Muzz, the project of Paul Banks, Josh Kaufman, and Matt Barrick, present a Tiny Desk (Home) Concert filmed, recorded, and mixed by D. James Goodwin for NPR Music. They play four tracks from their self-titled debut, “a carefully crafted pastoral travelogue” (Pitchfork), released last summer on Matador. The cozy, mellow set is one of the two proper Muzz performances that exist, following their Kingston, NY performance of Arthur Russell’s “Nobody Wants A Lonely Heart” from their recently released Covers EP. Filmed after spending seven months apart, Banks in Edinburgh, Barrick in New York, and Kaufman in Philadelphia, it’s a charming glimpse into the trio’s reunion.
Kaufman describes the filming to NPR Music: “At the very end of a long couple days of rehearsal and taping we, very late at night, Paul jet lagged and the rest plain exhausted, stayed awake a little longer to try a campfire style strum along to some of the songs from our new LP. The result here is our Tiny Desk. It means A LOT to us and we’re totally honored to have Muzz be a part of this now legendary series. We also want to acknowledge the fact that it’s a privilege for us to even be able to convene in person right now and were very happy that we could use that opportunity to share these stripped down, very human/intimate portraits with y’all.”
Watch Muzz’s Tiny Desk (At Home) Concert
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Muzz album stream
Stream/Purchase Muzz’s Covers EP
“Knuckleduster” Video
“Red Western Sky” Video
“Broken Tambourine” Video
“Summer Love” Video
Praise for Muzz:
“[Muzz] have made a great new album together.” – NPR Music
“a promising debut from three old friends who have an instinctive grasp of each other’s talents”
– Pitchfork
“Songs build around [Banks] with muted opulence; frequently deployed horns and organs color the margins without overwhelming the music’s essential fragility.”
– New Yorker
“A moody, melodic masterpiece” – SPIN
“A surprisingly comfortable pastiche of the three artists’ distinct sounds, compounding the uneasiness of Interpol, the playfulness of The Walkmen, and the tranquil twang of BLH.” – Flood
“the complex character of Muzz gradually unfurls into a terrifically cool album that should be wholly appreciated with repeated plays.” – Under The Radar