Rants and Ramblings: random commentary about culture, media, politics, technology and whatnot.

in-studio

One of the advantages of working for an organization with such a great music presence is that artists drop by on occasion for interviews and in-studio performances. When that happens, sometimes it's possible to listen in on those 3-to-4-song mini-concerts (often hanging out in the control room, out of trouble). For a wannabe music nerd like me, it's a little bit of heaven.

Last month was particularly exciting, with three such performances:

Mid-month, India.Arie, with a guitarist and backup singer, played a three-song acoustic set from her new album Testimony Vol. 2: Love and Politics. I especially liked her live version of the upbeat "Therapy," moreso than the album version.

Ben Kweller (right) stopped by the office the afternoon of his concert at the 9:30 Club. I arrived a little early, and the music editor introduced me to the singer, much to my excitement. Kweller, solo with an acoustic guitar, performed a few songs from his new album Changing Horses in between interview questions.

(Incidentally, the concert that night, with a full band, was fantastic -- the best Kweller show I've seen. He brought a ton of energy and enthusiasm, and the steel guitar, part of the "country" sound of his new album, brought an interesting new dimension even to his older songs. And "Falling," already my favorite Kweller song, is even more heart-burstingly sweet as an audience singalong.)

Meanwhile, the music department holds an occasional series of "Tiny Desk Concerts" at All Songs Considered host Bob Boilen's desk. The series usually hosts quieter indie / folk artists, but the most recent entry featured a much larger personality: Tom Jones (yes, that Tom Jones). With an electric guitar accompanist, Jones regaled the crowded office with four songs, closing with a peppy cover of Jerry Lee Lewis's "End of the Road." So much fun.