These five artists make music that is singular enough to stand out among the thousands of others who enter the Contest each year with high hopes of playing at the Desk.
For next month's Sense Of Place, we go from Charlottesville to Richmond. Today we explore both cities with WNRN's managing producer, music writer and host Desiré Moses.
Let's pick a winner and some losers from among a crop that includes a Disney showstopper, an Elton John banger, Randy Newman's latest Pixar romp and two songs about standing.
Hear exciting new tracks from Philadelphia's rising one-woman project Orion Sun, Chicago multi-instrumentalist NNAMDÏ, Californian folkster Tré Burt and more.
Phony Ppl and Megan Thee Stallion finally released the studio version of their Tiny Desk premiere. Hear that, plus Thundercat and Paramore's Hayley Williams on a playlist of the month's best tracks.