On the day NPR announced Gaelynn Lea as the winner of their 2016 Tiny Desk Contest, we wanted to acknowledge some of best regional submissions this year, plus announce our favorite who will be invited to do a JPR Live Session with us later this year.
Here at the station we assembled a small panel of experts and casual observers, and watched/listened to all 65 submissions from our region. As we debated and judged, we kept returning to the edgy blues guitar work and singing of Eugene-based Aussie Alex Jackson - our choice as regional favorite this year!
Other notable submissions:
Eugene
Tyler Fortier's submission definitely stood out for us with the great video work. Nice heartfelt tune and excellent performance.
Bend
Though technically just outside of our listening area, we were struck by the beautiful sound quality of Pfiff's recording. Lush waves of overdubbed guitar sound washing over you. Plus, look at that beautiful guitar!
-BE
Arcata
This one was fun, and was probably a blast to create. Good energy from these guys.
Grants Pass
We loved this song! Beautiful harmonies and great performance. We can't wait to hear more from this duo.
Eugene
Originally abounds in this submission, as does rampant foot tapping. And two(?) bass players.
Ashland
Beautifully soulful. A better recording of this would really be something to hear.
Eureka
We lost track of time just watching this guy multi-task! A true one-man band. The the video effects are just awesome.
Eugene
What a voice. Did we mention the voice? Silky smooth.
