Listen to some of the best folk and rock entries in this year's Tiny Desk Contest

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

It is tough being an independent musician these days, but every year, NPR Music's Tiny Desk makes dreams come true for at least one new artist through the Tiny Desk Contest. Thousands enter, and only one can win. This year, it was The Philharmonik from Sacramento. But hundreds of entries stick with our judges well beyond the contest's conclusion. So this month on ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, we are taking a moment to highlight some of the many other great new artists who submitted by sharing standout entries in different genre categories.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "LLUVIA PESADA (EN VIVO)")

FLACO EL JANDRO: (Singing in non-English language).

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST #1: (Singing) Out in the woods, a little of me left floating through the big old world.

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UNIDENTIFIED MUSICAL ARTIST #2: (Singing) This I owe the joy to my inner peace. I swear to God, like, while I'm asleep he was sneaking past me. This I owe to me. This ain't (ph) old to me.

SUMMERS: Today, I'm here with Robin Hilton, a Tiny Desk producer, host of the podcast All Songs Considered and a judge for this year's contest. And he's going to reveal some of the top folk entries to this year's Tiny Desk Contest. Hey, Robin.

ROBIN HILTON, BYLINE: Hey, Juana.

SUMMERS: Robin, first of all, what do you look for as a judge for the Tiny Desk Contest, and how can a folk artist make an impression?

HILTON: Yeah. Well, you know, one thing that I like to do is I like to actually listen before I watch the entries. You know, and that is I will hit play on the video and then I'll immediately hide the window or turn away from the computer or whatever. And - you know, and then I'll just listen. And I'm listening for a sound that is kind of simply just arresting, you know, a sound that makes me stop everything or makes my ears sort of stand at attention, you know? The Tiny Desk is definitely a visual medium, you know, for sure. But watching right out of the gate like that, I think it can sometimes skew your perspective or your expectations.

SUMMERS: Right. All right. So where should we start today, Robin?

HILTON: Yeah, I think the artist who maybe surprised me the most like this is a singer/songwriter from Plainview, Texas, named JoJo DiSalvo. And the song that he sent in is called "Ode To Steel And Stone."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ODE TO STEEL AND STONE")

JOJO DISALVO: (Singing) In the mountains past the hills of the moor lives a creature that runs on steam and coal.

HILTON: So right at the gate, you know, it's a very timeless sound. It's a very classic sound. You're thinking maybe Johnny Cash in his later years or, you know, something like that. But then you watch the video, and it's kind of this unassuming young guy in a T-shirt and glasses, and he's sitting outside at a table, and he's in a place that's kind of hard to pin down. You know, it feels a little tropical, maybe because it's just so sunny and it's a little bleached out. But then there are also mountains behind him, you know, and everything about it is just the exact opposite of what I was expecting. You know, the song is so mournful.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "ODE TO STEEL AND STONE")

DISALVO: (Singing) Burned up the life of every able-bodied man. Traded out his family for a hammer in his hands.

HILTON: It turns out he was actually abroad when he made the video, and he says that he recorded it at the base of the Himalayas in India, which was very striking. But the story behind the song is incredible. JoJo says that he was inspired by a friend of his who went to the train tracks to actually end his life. And he sat there waiting for a train to come for hours, and a train never came. And so JoJo DiSalvo, you know, he reflects on all of that in this song. And he's just got such a rich, baritone voice. It's a powerful story, a haunting melody. It just all really works.

SUMMERS: That's a really incredible story. Robin, tell us, who else did you love in the folk category?

HILTON: Yeah. You know, I was really moved and continued to be struck by what was actually the very first entry I watched. It's from a singer and guitarist from Arlington, Va., named George Perkins. And the song he sent us is called "Young George."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOUNG GEORGE")

GEORGE PERKINS: (Singing) And what would young George say if he saw the life I lead? Would a smile grace his face? Would he fall down to his knees. Oh, what would young George say? Would he love the man he sees right now?

HILTON: I love his voice. Such a distinctive voice full of all this warmth and emotion and character. It's very inviting. It's kind of calming in a way to listen to him. And then just his reflections on youth and growing older, you know, that really struck a chord with me, the idea of your younger self and your older self in a conversation with each other, and, you know, you're wondering, well, I wonder what they would think of each other. I just love this one.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "YOUNG GEORGE")

PERKINS: (Singing) What will old George say? You'll get through this moment, and I promise you'll be OK. You're not broken. You're just growing. What will old George say? Keep loving hard, and it'll pay off in the end. Young George, be your own best friend.

SUMMERS: So I know that the winning group this year, The Philharmonik, is a pretty big band. It has nine people. But it sounds like even a solo artist with a guitar can really stand out in the Tiny Desk Contest.

HILTON: Oh, I mean, for sure. A lot of them have gone on to win it. Naia Izumi, a past contest winner. That was just a solo singer with a guitar. There's Neffy, Gaelynn Lea, Alisa Amador, all past winners, you know, who had really stripped-down sounds like that.

SUMMERS: OK. We've only got time for one more, unfortunately. So Robin, what is the folk or perhaps folkish entry you just can't go without talking about?

HILTON: Yeah. I'll call it folk rock. It comes from an absolutely incredible band called Palmyra. They're from Richmond, Va., and their song is called "Shape I'm In."

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SHAPE I'M IN")

PALMYRA: (Singing) I've been writing down every move I make and every waking thought, and I still haven't found a through line. How can I explain when all the words I have escape? I'm sorry for the mess. I'm sorry for the shape I'm in.

SUMMERS: OK. I really like this one. I can totally imagine how a performance like that one could really shine in such an intimate space like the Tiny Desk.

HILTON: Oh, yeah. I mean, it's just this massive storm of a sound because it just keeps getting bigger from that. You watch the video. It kind of has this slow build to it. It starts much quieter, and then they're just thrashing.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SHAPE I'M IN")

PALMYRA: (Singing) I swore I heard the angels singing, will the savior come? I know the clash collides (ph) the morning sun. Drifted higher than I've ever been before.

HILTON: There's chaos and catharsis and so much passion. I think it's kind of impossible not to be moved by it, particularly by that recurring line they have, I'm sorry for the shape I'm in, which is maybe something that a lot of people can identify with. The lead singer Sasha Landon calls the song a long apology for their behavior following a bipolar diagnosis and that it is rooted in, and I'm quoting Sasha Landon here, "shame and queer rage and confusion and catharsis." This is one I have watched so many times. It continues to blow me away. I got goosebumps just now - you playing it back for us now.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SHAPE I'M IN")

PALMYRA: (Singing) Always in our heads.

SUMMERS: Robin. You can watch all of these entries and more at npr.org/tinydeskcontest. Robin Hilton is the host of NPR's All Songs Considered podcast, where you can hear even more great new music every week. Robin, thank you.

HILTON: You're welcome. Thank you, Juana.

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