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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

Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Downsizing Drama with Delicacy and Grace

Grant-Lee Phillips' nineteeneighties would seem to be an odd creative detour — the set finds him covering '80s alt-rock classics by the likes of R.E.M., the Cure and the Pixies — but it's surprising how smoothly its tributes fit into his homespun, heartfelt catalog.

'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me' by Grant-Lee Phillips

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Tuesday

Tuesday

Free 'Weird Al' Yankovic!

In a career spanning more than 25 years, pop-music parodist "Weird Al" Yankovic hasn't exactly ranked among the music business' fiercest iconoclasts: He doesn't release his song parodies without the consent of the artists being parodied, and he's rarely used the Internet as more than a tool to promote his projects and connect with his fans. But a music label's efforts to block a (relatively tame) parody of James Blunt's ubiquitous hit "You're Beautiful" has Yankovic fighting back publicly, and using his Web site as a tool to do so...

Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

A Star Turn Spawns 'Samson'

As a fiercely independent and idiosyncratic singer/songwriter who plays the piano, Regina Spektor draws easy comparisons to Tori Amos. But her work feels less remote and more versatile, thanks to a singular songwriting voice that spans genres and personas with grace and apparent ease.

'Samson' by Regina Spektor

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Tuesday

Rock 'n' Roll, Born on the Beast's Day

As expectant parents do their best to avoid -- or, in a few cases, guarantee -- a 6/6/06 birthday for their children, many musicians have opted to release new CDs on the big day. The date, which only occurs once a century, seemed like a natural for the overtly Satan-friendly likes of Deicide and Slayer. But both responded with afterthoughts: an EP for Slayer (released exclusively through Hot Topic, no less!), and two new iTunes-only tracks for Deicide, whose entire career should have been building to this moment.

Tuesday

Still Driving Through Indiana: State Songs

Stephen Thompson, a music producer at NPR Digital Media and editor of NPR's Song of the Day, offers the following Midwestern musical recommendations: Between the unimpeachable glory of Wisconsin and the lush Pennsylvania countryside, the scenery is mostly a dire hellscape of tollbooths, traffic jams, construction sites, interchangeable rest stops and the occasional belching smokestack. Fortunately, the industrial Midwest has inspired a handful of amazing companion CDs, which should be required listening for anyone passing through...

Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

A 'Time' for Sweetly Subtle Devastation

Even when she was singing in the poppy punk band Tiger Trap, Rose Melberg had a flair for sad, gentle melodies. During a career evolution that's taken her through stints as leader of Go Sailor and the appropriately named Softies, those melodies have only gotten sadder and gentler.

'Take Some Time' by Rose Melberg

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Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Beyond the Grave, a Morbid Tale

Unearthed shortly after Johnny Cash's death, a batch of recordings marked "Personal File" turned out to contain an assortment of unreleased songs — including a standout moment in which Cash reads the riveting, darkly funny Robert W. Service poem "The Cremation of Sam McGee."

'The Cremation of Sam McGee' by Johnny Cash

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Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

The Sad Side of Spring

Jolie Holland's fatalistic, woozily paced songs come with a body count, but she rarely spares herself: She often sings about doomed lovers, and she ranks topmost among the damned. In its own way, however, "Springtime Can Kill You" qualifies as an inspirational anthem.

'Springtime Can Kill You' by Jolie Holland

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

Places Have Feelings, Too

Tom Brosseau understands the sentimental pull of places — the way a building or a town can come to life in memories as vividly as loved ones do. He often sings about home as more than a bricks-and-mortar construct: It lives, breathes, feels, and dies.

'Everybody Knows Empty Houses Are Lonely' by Tom Brosseau

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Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

Power-Pop 'Oxygen' for a Spring Day

Maritime has a sweetly buzzing collection of ingratiating power-pop. Springtime anthems don't get much catchier than "Tearing Up the Oxygen," a wonderfully sunny gem propelled by bleeping synths and "ah-ah" choruses.

'Tearing Up the Oxygen' by Maritime

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Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Remaking a Mix-Tape Staple

Rhett Miller, the charismatic frontman for alt-country favorites Old 97's, has just released arguably his most commercially accessible disc, The Believer. "Question" closes the album with a sweet slice-of-life sketch detailing a marriage proposal.

'Question' by Rhett Miller

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

A Ghostly Voice That Swoops and Swoons

Even by the band's own standards of ornate beauty, "Hurry Home Dark Cloud" sounds especially striking. Singer Darren Richard's voice swoops and swoons elegantly, even operatically, making it the key instrument in a mix rife with strings, organs, and bells.

'Hurry Home' by Pinetop Seven

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Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

John Fahey Gets a Reverent 'Transfiguration'

The mostly instrumental "Variation on 'Commemorative Transfiguration & Communion at Magruder Park'" appears on I Am the Resurrection: A Tribute to John Fahey, a set that also features such Stevens contemporaries as Devendra Banhart, M. Ward, Calexico, and Grandaddy.

"Variation on 'Commemorative Transfiguration & Communion at Magruder Park'" by Sufjan Stevens

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Friday

Review

Song Of The Day

Rilo Kiley's Singer Steps Out With a Wilbury Twist

Jenny Lewis traffics in spiky pop and sad country music as leader of Rilo Kiley, and she left a memorable impression as a backing vocalist on "Give Up," the hit debut of electronic duo The Postal Service. Both bands showcase Lewis's flair for bold but relatable confessionals.

'Handle With Care' by Jenny Lewis

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