Stephen Thompson : NPR

Stephen Thompson Stephen Thompson is a host, writer and reviewer for NPR Music and Pop Culture Happy Hour. He appears frequently on All Songs Considered and NPR newsmagazines.

Stories By

Stephen Thompson

Friday January 29, 2016

Pop Culture Happy Hour: In Conversation With Fred Armisen And 'Welcome To Night Vale'

Fred Armisen. Charles Sykes//Invision/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Charles Sykes//Invision/AP

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour: In Conversation With Fred Armisen And 'Welcome To Night Vale'

January 29, 2016 • The gang's been snowed in, but there's still a new episode of the show, thanks to Linda Holmes' onstage discussions — one with Armisen and one with Night Vale creators Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: In Conversation With Fred Armisen And 'Welcome To Night Vale'

Listen · 39:55 39:55

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464694237/464710553" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Thursday January 28, 2016

Many of us fell in love with Little Simz's music while prepping for SXSW 2015. We're looking for more discoveries this time around. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Playing SXSW 2016? Send Us Your Songs

January 28, 2016 • The festival doesn't start for nearly two months, but the NPR Music team is already preparing.

Wednesday January 27, 2016

Review: Elliott Smith, 'Heaven Adores You'

The soundtrack to Heaven Adores You, featuring music by Elliott Smith, comes out Feb. 5. Courtesy of Universal Music Group hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of Universal Music Group

First Listen

Review: Elliott Smith, 'Heaven Adores You'

January 27, 2016 • The soundtrack to a new documentary inventories the periphery of the late singer's catalog: unheard early recordings, instrumentals, collaborations, live appearances and other illuminating footnotes.

Wednesday January 20, 2016

Walter Martin's new album, Arts & Leisure, comes out Jan. 29. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

Review: Walter Martin, 'Arts & Leisure'

January 20, 2016 • The former Walkmen multi-instrumentalist has made a solo album marked by its playful, loosely ambling, front-porch friendliness.

The Giant Foam Finger: How Do You Choose Your Favorite Team?

If you rooted for Washington's NFL team because of Robert Griffin III, you'll almost certainly root for a new team this fall. Ezra Shaw/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The Giant Foam Finger: How Do You Choose Your Favorite Team?

January 20, 2016 • Sometimes, sports fandom comes naturally: We grew up immersed in it, or we get swept up in local fervor. But there's more than one way to become a fan.

The Giant Foam Finger: How Do You Choose Your Favorite Team?

Listen · 11:48 11:48

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/463705482/463707552" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Eric Bachmann. Jeremy M. Lange/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Jeremy M. Lange/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Song Premiere: Eric Bachmann, 'Mercy'

January 20, 2016 • Reinventing himself once more, the former frontman of Archers Of Loaf and Crooked Fingers makes a clean break from his past.

Wednesday January 13, 2016

Review: Shearwater, 'Jet Plane And Oxbow'

Shearwater's new album, Jet Plane And Oxbow, comes out Jan. 22. Sarah Cass/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Sarah Cass/Courtesy of the artist

Review

First Listen

Review: Shearwater, 'Jet Plane And Oxbow'

January 13, 2016 • Jonathan Meiburg sounds as focused and intense as ever on his band's ninth album, which is full of rock songs that churn and clatter with force, invention and mystery.

Songs We Love: Jeff Buckley, 'Just Like A Woman'

Jeff Buckley. The Estate of David Gahr/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

The Estate of David Gahr/Getty Images

Songs We Love

Songs We Love: Jeff Buckley, 'Just Like A Woman'

January 13, 2016 • Recorded in early 1993, Buckley's Bob Dylan cover rambles swoonily for six and a half minutes, capturing both a gift for interpretation and a willingness to let songs unfurl slowly and delicately.

Songs We Love: Jeff Buckley, 'Just Like A Woman'

6:27

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/462813257/462815197" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Wednesday January 6, 2016

Song Premiere: Chris Bathgate, 'Calvary'

Chris Bathgate's new EP, Old Factory, comes out Feb. 5. Doug Coombe/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Doug Coombe/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Song Premiere: Chris Bathgate, 'Calvary'

January 6, 2016 • Hear the Michigan singer-songwriter's first new song in five years, from an EP called Old Factory.

Calvary

3:52

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/461919689/461920693" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Wednesday December 30, 2015

2015: Looking Back On A Year At The Tiny Desk

In January, Mucca Pazza set a Tiny Desk record by fitting 23 members onstage. Colin Marshall/NPR hide caption

toggle caption

Colin Marshall/NPR

All Songs Considered

2015: Looking Back On A Year At The Tiny Desk

December 30, 2015 • This year, NPR Music published 84 sessions from behind Bob Boilen's desk. From a 23-piece band to a lone guitarist to a massive dance party, here are 15 highlights.

Tuesday December 15, 2015

Song Premiere: Damien Jurado, 'Exit 353'

Damien Jurado's new album, Visions Of Us On The Land, comes out March 18, 2016. Elise Tyler/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Elise Tyler/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Song Premiere: Damien Jurado, 'Exit 353'

December 15, 2015 • The singer takes a bleary but evocative journey on the first single from Visions Of Us On The Land, an epic new album due out March 18.

Pop Culture Happy Hour Small Batch: Frank Sinatra At 100

Frank Sinatra would have turned 100 on Saturday, Dec. 12. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artist

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour Small Batch: Frank Sinatra At 100

December 15, 2015 • Sinatra was born 100 years ago this past Saturday, which at NPR could mean only one thing: an opportunity to talk to superfan Sonari Glinton about the singer's formidable legacy.

Pop Culture Happy Hour Small Batch: Frank Sinatra At 100

14:37

Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/459767300/459769413" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Wednesday December 9, 2015

Stephen Thompson's Top 10 Albums Of 2015

Joan Shelley's Over And Even is Stephen Thompson's favorite album of 2015. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption

Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Stephen Thompson's Top 10 Albums Of 2015

December 9, 2015 • These 10 albums plumb emotional depths, deliver powerful messages and, just when you need them most, soothe worried minds in a year when a bit of calm is a priceless commodity.

Friday November 13, 2015

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Live On Halloween, With Fred Armisen

Left to right: Pop Culture Happy Hour's Glen Weldon, Stephen Thompson, Linda Holmes and Audie Cornish, plus special guest Fred Armisen. Larry French/AP Images for NPR hide caption

toggle caption

Larry French/AP Images for NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour: Live On Halloween, With Fred Armisen

November 13, 2015 • Recorded live at Washington, D.C.'s Howard Theatre, Audie Cornish and a special guest join the show for a discussion of scary things, a quiz and What's Making Us Happy this week.

Listen to Pop Culture Happy Hour

Listen · 50:48 50:48

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/455808892/455834776" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Monday October 19, 2015

The Giant Foam Finger: What's Your Walk-Up Music?

Russell Martin of the Toronto Blue Jays chose the Nicki Minaj song "Truffle Butter" for his walk-up music. Jason Miller and Ethan Miller/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Jason Miller and Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The Giant Foam Finger: What's Your Walk-Up Music?

October 19, 2015 • Four teams remain in the battle to crown a World Series champion. So it's a natural time for Stephen Thompson and Gene Demby to discuss the songs you hear when different players get up to bat.

The Giant Foam Finger: What's Your Walk-Up Music?

Listen · 7:17 7:17

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/444273365/449242052" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">