Stephen Thompson

Jittery Jams: 10 Songs For Coffee Lovers

Stephen Thompson — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 01:52:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb5qqoQgPlk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVGXcjM9SOQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUx5z9O2ZGk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WfQN_M1pQc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZk2LYsBIi8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRxS7Q64xUQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFURd_EOIuU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nzMS_YrgFk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk_wVO7NBMQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oqXVx3sBOk

Baby Bands, Pop Stars And Room-Filling Joy: What To Expect At SXSW 2013

Stephen Thompson — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:50:00 +0000

Listen to Stephen Thompson's conversation with Audie Cornish on All Things Considered by clicking the audio link.

The South by Southwest music festival kicked off Tuesday with the first of five straight nights of music overload: The clubs, makeshift music venues and front porches of Austin, Texas, were overrun with little-known discoveries-in-waiting and big names alike, as well as tens of thousands of fans who have flocked to the city in search of epiphanies.

Finding a prevailing trend at SXSW isn't easy; the festival is like 50 events in one, so it's possible t

Sunday, 8 p.m. ET: Spend Grammy Night Staring At Screens With Us!

Stephen Thompson — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:49:00 +0000

With the conclusion of Sunday night's ceremony, Linda Holmes and I have now live-blogged fully one-eleventh of the Grammy Awards' 55 annual incarnations. Below is our original post and an archived live blog of the telecast:

For the fifth straight year, whether we're marveling at Taylor Swift's capacity for surprise or trying to figure out what to type during the combined 37 minutes of Bruno Mars performances, we're here to serve your reading-along needs.

Hail To The Chipmunks: A Holiday Classic Re-Revisited

Stephen Thompson — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 20:37:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rnPHlOHb7g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQ_9bL7i-Zs

First Listen: 'REWORK_Philip Glass Remixed'

Stephen Thompson — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 14:55:57 +0000

Audio for this feature is no longer available.

It makes sense that Philip Glass' 75th-birthday festivities would stretch out as long as they have, his work subjected to celebratory tributes, re-examinations and performances more than eight months after the big day back in January.

First Listen: Aimee Mann, 'Charmer'

Stephen Thompson — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:25:34 +0000

Audio for this feature is no longer available.

Aimee Mann has spent the last quarter-century examining the downside of human interaction, first with 'Til Tuesday and on through a nearly 20-year string of terrific solo records.

First Watch: Ben Sollee, 'Unfinished'

Stephen Thompson — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:28:28 +0000

Ben Sollee is a classically trained cellist whose forays into Americana have led him to work with Abigail Washburn, Bela Fleck and Daniel Martin Moore.

First Listen: Grizzly Bear, 'Shields'

Stephen Thompson — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 19:04:15 +0000

Audio for this feature is no longer available.

For a band with a firm grasp on pristine, precise production and immaculate vocal

harmonies, Grizzly Bear can be inscrutable at times: Its members have been known to use their formidable studio chops in the pursuit of what can sound like puzzles waiting to be solved.

Take "Sleeping Ute," the lead track from Grizzly Bear's fourth album, the follow-up to its 2009 breakthrough Veckatimest.

First Listen: The Avett Brothers, 'The Carpenter'

Stephen Thompson — Thu, 30 Aug 2012 16:36:15 +0000

Audio for this feature is no longer available.

The Avett Brothers' style of alternately frenetic and swoony, frequently bluegrass-infused folk-rock has penetrated the public consciousness to the point where Seth and Scott Avett appear to be on the brink of superstardom.

This One's For The Chicken: A Super Bowl Party With A Purpose

Stephen Thompson — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:49:00 +0000

This Sunday will mark the 16th annual installment of "Chicken Bowl," my Super Bowl party, which doubles as a grand fried-chicken-eating contest. As many as 80 friends, coworkers, enablers and hangers-on will cram into my long-suffering house for this noble occasion.

But even with all the extravagances I've cobbled together to keep them happy — large TVs, vintage arcade machines, working toilets — there has never been a shred of doubt that chicken is king.

I spend more at Popeye's on this particular Sunday than I spend on my wardrobe in a year, so great is the demand.