NPR Tiny Desk Concerts Season 9, Episode 68: Saul Williams

Rapsody

Watch the rapper perform three songs from Beauty And The Beast live at the NPR Music offices.

Mariachi Flor De Toloache

While on tour with The Arcs, the powerhouse mariachi band performs live in the NPR Music offices.

Natalie Merchant

The singer-songwriter gives a warmhearted performance of two new songs, an old favorite and a hymn.

Benny Sings

The Dutch singer layers R&B, jazz and pop over hip-hop beats in his first-ever U.S. appearance.

River Whyless

The North Carolina band fills its rootsy music with unexpected instruments and clever ideas.

Wolf Alice

The band's music can be noisy and primal, but at the Tiny Desk it showed a different side.

The Arcs

It's our 500th show at the Tiny Desk, featuring The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach and his new band.

EL VY

The National's Matt Berninger and Menomena's Brent Knopf team up in an intimate setting.

Car Seat Headrest

Will Toledo is a wordsmith with a vision, as well as a DIY sound that's still finely crafted.

Chelsea Wolfe

Wolfe takes three songs from the metallic Abyss and makes them howl by their lonesome.

Ben Folds

Performing solo, Folds performs three songs from his new album and two old favorites.

Wilco

Bands don't typically get to play the Tiny Desk more than once, but Wilco is a natural exception.

Brushy One String

The word-of-mouth star's sound is made by one big fat E-string and a rich, powerful voice.

Lake Street Dive

Performed live at the Tiny Desk, the band's songs often tilt toward soul or rock danceably.

Monsieur Periné

The Colombian band channels an unlikely inspiration: 1920s-era, guitar-driven jazz from the U.S.

Julien Baker

The young Tennessee singer performs three of her spare, sad, simple songs at the NPR Music offices.

Gaelynn Lea

Watch the singer and violinist who stood out from 6,000-plus entries in NPR's Tiny Desk Contest.

Graham Nash

In a short set that spans 50 years, the CSNY veteran's voice resonates and cuts to the core.

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi and guitarist Derek Trucks celebrate the blues, jazz and much more.

Anthony Hamilton

Hear the soul star and his band perform "Amen," plus three songs that have defined his career.

Ane Brun

Watch Brun play three new songs, each of which speaks to newfound freedom and fresh opportunities.

PWR BTTM

The duo has a keen sense of mischief and a gift for honest, punk-infused, tongue-in-cheek pop gems.

Mothers

Mothers' members chose a few of their slowest, most languid songs to perform in the NPR offices.

Palehound

Ellen Kempner and her band perform tense and evocative songs amid the silence of a rapt crowd.

Seratones

The Louisiana band takes gospel into the garage, and what comes out is fiery rock 'n' roll.

Benjamin Clementine

There are intimate moments of revelation in Clementine's immersive, breathtaking performance.

Julia Holter

The most minute details become a grandiose spectacle in Holter's cosmic cabaret.

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds

The band's punchy horn section, bluesy vocals and harmonica solos instantly demand attention.

Peter Frampton

Frampton brought some classic songs to the Tiny Desk. We couldn't help but sing along.

Florist

Emily Sprague performs three delicate songs with help from members of New York's Epoch collective.

Eighth Blackbird

Watch the sextet perform new music by David Lang, Bryce Dessner and Robert Honstein.

Monika

When you hear Monika, life feels good: The singer's performances and presence are simply winning.

Lara St. John

With her intrepid pianist in tow, the violinist performs rowdy tunes that will leave you breathless.

Daymé Arocena

Arocena's voice combines Aretha Franklin's soul and the sabor of Cuban music queen Celia Cruz.

Steve Kimock

The veteran jam-rock guitarist's dedication to his instrument is matched only by his imagination.

Andy Shauf

The Saskatchewan singer-songwriter performs three quietly affecting songs in the NPR Music offices.

Robert Ellis

Ellis plays thoughtfully stripped-down arrangements from his ambitious country record.

Carrie Rodriguez

Watch the singer, guitarist and fiddler play three songs that reflect her many cultural influences.

Andrew Bird

For this performance of three new songs, Bird comes with a stripped-down acoustic band.

Barry Douglas

Watch the award-winning Irish pianist play traditional songs from the homeland.

Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop

Iron & Wine's singer performs three songs with the charming, inventive singer Jesca Hoop.

Weaves

The band's music is playful and quirky — sometimes loud, sometimes gentle and always a trip.

Chick Corea & Gary Burton

The two highly decorated jazz legends could barely fit their instruments behind the Tiny Desk.

Alessio Bax

For Father's Day, watch the pianist play lullabies to his daughter, who nearly steals the show.

Brandy Clark

The country singer-songwriter has a rare gift for making any room feel warmly human.

