresh arrangements.

The Polish pianist and composer blurs the lines of ambient, classical and house in this performance.

An 18-minute flex that proves the artist is the modern personification of funk.

The San Diego-based trio made its mark at the Tiny Desk with satin vocals and vintage melodies.

With an eight-piece band, the singer-songwriter brings her wry charm to the Tiny Desk.

To mark Philip Glass' 87th birthday, the astute pianist Timo Andres stops by to play a contrasting pair of the composer's popular etudes.

Joshua Redman illustrates why he is one of today's best saxophonists.

Ben Carr, who performs as Carrtoons, keeps the producer-led Tiny Desk tradition alive in this set.

The Atlanta singer pays homage to his roots with Ethiopian jazz pianist Kibrom Birhane and members of the Ethio Cali band.

Tinashe's Tiny Desk performance proves her artistry has never been one-dimensional.

The California-raised, Ireland-based songwriter performs a set of folk songs that wind around the passage of time.

The free jazz band with a punk ethos runs through six songs without breaks.

The Atlanta superstar focuses on the early chapters of his career in his Tiny Desk.

The artist brings a distinctive, creative vision to her Tiny Desk performance.

The Richmond, Va. band brings its signature hot and funky "solar music" to the Desk.

"I learned how to play guitar watching Tiny Desk concerts," lead singer Karly Hartzman says. The Asheville rock band translates its noisy, country-influenced sound to a quieter setting.

The Chicago-based indie rocker plays stripped back versions of her thundering rock songs.

What better way to spend March 11 than with 311 bringing love and nostalgia to the Tiny Desk.

Two adventurous musicians trace the history of their fruitful collaboration in a set of pieces both ferocious and beautiful.

The artist, who just dropped his new album Everything I Thought It Was, comes to the Tiny Desk with a set that leans heavily on his early solo catalog.

The utterly commanding artist takes the Tiny Desk stage with a magnetic performance and a towering wig.

For the first time, a hardcore punk band graces the Tiny Desk — and ignites a mosh pit in the office.

The respected lyricist and hip-hop hitmaker comes to the Desk for one of the longest set lists in Tiny Desk history.

The thoughtful pianist from Iceland plays a set of gentle pieces — from Bach to Bartók — evoking nostalgic memories of his childhood.

One of post-apartheid South Africa's most influential musicians comes to the Tiny Desk.

The Spanish duo's timeless, poetic songs evoke images of lyricists and vocalists from centuries past.

A five-song set from a genre-bending collective built around the folklore and rhythmic styles of bomba.