I have been a huge fan of the Tiny Desk Concerts since it was a podcast that I downloaded back in 2009. NPR Music has introduced me to some of my favorite bands over the years. It's unbelievable the amount of talent they have crammed behind that desk.

This is the second year of the Tiny Desk Contest where NPR picks a winning video submission from an unsigned artist to come to their office and play their own Tiny Desk Concert. After filming my submission, I began watching the other videos on their site and I felt so thrilled that NPR gives such a great opportunity to local musicians.  This got me feeling nostalgic about some of my favorite concerts (old and new) behind the desk and I wanted to share some of my favorites.

​Here they are in no particular order.

This one really takes me back. I watched this video over and over again when it came out. This is not legato strings fleshing out a simple strummed guitar part. This is dynamic guitar playing with interplaying strings that add vibrance and movement to the arrangements. If that isn’t enough they also utilize foot percussion and this was one of the first times I had ever seen someone play a saw as an instrument. They have since added a banjo player and more foot percussion and have only gotten better with time.

Who sings like this?! Lianne La Havas. Her voice has such raw power: she switches octaves easily and doesn't seem to know how to sing a wrong note. She's got a barebones backing band but the arrangements are perfectly curated to the space. With a voice like that she could totally get away with singing without an instrument but Lianne La Havas is not content to just stand and sing. Nor is she comfortable strumming idly. Her guitar playing is thoughtful, intricate and adds much to the experience.

The Low Anthem are a perfect fit for this space. They are an Americana band like I've never seen before. Where else can you hear a clever song about cabin fever sung between clarinet/baritone arrangements? I particularly enjoy the stunning major 7th clash between Ben Knox Miller’s voice and Florence Wallis’ clarinet at the end of the phrase “Don’t forget to comb your hair” on This God Damn House. This is a thoughtful arrangement that culminates with a whistled outro over cell phone feedback. Where else can you hear that?!

In a world with so many folk-pop albums it can be hard to stand out, but Anti Beyond (the stage pseudonym used by Chicago musician Andy Masters) finds a fresh sound with his self proclaimed "Meditative Indie Rock." Closet Space is chock-full of gems and intricacies that further intrigue with each listen.

Pina the second track would have to be my favorite. I respect the choice to abandon the traditional idea of the Verse Verse Chorus Verse song format and it serves this track well. Beginning with a delightfully surreal vocal loop, this song explores boundaries beyond simple folk, to say nothing of Andy's ethereal lead vocals. The loop keeps us grounded in a song that rarely repeats itself and never seems to settle or resolve. After a dreamy beginning, the harmonized electric guitar breakdown feels so purposeful and serves to communicate the last lyrics of the song: "so self assured...in an uncertain world." It is a beautiful fascinating song.

So we go into The Trojan War. A song that benefits from the lack of loops or overdubs as the rapid fingerpicked triplets dance across the guitar neck. "Who are you waiting for? Who won the Trojan war?" Andy croons in the chorus. "Was it me?” This makes me think of falling for someone so difficult to impress you would need to commit a grand gesture, such as kidnapping the wife of a Greek King and fighting a 10 year war, to prove your love. “Who are you waiting for?” sounds like an exasperated plea: who else would do all of this for you? Or consider how the Greeks won the war: by hiding their army within a large wooden horse, masquerading as a gift, in order to get in the city. Was he with someone who seemed like a gift until he saw the danger within? Lines like this song's chorus make this an EP that is really fun to unpack.

Other lines are perfectly clear but clever enough that I enjoy listening to them anyways. Such as the following line from the title track Closet Space:

"I try to catch a piece or two of your DNA
I will splice it in a song
I wont have to say your name"

Self referential lyrics in a song can be a bit oversaturated but this bit about the DNA gets me. I find it to be a clever take on an old trick. And that is exactly what this EP is: a refreshing take on acoustic folk songs. At just four songs it's a short trip into Andy's Closet Space but you will like what you find. To hear more Andy Masters (Anti Beyond) check out some his tracks on his bandcamp page. Spoiler alert: they're FREE!