Mashrou' Leila

A rock band from Beirut performs songs that mix hedonism and hyper-literate lyrics.

Charles Lloyd & Jason Moran

The saxophonist and pianist play three tunes that draw from their past while looking to the future.

Adia Victoria

Performing at the NPR Music offices, Adia Victoria's voice is powerful and direct, with no artifice.

Los Hacheros

Los Hacheros' members tap into the deep groove of Afro-Caribbean music that inspires modern salsa.

Valley Queen

Valley Queen plays with nuance and depth, rooted in a California country sound.

Jane Bunnett

The Canadian jazz multi-instrumentalist performs with some of the top young women musicians in Cuba.

Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band

There's a point when a jam is just a jam, but when a jam becomes a journey... man.

Gregory Porter

Porter's music can be serious and heartwarming, but it never loses its sense of wonder and delight.

John Congleton And The Nighty Nite

The decorated producer seizes the spotlight with songs about how extraordinary it is to be ordinary.

Xenia Rubinos

Rubinos uses her Afro-Caribbean roots as a jumping-off point for inventive, provocative songs.

Lucy Dacus

The Virginia musician writes songs that can be thoughtful, playful and powerful.

Kevin Morby

The singer, known for Woods and The Babies, performs carefully crafted songs with powerful lyrics.

Rachel Barton Pine

Watch the genial violinist commune with nearly 300-year-old music for solo violin by J.S. Bach.

The Jayhawks

The beloved band displays its signature country-tinged rock and close harmonies in four new songs.

René Marie

Joined by her Experiment In Truth band, the jazz singer performs songs from Sound Of Red.

Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals

Watch the invigorating, genre-busting bandleader, drummer, singer and rapper perform four songs.

Eddie Palmieri

An icon for modern and Latin jazz, the veteran performer continues to break tradition and innovate.

Margaret Glaspy

No overplaying, no frills, just great music and an artist who sounds thrilled to be playing it.

Nina Diaz

As a solo artist on leave from Girl In A Coma, the singer finds new ways to sound ferocious.

Big Thief

The band's songs exude muscular warmth, with lyrics that are both memorable and meaningful.

10 min

William Bell

The 77-year-old blues and soul hitmaker returns to the spotlight with the aid of a 12-piece band.

The Secret Sisters

The Alabama sibling duo's music can be hymn-like: plain but powerful, heartsick and hopeful.

Corinne Bailey Rae

The genre-defying English singer-songwriter performs material from her first album in six years.

Blue Man Group

The world-famous entertainers retrofitted their instruments and confetti cannons to fit the desk.

Joshua Bell & Jeremy Denk

Two A-list classical artists work up a sweat as they revel in the turbulent, tender music of Brahms.

Common At The White House

The veteran rapper fronts an all-star band at the White House.

Haley Bonar

The Minnesota singer-songwriter achieves a nifty balance of intimacy and impeccable polish.

RDGLDGRN

A striking mix of rock, hip-hop, funk, go-go and Brazilian sounds, fused with energy and humor.

Billy Bragg & Joe Henry

The two songwriters celebrate the romance and vitality of the modern railroad.

Blind Pilot

The folk-pop band performs four songs from its shimmery new album, And Then Like Lions.

Drive-By Truckers

The long-running rock band holds a mirror to the hard realities of America right now.

Joseph

The trio strips anthemic songs down to the essentials: just sisterly harmonies and acoustic guitar.

The Westerlies

The self-described "accidental brass quartet" swims comfortably in jazz, classical and pop music.

Ta-ku & Wafia

The two Australians' chemistry is apparent the instant you hear their voices intertwined in song.

Adam Torres

The Austin singer-songwriter showcases his high, lonesome voice and atmospheric storytelling.

John Paul White

Formerly half of The Civil Wars, White returns to perform three songs from his solo debut, Beulah.

Attacca Quartet

The young quartet navigates smoke rings, alligators and the stormy fluctuations of the 18th century.

Tegan And Sara

The Canadian pop duo crafts acoustic versions of pop anthems like "Closer and "Boyfriend."

Margo Price

On the morning after Election Day, Price sang three cathartic country songs loaded with new meaning.

Pinegrove

Watch the New Jersey band squeeze four songs into a scrappy, warmhearted 13-minute set.

Ro James

The R&B singer performs three funky, sexy, stripped-down songs from his debut album, Eldorado.

Alsarah & The Nubatones

In the band's hands, East African music comes alive in a mix of tradition and contemporary sounds.

Gucci Mane

The rapper has spent the year on an extended victory tour. Here are the spoils.

Derek Gripper

The classically trained guitarist performs songs originally written for the kora.

The Oh Hellos

The nine-piece band returns to the Tiny Desk to fill the air with fake snow and real joy.