Tiny Desk local listening party: The Neighborhood Kids and Aleah Discavage

What started as a low-key folk set behind a desk in a newsroom has become one of music's most iconic stages. This year, NPR's Tiny Desk Contest drew a record-breaking nearly 7,500 entries. Among them were 75 hopefuls from San Diego, all dreaming of a breakthrough moment.

In this episode, we spotlight two rising artists who stood out for their originality and emotional depth: Aleah Discavage, whose raw, autobiographical ballad is rooted in personal healing, and The Neighborhood Kids, who turned protest and passion into a high-voltage performance.

Watch: Aleah Discavage's NPR Tiny Desk Contest entry "runaways"

Watch: The Neighborhood Kids' NPR Tiny Desk Contest entry "BIDDI BOMB x HUSH"

Plus, we'll unpack the fascinating origin story of Tiny Desk, explore why this unconventional contest continues to resonate with artists and fans alike and hear what drives these musicians to keep creating — even when the stage is small and the odds are long.

Guests:

• Aleah Discavage
• Verde and Amon the MC of The Neighborhood Kids

Tiny Desk Concerts mentioned in this episode:

• Ruby Ibarra
• Laura Gibson
• Adele
• Yo-Yo Ma
• The National
• T-Pain
• Mac Miller
• Dua Lipa
• Anderson .Paak
• Fantastic Negrito
• Naia Izumi
• Shua / Shua's NPR Top Shelf feature

Aleah Discavage's influences:

• Taylor Swift
• Hozier
• Olivia Rodrigo
• Paramore
• Briston Maroney
• Krooked Kings

The Neighborhood Kids' influences:

• Martin Luther King Jr.
• Malcolm X
• Immortal Technique
• KRS-One
• Rage Against the Machine

Mentioned in this episode:

• South by Southwest (SXSW) | Annual festival and conference in Austin, Texas, focused on tech, film, music, education and culture
• Auto-tune | Common term for pitch-correction software used to fix or stylize vocals in music production
• "American Idol" | Reality TV singing competition that began in 2002 and popularized the rise of unknown singers to music stardom
• Voice memos | Mobile recording feature that many musicians use to capture song ideas and drafts on the go
• Ringo Starr | Drummer of The Beatles and solo artist, often cited by musicians as a musical influence and cultural icon
• Keds | American shoe brand known for its simple canvas sneakers
• "Shrek 2" | 2004 animated sequel starring Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz, following Shrek as he meets Fiona's royal parents
• "Beavis and Butt-Head" | 1990s MTV animated series starring two dim-witted teenage metalheads known for crude humor, social satire and music video commentary; later revived for new seasons and a 2022 film

Sources:

• "Ruby Ibarra: Tiny Desk Concert" (Elle Mannion, NPR, 2025)
• "Laura Gibson: Tiny Desk Concert" (Bob Boilen, NPR, 2008)
• "Tiny Desk Unit: A deeper history" (Michael Barron, BobBoilen.info, 2007)
• "The 'T-Pain Effect' Is About Way More Than Auto-Tune" (Bryan Parys, Berklee, 2020)
• "Oakland artist Fantastic Negrito wins yet another Grammy Award" (Jim Harrington, East Bay Times, 2021)
• "Naia Izumi Gets a Premium Wash in 'Soft Spoken' Video for Original Tracks" (Dean Brandt, Flood Magazine, 2019)
• "Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, ending right to abortion upheld for decades" (Nina Totenberg and Sarah McCammon, NPR, 2022)