Update: The Tiny Desk Contest community has spoken. Our fan favorite for 2019's Best Desk goes to 76th Street!
In their entry video, Haley Gold and Spencer Bryant performed their song "Warrior," an ode to unconditional love and the power of friendship, at their sixth-grade teacher's desk. Congratulations to 76th Street and our other nominees, whose videos you can watch below.
You can embark on a journey of music desk-covery with us by watching the supercut video of some of the best desks in this year's Contest below. We'll see you next week for our third fan favorite vote.
Sophie Marks, "Decide"
Sophie Marks' Contest entry video takes place at not one but five desks, as her band virtually reunites around the country. The song's theme calls back to an old-school era of R&B: swooning heartbreak and love affairs, complete with Mark's seemingly effortless vocal riffs. We love the collaborative effort on the part of the whole ban and are happy we got to watch the reunion take place.
jeannie, "Mother Moon"
Surrounded by many potted plants and crystals, singer-songwriter jeannie performs her original song "Mother Moon" for this Tiny Desk Contest entry video. The stripped-down performance allows for special attention to songwriter Jess Leech's poetic storytelling. Leech uses unique tensions in her chordal harmony, creating an eerie sound that supports her haunting voice. You can hear a sense of yearning and longing in the way the melody drags behind the upbeat tempo of the song. The botanical background is fitting for the song's theme of seeking to cure loneliness by finding solace in nature.
TOP Nachos, "Tour Cats"
TOP Nachos went the DIY route for the desk in its entry video for "Tour Cats" — in fact, the band made several cardboard desks and threw them around the room. The song begins with the sound of a distorted guitar and the first desk being crushed under the foot of lead vocalist Eli Frank. That energy is consistent throughout the entire performance, complete with drastic tempo changes and lively drum fills from Kenny Hauptman.
76th Street, "Warrior"
At what appears to be an ordinary classroom desk, the friendship of pop-rock duo 76th Street was strengthened — so Haley Gold and Spencer Bryant went back to their middle school to record their entry video for "Warrior." This song was made to be sung in harmony as an ode to the people who stood beside you in hard times and loved you unconditionally. During the last chorus, Gold and Bryant even display photos of themselves from their formative years. Recounting all kinds of memories, from the good to the embarrassing, this song had us all looking back fondly at the friendships we've made along the way.
Brie Capone, "Heal"
For her entry video, Bri Capone made several tiny desks and stacked them on top of one another to make a desk of desks. It wasn't easy; in an email, Capone tells us that after her first attempt to construct it, she woke up the next morning and, to her horror, "the tiny structure had collapsed once the glue had really set and the damp weather made it heavier than the night before." However, she composed herself (and her desk) to sing "Heal," a lovely song of recovery and learning to put yourself first. We could all learn a thing or two from Capone's crafty resistance.
AJO, "Hot Wing"
AJO's entry video, in which the band performed "Hot Wing" at the tiniest of desks, made us hungry for more. In a grocery store aisle, AJO raps clever verses over her acoustic band. The sugary cereal backdrop is a great complement to this vibrant, punchy performance.
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