WATCH: Josh Ritter Brings Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires to Tiny Desk

A collaboration for the ages, Josh Ritter teamed up with Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires to work on his newest record, Fever Breaks. This top-tier trio stopped by NPR’s Tiny Desk to perform some of the more poignant and concise songs from the record — songs that some may even be labeled protest songs.

Each of them icons in their own right, these three musicians are no strangers to BGS. Earlier this year, Ritter was featured as an artist of the month, Isbell taught us a thing or two about protest songs, and Shires has enjoyed some accolades this year for her involvement in supergroup The Highwomen. A roots music trifecta, watch as Ritter, Isbell, and Shires grace the Tiny Desk here.


 

WATCH: Rhiannon Giddens Plays the Tiny Desk

Former Carolina Chocolate Drops leader and old-time music maven Rhiannon Giddens has the uncanny ability to sing through an audience. In May, she released her third full-length, studio album, there is no Other, with Nonesuch Records. In this new chapter, Giddens collaborated with Italian multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, who is known for his virtuosity on percussion and jazz piano. Giddens, Turrisi, and bassist Jason Sypher stopped by NPR to perform some music from the latest record; watch as they stun the audience huddled around the Tiny Desk.


Photo credit: Claire Harbage/NPR

WATCH: David Crosby’s Tiny Desk Concert

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, David Crosby stopped by NPR’s Tiny Desk with the Lighthouse Band. This is not just a lineup that hinges on David Crosby — the Lighthouse Band has three other accomplished writers in Michael League (Snarky Puppy), Michelle Willis, and Becca Stevens. Reminiscent and smooth, reverent and fresh, these artists combine their talents to make something greater than the sum of its parts. Watch David Crosby and the Lighthouse Band on NPR.


Photo credit: Anna Webber

Watch Kacey Musgraves’ Tiny Desk Concert

Kacey Musgraves stopped by NPR for their Tiny Desk Concert series, performing four tracks from her stellar new album Pageant Material. She closes with "Follow Your Arrow," in honor of the Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality that had passed just hours before Musgraves and her band recorded their performance. Watch it below.

Other Roots Music News:

• Hot Rize released a music video for "Your Light Leads Me On."

• Jewel is releasing an Americana album and joined the Americana Fest lineup. 

• ClickHole raised enough money to buy Bob Dylan his very own Sleep Number bed. 

• Jeff Tweedy explained how Wilco titled their most recent album Star Wars. 

• Ryan Adams has finished recording 1989, and Wired has a complete history of the project.