Magnolia Records Presents: NPR Tiny Desk is a collaborative project of some of our favorite Tiny Desk performances, put onto an exclusive blue marble vinyl. Performances by The Lumineers, Tyler Childers, Yola, and more make this an incredible collection of music from start to finish.

What is Tiny Desk?

The concept of the show is simple: Musical acts come to play a show behind the desk of All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen.

They run the gamut from little-known alt-rock bands (Car Seat Headrest, Mothers) to legends (Yo-Yo Ma, Adele). They could be quiet acoustic duos, metal acts, 23-piece Brazilian brass bands, or hip-hop artists. There’s only one rule: All equipment has to fit behind the desk. No PA system, no elaborate effects rigs, no fancy electronics.

The shows are recorded and then posted to YouTube and NPR Music’s website, where they garner millions of views.

Confining an artist to a desk has a very real effect on the outcome of sound. Sets are incredibly intimate, up-close, and personal — sometimes almost painfully so. As one producer tells me, “There’s nowhere to hide at Tiny Desk”: Stripped of typical stage equipment, musicians are forced to confront the essence of their art form.

— Vox