Bringing The World Home To You

© 2024 WUNC North Carolina Public Radio
120 Friday Center Dr
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
919.445.9150 | 800.962.9862

Donate

Play Live Radio

Next Up:

0:00

0:00

0:00 0:00

Available On Air Stations

Anaïs Mitchell: Tiny Desk Concert

NPR

By Stephen Thompson

Published December 6, 2012 at 2:00 PM EST

Her voice is soft and sweet, her guitar work deft and evocative, but Anaïs Mitchell is a songwriting storyteller first and foremost. Robbed of a gift for melody and poetry, Mitchell would probably (and may yet) write some tremendous novels. Her ambitious recent discography bears out that notion: The 2010 album version of her star-packed folk opera Hadestown recasts Greek legend in America, while this year's Young Man in America turns her thoughts to the pitfalls of modern life, inspired in part by the works of Mitchell's writer father.

Thankfully, as this Tiny Desk Concert in the NPR Music offices demonstrates, Mitchell possesses a warm and ingratiating style to go with her evocative, impeccably crafted lyrics. Singing and playing alongside guitarist and longtime collaborator Michael Chorney, she performs three of Young Man in America's most bracingly beautiful songs with clear-eyed directness that requires no adornment.

Set List

"Shepherd"
"Young Man In America"
"Tailor"

Credits

Producer: Bob Boilen; Editor: Denise DeBelius; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Denise DeBelius, Mito Habe-Evans, Christopher Parks; photo by Lauren Rock/NPR

Copyright 2024 NPR

Tags

Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson is a writer, editor and reviewer for NPR Music, where he speaks into any microphone that will have him and appears as a frequent panelist on All Songs Considered. Since 2010, Thompson has been a fixture on the NPR roundtable podcast Pop Culture Happy Hour, which he created and developed with NPR correspondent Linda Holmes. In 2008, he and Bob Boilen created the NPR Music video series Tiny Desk Concerts, in which musicians perform at Boilen's desk. (To be more specific, Thompson had the idea, which took seconds, while Boilen created the series, which took years. Thompson will insist upon equal billing until the day he dies.)

See stories by Stephen Thompson

More Stories

Black Friday sends Taylor Swift back to the top of the charts

Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson looks at the biggest songs and albums of the week, and digs into the stories and trends beyond the Top 10.
Stereophonic: Tiny Desk Concert

Mitra I. Arthur

The original Broadway cast performs music from the Tony award-winning stage play.
The Eras era ends: A look back at Taylor Swift's record-breaking, 21-month tour

Rachel Treisman

Swift has made over $2 billion in ticket sales and spent over 25 hours singing the 10-minute version of "All Too Well" since March 2023. Here's a look at the historic tour and what might come next.
An 84-year-old pop superstar just dropped an album — how does she sound so good?

Chloe Veltman

You might recognize the performer's unmistakable voice from the Netflix series Ripley, the HBO series The White Lotus or the Pixar animated feature Luca. In Italy, she's a legend.
Kennedy Center pays tribute to the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, Sandoval and The Apollo

The Associated Press

A packed house honored the Grateful Dead, director Francis Ford Coppola, jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt. The venerable Harlem theater The Apollo also was recognized.