For this episode of Top Shelf, WNXP’s Celia Gregory and Robin pick out some of the “sludgiest” and “hardest” guitar rock that this year’s Contest has to offer.
After watching Appleseed’s video, Celia talks about how she didn’t know about the women-led bands like them when she was growing up, and how she really would’ve appreciated having a band like this to look up to. “We are lucky to now have an embarrassment of riches of indie bands and I really gravitate toward them,” she says.
The judges also feature stylized R&B, pensive singer-songwriter music, and heartfelt and political folk.
If you couldn’t tune in live last week, you can still watch the episode on our YouTube channel. Here are the entries that Celia loves and wants to see perform live in person:
The 2026 Tiny Desk Contest is presented by Capital One and supported by Rivian.
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Today, for the fifth and final episode of Top Shelf, Bobby Carter is at the Desk, chatting with rapper and artist Tierra Whack, who had one of the NPR Music team’s favorite Tiny Desk concerts of 2024.
Tierra’s creativity knows no bounds. Her music videos are colorful and energetic and match the playful, highly curated mood of her music. Tierra knows what stands out and we’re looking forward to seeing what catches her eye.
Set a reminder to join Bobby and Tierra at 3 p.m. ET today for the Top Shelf grand finale by clicking the big button below.
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