Before Rubblebucket played its Tiny Desk Concert, its members asked if they could bring a confetti cannon. And, though I said no — dear coworkers, I really do care about you — the band still brought a fun mix of brass and brash to the Tiny Desk.
At the front of this band is Kalmia Traver and Alex Toth; she sings clever words, straps a tambourine to her foot and plays the flute, while he plays trumpet, flute and more. I really like this band and its attitude — party-friendly but with a serious side, perhaps informed by Traver’s recent battle with cancer — which comes through nicely on Rubblebucket’s new album, Survival Sounds. So set aside a few minutes to take this little carousel ride, courtesy of a band like few others.-- BOB BOILEN
Set List
“Carousel Ride“ 0:05
“On The Ground“ 5:02
“Sound Of Erasing“ 9:20
Credits
Producers: Bob Boilen, Maggie Starbard; Audio Engineer: Kevin Wait; Videographers: Colin Marshall, Maggie Starbard, Susan Hale Thomas; Assistant Producer: Susannah Whittle; photo by Susan Hale