2024 Tiny Desk Contest
NPR’s popular Tiny Desk Concert series features intimate performances from “big” name artists. A national contest gave up-and-coming musicians a chance at their own tiny desk show.
Around 7,000 entries were submitted this year, including many from our region. Check out a couple of WSHU's local favorites.
With a sound like Keila Myles & The Moose Knuckles’, you’re never sure of exactly what you’ll get. Within minutes, the band transitions from a lo-fi, jazzy riff on the keys to deep, near-guttural cries from lead singer Myles that merges with a solo from an electric guitar.
“We are going to constantly oscillate between punk, edgy, hardcore, screaming-in-your-face thrashing, and then soft, soulful, melodic,” Myles said. “There's no middle ground. And that's just how I am.”
The chance to showcase their range in genre performance was a major factor when the group decided to submit “Suite 21” as their entry for the NPR Tiny Desk Contest. Their submission was among more than 6,000 songs sent from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. to NPR, inspired by the original Tiny Desk series that hosts distinguished artists for intimate, technically stripped performances.
The entry also allows each member of the band — there are five total — to shine, said Tristan Sayah, the group’s guitarist. The combination of everyone’s individual spirit is what makes Keila Myles & The Moose Knuckles special, with Myles on vocals, Sayah on the guitar, Richard Kirby on keys, Betcherly Calixte ‘Bet’ on bass, and Jevonne Lashley ‘J’ as the drummer.
Acoustic pop duo Sarah and Sofia were WSHU’s top pick from Long Island!
The Rockville Centre natives spoke to WSHU about how growing up on Long Island inspires their sound.
"Our other EP has a song called Chase the Shoreline that we literally wrote about Jones Beach," Sofia said. "We write about a lot of images, a lot of visuals. Growing up on the water and on the beach has just informed me so much. We went on a road trip — we drove the length of Long Island out to Montauk over winter break, just for fun one day with two of our friends. And we took a bunch of pictures with a digital camera with the lighthouse in the background. And the two of us were like, this is the perfect album art. It's on the water, it's in the winter, it's where we're from! That's our album art. It's Montauk, it is Long Island. I think that our album definitely encapsulates what it feels like to live on Long Island and spend your time there, and just not want the summer to end."
NPR announced the winner of the 2024 Tiny Desk Contest on Wednesday.
The Philharmonik, hailing from Sacramento, Calif., is a producer, singer, rapper and multi-instrumentalist whose entry video, "What's It All Mean," floored this year's panel of judges.