Accessibility links
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.
Washington, DC - May 03, 2016: Stephen Thompson CREDIT: Matt Roth
Stories By

Stephen Thompson

Wednesday

Music

It's Halloween, So Be of Good Cheer

Pumpkins are on doorsteps. Movie screens are aglow with zombies and torture devices. Virtually every show on television has a Halloween theme. For one last day, Halloween is everywhere. But where's the Halloween music?

It's Halloween, So Be of Good Cheer

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/15793556/15800028" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

'Take These Thoughts,' Drenched in Harmony

From its name to its stripped-down acoustic Americana, the L.A.-based duo Chris & Thomas revels in straightforward simplicity. But make no mistake: There's nothing easy about writing songs as purely infectious as "Take These Thoughts."

'Take These Thoughts' by Chris & Thomas

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/12028419/12028762" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Obsessive Love in a Soft-Spoken Disguise

Fionn Regan's "Put a Penny in the Slot" has to be one of the most shyly nonchalant songs ever written from the perspective of a clinging ex-lover. Along the way, he casually slips in his underlying meaning: "I can't help from crying / I wish you were mine."

'Put a Penny in the Slot' by Fionn Regan

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10345695/10345864" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Thursday

Review

Song Of The Day

Rilo Kiley and the Joy of Liberation

For a band prone to sad confessionals, Rilo Kiley sounds downright gleeful on "Breakin' Up." Granted, it's a kiss-off song that practically fetishizes rationalization. But there's something uplifting about hearing singer Jenny Lewis "wash the blues away," for once.

'Breakin' Up' by Rilo Kiley

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/14983500/14968783" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Thursday

Review

Song Of The Day

Turning the Past Into a Pile of Ash

At first, The Avett Brothers' "Yardsale" unfolds as a fairly straightforward study of the mundane items at a neighborhood yard sale. But then, three-quarters of the way through, the North Carolina brothers shift gears radically, speculating about how nice it would be to burn the whole lot of it.

'Yardsale' by The Avett Brothers

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/8882888/8882926" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

For Stars, An Impersonal Message Gets 'Personal'

Stars' albums toggle back and forth between fizzy pop and dark snapshots of relationships in distress. On "Personal," singers Amy Millan and Torquil Campbell demonstrate that they've mastered the art of he-said/she-said ballads that expose raw nerves and rawer emotions.

'Personal' by Stars

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/14653332/14652445" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Great Northern and the 'Height' of Portent

Great Northern's "Low Is a Height" doesn't break a ton of lyrical ground: Instead, it's content to use vague phrases to help pile on the atmosphere. It's an effective strategy, as the song functions as the musical embodiment of a mood that's somehow both sunny and oppressive.

'Low Is a Height' by Great Northern

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/14523806/14513728" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

A Breezy Hammock Jam, but So Much More

Iron and Wine's "Lovesong of the Buzzard" gets a wonderfully warm-blooded arrangement, as organs and steel guitars contribute to a sound that's downright springy. The arrangement may be a cool glass of lemonade, but singer Sam Beam spikes it with something potent and satisfying.

'Lovesong of the Buzzard' by Iron and Wine

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/14415773/14399811" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

The Bright Side of the World's Annihilation

In the pre-apocalyptic love song "The Temptation of Adam," Josh Ritter demonstrates his considerable gift for subtle, warmly evocative turns of phrase. As the song unfolds, he revels in the simplicity of the end times, acknowledging that romance is easier when it unfolds in isolation.

'The Temptation of Adam' by Josh Ritter

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/14152011/14152217" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Thursday

Review

Song Of The Day

Crowded House Won't 'Stop' Sparkling Sadly

An air of regret often hangs over the group's bittersweet reunion album, Time on Earth. Still, "Don't Stop Now" more than lives up to the worthy tradition of Crowded House's brightly catchy, sweetly upbeat best.

'Don't Stop Now' by Crowded House

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/12836050/12836160" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

New Pornographers' Pop 'Adventures' Continue

"Adventures in Solitude" closes the band's fine new album without conserving hooks: Opening with a few spare verses and memorable interludes, the song soon blooms into a series of rich, warm-blooded choruses, as Neko Case rushes the spotlight and the strings sweep in.

'Adventures in Solitude' by The New Pornographers

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/12588681/12588936" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Monday

Song Of The Day

Fountains of Wayne: Long-Distance Dedication

With its detailed look at the pop-cultural detritus in a miserable late-night rest stop, "I-95" first appears to be just another Fountains of Wayne-ian look at someone's mundane, loveless existence. But as it unfolds, the song takes on a sincere sweetness that the band wears well.

'I-95' by Fountains of Wayne

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/9136191/9136259" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Tuesday

Music

Wedding Day Blues: Finding the Perfect Mix CD

Countless music fans have attempted to craft the perfect mix CD — just the thing to put a soundtrack on special occasions. But an hour of love-themed dinner music for a wedding reception isn't as easy to assemble as it may seem.

Wedding Day Blues: Finding the Perfect Mix CD

Listen
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11157882/11160269" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

Travis: The Once and Future 'It' Band Returns

The Boy with No Name is a sparkling surprise, as the Scottish pop band Travis returns with a sharp batch of winning pop songs. Best of all is "Selfish Jean," on which singer Fran Healy disparages an ex-lover over a chiming, instantly memorable guitar hook.

'Selfish Jean' by Travis

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/11092387/11092565" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">

Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

An Ageless Beauty Gets a Timeless Remake

The Most Serene Republic does a terrific job reinventing Stars' fizzy pop gem "Ageless Beauty" without discarding Amy Millan's candy-sweet vocal track. Replacing the original's propulsive power-pop arrangement with a rustically chugging lope, the remix clatters along charmingly.

'Ageless Beauty (The Most Serene Republic Remix)' by Stars

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/10858461/10859215" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">