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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
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Stephen Thompson

Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

No 'Lost Verses' In Sun Kil Moon's Epic

Sun Kil Moon's Mark Kozelek is remarkably adept at crafting somber, epic ballads like the gorgeous "Lost Verses," which opens April. Affecting and engrossing in spite of its nearly 10-minute running time, "Lost Verses" fits seamlessly alongside Kozelek's best work with Red House Painters.

'Lost Verses' by Sun Kil Moon

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Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Crooked Fingers: Fun With Cannibalism

For a singer who's spent years honing his weary, Neil Diamond-esque croak, Crooked Fingers' Eric Bachmann seems to be having something approximating fun on his new album. In "Cannibals," he immerses his voice in an arrangement that positively sparkles with chiming guitars and sunny harmonies.

'Cannibals' by Crooked Fingers

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Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

The Heligoats: A Bright Mind Gets 'Brutal'

Throughout The Heligoats' "Kind/Brutal," singer Chris Otepka keeps piling on the ideas. But at some point along the way, they actually cohere, forming a bittersweet look at two misanthropes who stay together, in large part, because they don't deserve better.

'Kind/Brutal' by The Heligoats

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Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

The Avett Brothers: Fate And Consequences

For guys at the epicenter of so much music-world chatter, Seth and Scott Avett sure spend a lot of time ruminating gently on the nature of memory. About halfway through "Tear Down the House," their unsentimental bravado is revealed as a desperate plea for escape from the past.

'Tear Down the House' by The Avett Brothers

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Thursday

Thursday

Review

Song Of The Day

Antony And The Johnsons: Imposingly Sad

"Hope Mountain" finds singer Antony Hegarty offering up only a vague sketch of what lands somewhere between a fairy tale and a folk tale, with some whispers of deeper spiritual meaning at the end. But it may be his most wrenchingly gorgeous song yet.

'Hope Mountain' by Antony & The Johnsons

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Thursday

Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

Eef Barzelay: A Blueprint For Finding Love

The former Clem Snide singer always mixed wryness with unmistakable warmth. In "The Girls Don't Care," he needles those for whom expressions of love run counter to a painstakingly maintained ironic distance.

'The Girls Don't Care' by Eef Barzelay

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Thursday

Road Trip: Songs to Drive By

Nine-Minute Road Trip

This brutally efficient five-song playlist serves as a soundtrack for when you want to leave your house, hurry to an on-ramp, roar down a short stretch of highway, and abruptly take the next exit to your extremely nearby destination.

Nine-Minute Road Trip

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Wednesday

Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Horse Feathers: Enigmatic And Artfully Slurred

Horse Feathers' songs may have words, but in many ways, the band might as well play instrumentals. Its songs offer up rustic, vaguely doomstruck atmosphere more than they convey discrete hooks and distinct messages. With its gorgeous strings, "Curs in the Weeds" soothes even as it unsettles.

'Curs in the Weeds' by Horse Feathers

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Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

The Twilight Sad Gives Genius Its Due

Daniel Johnston's songs are all about deceptive simplicity: His work may be shrill and primitive, but his lyrical insight and innate gift for melody give him real justification to tote around the mantle of "genius." Covered here by The Twilight Sad, "Some Things Last a Long Time" says more than its surface would seem to indicate.

'Some Things Last a Long Time' by The Twilight Sad

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Thursday

Review

Song Of The Day

Fleet Foxes: Indie-Pop's Celestial Choir

Though Fleet Foxes' music often gets drenched in rich harmonies, "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" shows how much sonic and thematic ground the group can cover with one pure vocal and a couple of acoustic guitars.

'Tiger Mountain Peasant Song' by Fleet Foxes

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Tuesday