NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts are spectacular. They’re a YouTube series of small-scale, exquisitely produced sets from the NPR music office in Washington DC which focuses mostly on quirky indie rock. In its long run since 2008, Tiny Desk has hosted a deep roster of musicians, both small and big names, and the intimate setting facilitates unique takes often lost in hyper-refined studio album versions or live stadium sets.

Tiny Desk has broadened my horizon of music, far beyond the comparatively staid classical music from my childhood. I’ve hardly listened to them all (they’re thrice weekly now), but let me tell you about five memorable moments: