Chelsea Wolfe: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert

[@aimenedits]

Always come back once a week here to listen to my favorite tiny desk concert, ever.

[@larryballou-qz3wf]

TRUE THAT!

[@brookelucas3365]

She’s so underrated. Her music, her tone, her lyrics, her passion, it all gives my goosebumps goosebumps

[@DialogueWithTheStarsHD]

I've listened to a lot of Post Rock, Shoegaze, Doom and DSBM and this performance is still the most melancholic thing i've ever heard. Love this woman!

[@kobaltocr6927]

🔥🖤🔥

[@user-xq5ih5oz2u]

In-effin-deed!! Ty for reaffirming this - she’s my fave, too.

[@larryballou-qz3wf]

Here I am today reading your post. DITTO!!

[@InternetLawman]

00:00 Maw 05:42 Crazy Love 09:05 Iron Moon

[@ohthepeppers]

Intense. Her voice is incredible.

[@aprilblades2281]

+ohthepeppers I'd like to hear how it would sound without all the reverb.

[@louderthangod]

+April Blades You made another comment about the reverb as well. What exactly are you getting at? I like the heavy use of reverb, I think it really sets a mood that matches with everything else she has going on but on some of her albums there are songs without much vocal reverb. What do you think it'll add by taking it away? Do you think these songs would have sounded better dry or is this some passive-aggressive "real singers don't need so much reverb"?

[@redlion7373]

ohthepeppers She is definitely a real singer. I personally like the vocal effects, but everyone has their personal taste. The reverb adds to the ambiance.

[@Juelz4ever]

Check Emma Ruth Rundle, but you probably already are listening to hear ;)

[@robertpetre9378]

Mesmerising

[@fiscidtox]

This is one of the best love performances I've ever heard. To think it's on a tiny mic and amp with no real sound people blows my mind. Just goes to show you how talented she truly is.

[@adrianwolmarans]

love the way her voice soars over that crunchy guitar, gorgeous!

[@surreptitiouswritings]

delay and reverb do that..

[@nose-bleed]

@@surreptitiouswritings and...? Still gorgeous.

[@jasonosper383]

the perfect description

[@andynewen]

She does it in such and enchanting way.

[@adrien6988]

i'm only discovering Chelsea today, 'Iron Moon' just put a dagger in my heart, that voice..

[@yukirotoyoshima4746]

0:00 - Maw 5:43 - Crazy Love 9:06 - Iron Moon I LOVE HER ♥

[@Ellier215]

"Maw" Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? Where are you? In the man Shattered teeth Underneath a Dripping tongue I've been waiting In this silence While you're sleeping Until you believe Where are you? Where are you? In the maw In a world so dirty Intoxicated A life of tears In the maw A world in a daze None can be trusted In the mouth of the beast I've been waiting In this silence While you're sleeping Until you believe I've been waiting In this silence I'm on fire I'm on fire

[@Ellier215]

"Iron Moon" A dead sun, a pale glow Upon the walls I feign to know We bear no fruit, no flowers, no life And we get sick but never die Become an echo Resounding "let go" My heart is a tomb My heart is an empty room I've given it away I never want to see it again I go to him in paths of dreams In bed awake with shadow beings They crawl inside and wait with me The creatures here become machines Walk with me to a place of trust Death will no longer silence us My heart is a tomb My heart is an empty room I've given it away I never want to see it again And all your words could save me But keep your love away from me In all the worlds decaying Is there place that's safe for us? My heart is a tomb My heart is an empty room I've given it away I've swallowed the iron moon Moon, moon

[@ItsHeyMax]

nothing makes me cry tears of joy, understanding, everything. i feel everything when i listen to this. thank you Chelsea.

[@isthisviolence]

That nuances she does with her voice and how it contrasts that heavy guitar.. just incredibble.

[@nethercords]

what i love about chelsea is the pain that bleeds out of her eyes when every syllable is enunciated in every performance shes ever done.

[@Ellier215]

"Crazy Love" Crazy love, it’s not you I fear You let the devil in You hold him near Crazy love When did the war begin When will it end When will it end Crazy love [x4] And i don’t want to live without you I don’t want to live without you Crazy love, where is our home Look at the place we’re in The hell we left it in Can we forget ourselves Can we forgive Can we afford the years, my lovely friend Crazy love [x4] I don’t want to live without you I don’t want to live without you I don’t want to live without you

[@annekedawson4882]

Wow Iron Moon...what a beautiful masterpiece...chills and warmth in all the right places

[@thearches4816]

Love the dark magic that drips off her fingers into the guitar. Her work is unique and amazing.

[@joytorres902]

everytime i hear her I image myself in a dark place and there is a nice breeze. And I feel alive and I can breathe even though it's dark

[@0p3nh4ym3r]

same

[@Belenus3080]

Like a never ending street lined with trees that are always shedding their leaves with a nice cool fall breeze. Didn’t mean to rhyme all that, but I suppose that’s where we’re at

[@MirandaVTempest]

brought to tears with this performance...she makes pain and suffering sound so beautiful and enchanting...

[@te9591]

Yeah, she makes me teary eyed sometimes. Hits me right in the chest.

[@MrDldldldldl]

Im so grateful i got to see her live.

[@angelurbina8158]

I love the fact that Abyss is well-produced as in it has tons and tons of complex layers of effects pedals and textures, synths and whatnot yet Chelsea can play them songs live with just a guitar and a couple of amps. The sentiment is just as powerful as in the studio record. She is insanely awesome.

[@E-Chap]

Well said. Shows truly how much of an artist she is.

[@gstocker3097]

Quite a tale she weaves with these 3 songs together... Heart breaking.

[@danhenricus]

Never seen these songs in a solo live version, but I loved it. I adore the album, it simply is magnificent. I have to be careful sometimes though, because this CD does bring me to places I sometimes wish not to go. I have the tendency to sink into my melodramatic self and these songs make that trip a certainty.

[@soldierofsoul86]

Yeah. The songs are deep and spiritual..many times so much so that you wish not to go down that rabbit hole very far. You want to...but then you start trying to climb out before long.

[@juicescoo]

Pain is beauty.

[@benjaminstearns7104]

I love listening to depressing music I always have and always will. It can definitely make you feel pretty low at times. Not talking about this in particular

[@rickcleveland8677]

@@Lovefrequencyenergy Tread lightly, I have slipped below, she has taken me...

[@benjaminstearns7104]

This happens to me all the time musician really dictate my emotions. I love music that makes me feel strong emotion. My girl refers to this as a “shame spiral”

[@hijodeltrueno32]

Chelsea is so Amazing... The way she has progressively embraced Doom, leaves me breathless!! I only want to hear her in a next Sunn O))) record!!! Greg, Stephen... Come on guys, you have to take this woman to the studio!!

[@GuitarsCarsandBikes]

In 2021 still blown away. She absolutely could put a spell on anyone. Super powerful guitar skills. ! Her voice is pure savage .I never get bored of her music .

[@nmatheis]

Chelsea Wolfe's voice is so hauntingly beautiful, and these sparse renditions showcase her voice so well. Simply amazing!

[@greglane334]

My favourite tiny desk concert. Always come back to it

[@greglane334]

See, back two years later

[@MrMario2011]

Incredible.

[@Hellraiser988]

Truely is my man

[@ayrabelle]

One of my favourite artists. Such a hauntingly beautiful voice. Chelsea never disappoints.

[@Badgerbuddy13]

I was moved to tears by this performance

[@08bourquem]

interesting. Daylight does not affect this vampire.

[@BlankRami]

:))))

[@bikercat4138]

The DAYWALKER

[@joshuapayne8811]

She's lestat from queen of the damned if he was a chick.

[@scozzy4656]

I wonder if she knows Colin Robinson

[@GabS-o1m]

Unfortunately it does for this one. 🧛🏼

[@rayanneflowers]

my heart is a tomb my heart is a lonely room

[@clearlynotacheerleader7807]

just got her grime and glow album and the production is killing me. Most imperfect perfection ever heard

[@chromesthesia]

Forgotten On Purpose i like that

[@markanthonymusic]

Forgotten On Purpose I

[@stephenturner7949]

Fantastic voice , burn some incense and lay back on the sofa in the dark , close your eyes and digest this wonderful sound , totally chillin 👍

[@Poignant_Ritual]

If you like Chelsea Wolfe, check out King Woman for a doomier sound or Miserable for a shoegaze sound. Both bands have the same artist and convey agony and suffering in a similar manner. I love listening to Chelsea in a dark place.

[@AndreasLomaka]

This is great! Thank you!

[@Gobbledi_Gook]

Also if anyone is interested I think if you like Chelsea Wolfe you’d also enjoy Emma Ruth Rundle. She has a solo project, and two bands (Marriages and also The Nocturnes). Very similar vibes

[@pureblind0]

I have all of these in my regular rotation except Miserable, which I'm planning to check out immediately. 😎

[@sirrobert23]

Love King Woman

[@andrewfollin8203]

Miserable is the side project of Kris Esferandi, the mastermind of King Woman!

[@brine345]

The high notes at the end of Maw give me serious chills.So beautiful.

[@smokeytaboo1756]

This came on automatically after another of her albums and I thought these were studio versions for at least 10 minutes. Just a girl and her guitar. Unreal

[@leonardoheringer1815]

chelsea you don't deserve this cruel world, but the world needs you (or at least i need you, thank u so much for help me not to feel so strained and fragile)

[@feliperios4382]

I remember when I saw her in London...it was like seing a goddess, she has an overwhelming sound also. It was something I will never forget.

[@Ryujenini]

Only discovered her about an hour ago and I'm already in London ....she's incredible

[@OpnEye3]

I absolutely love the tone of her voice. Her music encompasses my soul

[@GilgameshGDLK]

Melts me every time I find my way back to this performance.

[@SleepFan771]

Love Chelsea. Her voice is always heavenly.

[@aprilblades2281]

+Ocean Sage yeah it's heavenly with all that reverb. You can put that on any female voice as long as they're singing on pitch and it will sound "heavenly".

[@MegaLuxury1]

April Blades Dumb comment.

[@CodyChromeBand]

April Blades exactly

[@bloozydoom3248]

Haha, write the lyrics and compose the songs. You can't put "Any female voice" with some reverb and get the same magic. You disrespect the art. I know I'm jealous of her talent, I'm sure you are, too.

[@GabS-o1m]

@@aprilblades2281 I’ve heard her voice without it and it still sounds incredible. Your point goes nowhere. 🙄

[@ailoa2107]

Chelsea, obrigada por ser minha companheira dos meus momentos mais pesados, lidar com minha tristeza e crises é muito difícil, mas suas músicas me trazem conforto, me sinto acolhida pela melancolia.

[@atwarwithsatan27]

I love how shes been evolving, so dark, so powerfull. amazing.

[@Ksianth]

Her performance is even better than the studio album, which is an extremely rare thing for singers. I have no words to describe how beautiful her voice is.

[@mmess65]

Amazing LIVE artist, have seen her 5 times😯 live!

[@GA-XYZ]

"Abyss" is a fantastic album.. and this is really a great live performance.. Love your music..💘

[@getthoseskills4451]

Totally amazing performance. She is a true unique talent. Love Chelsea Wolfe and other dark masters of music like Nine Inch Nails, Gary Numan, Portishead, HTDA, Tricky, Allflaws

[@giuliopec2468]

Her music, this performance in particular, has the power to take me in other places, it's like living bittersweet old memories again.... Breathtaking

[@hypnagogic_kid]

Love her! I always find her live performances so captivating and gorgeous! P.S.: “Crazy Love” tear my soul in so many pieces-

[@katrinaraty1931]

Love this performance

[@Jonman621]

the most amazing and inspiring "american" musician of this century! I love her music! her voice has a beauty that will be in my mind until I die, and I hope to hear her in the next life if there is one:) thank you Chealsea, you are incredible!

[@vincents9620]

💯Agree🤘

[@MisterButterfingers]

This is just straight up emotionally devastating.

[@te9591]

Yup.

[@tubeyou923]

Wow. Love the use of the oedal to create a live drone note of her voice. Hope ms wolfe brings out a new album soon

[@stellasudekum7309]

20,000 of these views are from me... I am obsessed with this.

[@Anxxxxx]

Me too, fuck life.

[@paradoxdecayed471]

Stella Südekum Embrace life, even through pain and suffering, center yourself and all will be okay. Just my opinion anyway😔

[@RJPhotographics]

A bunch from me too. I saw her play at Heaven in London. As awesome as the show was, I couldn't define a single word of her lyrics, even though I was right by the sound desk. The volume was devastating. That was disappointing. This is just amazing. An inspired guitar tone too.

[@emmecee6273]

Only 20,000? Slacker.

[@Danilo-O]

we can tell by you spamming these comments.

[@smokeytaboo1756]

I KNEW she wasn't going to banter between songs

[@mglenwright09]

I'm so happy i just stumbled into this. love this chick, love her music. so stoked to be sitting listening to this. thank you NPR Tiny Desk Concerts!

[@Blandy778]

You make me feel inspired by the feelings that usually only destroy me .. thank you

[@JPVanderbuilt]

Great rapport and banter with the audience. And she still had time to squeeze in some songs too!

[@TheBlitzControl]

howd she make a tiny desk sound so big

[@meleecritical]

yeah. she likes reverb. broad must have buckets of it cuz she throws it all over the place. her Nick Cave cover, I let love in, she basically beats you over the head with it. and I absolutely cannot live without it. May Spotify suffer 1000 bloody abortions for its absence!

[@seosamhv]

REVERB, my friend.

[@TheBlitzControl]

+Joseph Vaughan +meleecritical I appreciate the responses but I was just commenting on much I enjoyed this. "Abyss" was the perfect name for her album and kind of sums up the feeling her music gives off . I know what reverb is haha but thanks

[@Seth-hc2bj]

Lots of reverb

[@squadrajohn]

I think she has genuine wolf eyes in her head. Jesus Christ, those are piercing. Tight performance through and through.

[@nenashawnautumn5494]

We don't deserve this beauty.

[@Blancokerim2]

Chelsea Wolfe is one oft the most important musicians, artists of our era. I love you Chelsea. Every song of you is so deep, so touching, so essential..about very important aspects, emotions of being, existence as a human. My english is not good enough to describe the power of your music. I am so thankfull that I have saw you in Hamburg-Germany. Come again to Germany or to Kurdistan please :))

[@tenebris.p]

she plays the guitar and sings so effortlessly

[@strue1979]

Words can't describe how amazing she is. Was lucky enough to catch her with Ministry awhile ago and I've been hooked since.

[@Eph6-10]

Her voice is so haunting and beautiful I think I am in love 😍

[@JRBracy]

I love her; I love her voice, how she pronounces words, her style, her presence. She is amazing ♥️

[@ulquiXgrimm]

So enchanting

[@MarkGledhill-s1q]

The finest exponent of American gothika,,,a serious presence indeed,beautifully spellbinding,,,,

[@gabrielcruz4071]

This is maybe the most beautiful piece of recorded music I've heard in my lifetime.

[@rafawesk]

She's so mysteriously dark and hypnotically cold, it's fucking amazing!!!!

[@pedrotomaz9946]

Her music hits us like a cloudy sky in a winter morning! Beautiful and shady!

[@sebastian_hornet]

her voice is a cold knife in my heart.

[@mylifeisart]

Loved Abyss in its powerful full band incarnation. But its very interesting to hear it in her older Unknown Rooms style. Her and Emma Ruth Rundle are very unique folk metal kind of artists.

[@gregmattson4759]

good god this is beautiful! such a hypnotizing voice.

[@onetonmantis]

It would be so slay if Tiny Desk had her back to do an acoustic set.

[@Schoonie7626]

I agreed with the last comment of comparison. Chelsea has learned to stand on her own and her sound is her sound, influenced or not, original. However yes I can see her carrying around a tarot pack all The time . If you’ve never seen an interview, it’s worth it. A more gentle human being there are few in this world. Tremendously beautiful and freshly self aware. She’s the Queen.

[@TreavorUnion]

It's amazing that she was inspired by Aaliyah and Fleetwood Mac and turned that into something totally unlikely and beautiful.

[@Kareem_Saad_Al-Deen_]

Singularity.

[@cactus_judy3929]

As always, sublime from start to finish. What an incredibly talented, well-spoken individual and songwriter. P.S. the description is a lie, her whole board is there. Loop Station > Tuner > POG > DBA Apocalypse > DOD Boneshaker > Fuzzrocious Dark Drive > Disaster Transport SR > Supernatural Reverb > Digidelay A lot of the grit you are hearing is probably from the POG/ drivers. Not familiar with the amp.

[@NapoleonDynamite9]

+Nicholas Alexander not sure of all. what's the pedal (kinda yellow) between Digidelay and Disaster Transport at 5:39 ?

[@KingNed]

+Gregory Dutein Visual Studio Earthquaker Devices Speaker Cranker

[@NapoleonDynamite9]

+Edward Lamb nope, the one on the top just before the digidelay I can't see if it's yellowish or black

[@cactus_judy3929]

wow, you got me. although it COULD BE a reflection of the spangly top of the fuzzrocious dark drive that's a really weird place to put that effect. There are actually a couple of changes since November '15 (which is when I last saw her board), e.g. no Boneshaker either. Quite the misstep on my part, sorry.

[@NapoleonDynamite9]

+Nicholas Alexander Don't worry ;) This pedal is quite mysterious, I can identify all of them but not this ! damn it ! ^^

[@justinloyd8315]

Maw brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it, and especially this live performance. I don't know that I've found and artist that moves me emotionally more than Chelsea Wolfe, ethereal music. Sigur Ros has some songs and so does Envy, but none capture my heart quite like Chelsea can. For that I love her

[@PhilipValdesMusic]

Wow great performance! Really like that ES-335 too!

[@dannibble]

easily my favorite muscian. stumbled upon her a couple years back with apocalypse and fell in love. her songs still send shivers down my spine. even if I'm having a bad day I'll listen to her and think of the beauty in everything

[@7abian]

absolutly stunning. so happy I am alive today.

[@benbrown1209]

God she is so amazing. What a phenomenal voice!! I've been jamming her hard lately. Glad to see this!

[@punkmusicmetal]

RAWRGH Women are killing it man, and Chelsea is right there at the top of the heap. Rock n roll isn't dead, women are just taking over!

[@zorniki]

Simply beautiful. In every way. Hope to hear Chelsea live again soon. 🎶🙌

[@juliasharp2857]

Chelsea is a dark goddess of music. I love her.

[@Naza_SS]

few people is ready for this

[@diaperenthusiast]

eye is ready

[@R1GAMBLER]

haunting. seen her live several times & the sound is massive af.

[@tanimateagordon7327]

Brought me to tears. I love her.

[@too.dead.to.lift91]

She's majestic

[@CharlieMarno100]

Listening from Munich! 🙃

[@Ulianne123]

Her voice is even more magnificent live... Queen.

[@Lwize]

For a better viewing experience, I lit my monitor on fire to watch this video.

[@DeathBeingShy]

Amen

[@omgpurplemangos101]

what an awful thing to say.

[@AP-xg5mz]

amazing!

[@thesleepinggiant6457]

Amazing. Her vocals are the epitome of haunting. I could listen to this for days.

[@aphex_twinkie]

Beautiful and powerful, as always!

[@danielverdel7502]

Very cool. The heavy tones and ethereal voice reminds me of bardo pond.

[@Ellier215]

What’s bardo pond?

[@dazehtx]

She is an entity no one can come close to. An actually wraith of the sadness of my heart

[@valentinazoraplasaj238]

Such a breathtakingly beautiful energy, soul and sound.