During the pandemic, musical artists have raised the bar on NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts. Because they can't actually perform from Bob Boilen's "tiny desk" in NPR's music office, they've been given carte blanche to imagine outside the box. The performances themselves are what you'd expect from these artists — terrific — it's the sets that they're having fun with. — Read the rest

The latest edition of NPR's Tiny Desk Home Concerts features singer/songwriter/National Treasure Phoebe Bridgers, who found a pretty incredible way to elevate the artform — first with the delightfully tacky Green Screen rendition of the Oval Office, and then, at the end, when it all falls apart in a cathartic collapse. — Read the rest

While it appears that Billie Eilish and brother Finneas are performing at NPR's music offices for a Tiny Desk concert, they are, in fact, not. They recorded this at home in front of a convincing cardboard re-creation of Bob Boilen's desk. — Read the rest

Get ready to smile. Set List:

"Now That I Found You"
"Want You In My Room"
"The Sound"

For more Carly Rae Jepsen, check out Boy Problems, A Carly Rae Jepsen-themed heist tabletop RPG one shot:

It is many years into the future.

Hedgehogs dream of musical glory in these charming announcements for NPR's annual Tiny Desk Concert competition.

NPR's fantastic Tiny Desk concert by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis has me going back through the entire series as it looks so wonderful.

Contemporary classical composer Max Richter performed a gorgeous Tiny Desk (Home) Concert from his studio in southern England. The solo piano is perfect for Richter's graceful post-minimalism. If you're not hip to Richter beyond his score for Arrival and other films, I suggest immersing yourself in Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons (2012) and Memoryhouse (2002). — Read the rest

When I'm not writing things on Boing Boing and elsewhere, I also play in an indie rock band called the Roland High Life. We're all huge fans of NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, but we're all a bit scattered across the northeast right now, and coordination can be hard. — Read the rest

Oh my heart. The Muppets of Sesame Street had their own Tiny Desk concert!

NPR's Bob Boilen:

The news has stopped! Count von Count and the NPR kids count us down: 5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1!

Hipster quirkcore band Superorganism recorded this delightful live performance replete with sounds made by toy cars, apples, and soda cans.

Before spotting them on NPR's Tiny Desk concert, I had never heard of Fragile Rock, the 10-member emo puppet band from Austin, Texas. But now, I can be counted as a fan. How the hell did I miss them? — Read the rest

Six thousand musicians entered NPR's Tiny Desk Concert competition, but this year's unanimous winner was Tank and the Bangas for this delightful jam.

Earth Crisis is an experimental short inspired by Brooklyn indie band Dirty Projectors. It's from the fourth of five EPs the band plans to release in 2020. The animation was directed by Isaiah Saxon.

Earlier this year, they did a pandemic version of NPR's Tiny Desk Concert:

Image: YouTube / Dirty Projectors

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers are making the rounds to support The Long-Awaited Album, including this stop at NPR.

Chuck Brown performing at the 20th St. Lucia Jazz Festival, May 8, 2011. REUTERS/Andrea De Silva.

The artist widely credited with founding the Go-Go music genre died today.
Chuck Brown was 75.

Like many punk teens growing up in Virginia in the eighties, I discovered this DC-rooted genre of black American music by accident—a go-go band opened up for a hardcore group I'd traveled from Richmond to DC to see. — Read the rest

The enveloping close harmonies of Jacob Collier's "He Won't Hold You" meld perfectly with animator Daniel Bruson's depictions of loss, moments both small and large.

Jacob's band did a super-chill Tiny Desk (Home) Concert this summer if that struck you as a wonderful thing. — Read the rest

Earlier this month, Death Valley, California recorded a temperature of 130 degrees. It was the highest temperature recorded on planet Earth anywhere since 1931 and was likely one of the hottest days ever measured. 

That's not only inhuman, it's also supremely unhealthy. — Read the rest

The bad news: Summer – and the beach excuses that come with it – are coming to an end. The good news: Labor Day sales are here to soften the blow. Take advantage of the right deals, and you could be spending that extra day off breaking in a new household widget you've been pining for. — Read the rest

The gestation and birth of Beyond Cyberpunk! and Borg Like Me as narrated by Gareth Branwyn.

Welcome to this year's Boing Boing Gift Guide, a piling-high of our most loved stuff from 2012 and beyond. There are books, comics, games, gadgets and much else besides: click the categories at the top to filter what you're most interested in—and add your suggestions and links in the comments.