John Vanderslice: Tiny Desk Concert
![[Interactive: ]](http://media.npr.org/assets/music/studiosessions/tinydesk/2009/10/vanderslice/vanderslice_wide.jpg)
This graphic requires version 9 or higher of the Adobe Flash Player.Get the latest Flash Player.
John Vanderslice TDC Video
Set List
"Romanian Names"
"Forest Knolls"
"Too Much Time"
"Sunken Union Boat"
John Vanderslice is a songwriter's songwriter. His music, a beautifully finessed mix of acoustic instruments, analog drum machines and digital textures, is invariably thoughtful, carefully crafted and affecting. He's prolific, too: Vanderslice has released an album nearly every year this decade, and his latest (Romanian Names) is his most inspired so far.
Since the release of his 2000 debut, Mass Suicide Occult Figurines, Vanderslice has built a loyal following by consistently producing work that's smarter and a little more adventurous than most pop music. More importantly, his songs possess a warmth that's intimate and inviting, without seeming overly earnest or artificial. You just feel better when you listen.
So it wasn't surprising, when I finally met Vanderslice before this Tiny Desk Concert, to find him incredibly affable and utterly without pretension. He treated us to stripped-down, acoustic versions of four songs from Romanian Names, followed by plenty of hugs — that's right, hugs — for the NPR Music staff.
More From This Series
Tiny Desk Concerts
Edmar Castaneda: Tiny Desk Concert
The harpist crafts a transporting mix of tradition and improvisation in this desk-side performance.
Tiny Desk Concerts
David Rawlings And Gillian Welch: Tiny Desk Concert
A longtime session guitarist, Rawlings takes the lead, playing his own music at NPR Music's offices.
Tiny Desk Concerts
Brooklyn Rider: Tiny Desk Concert
The string quartet showcases a small sample of its visceral fire at the offices of NPR Music.
Comments
Please note that all comments must adhere to the NPR.org discussion rules and terms of use. See also the Community FAQ.
NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its Web site or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.