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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

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out On Jan. 31

The singer and guitarist Torres. Her latest full-length, Silver Tongue, is on our shortlist of the best new albums out Jan. 31. Michael Lavine/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Michael Lavine/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out On Jan. 31

Torres, Kesha, Drive-By Truckers, the British folk singer Sam Lee and more make our shortlist for this week's best new albums.

New Music Friday: Our Top 10 Albums Out On Jan. 31

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Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Reunite In 'Bad Boys For Life'

Will Smith returns as Mike Lowrey in the hit movie Bad Boys For Life. Kyle Kaplan/Columbia Pictures hide caption

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Kyle Kaplan/Columbia Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Reunite In 'Bad Boys For Life'

In 1995, while Will Smith was on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Martin Lawrence was on Martin, the two teamed up for the cop buddy movie Bad Boys. They reunited in 2003 for Bad Boys II, and now, almost 17 years later, they're back in Bad Boys For Life. Bad Boys For Life comes to theaters in a very different atmosphere around policing than existed in 1995. And the cops in the film have changed, too: There are still car chases and guns and bad guys, but there are also grandkids and deteriorating vision, and there's even Vanessa Hudgens.

Will Smith And Martin Lawrence Reunite In 'Bad Boys For Life'

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Tuesday

The Forgotten Wordplay And Songcraft Of Harvey Danger

Best known for the 1997 hit "Flagpole Sitta," Harvey Danger had much more to offer, argues NPR's Stephen Thompson. Scott Gries/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Gries/Getty Images

One-Hit Wonders / Second-Best Songs

The Forgotten Wordplay And Songcraft Of Harvey Danger

For NPR's "One-Hit Wonders/Second-Best Songs," NPR Music's Stephen Thompson recommends "Happiness Writes White" by the band Harvey Danger. The band is known mostly for their 1997 hit "Flagpole Sitta."

The Forgotten Wordplay And Songcraft Of Harvey Danger

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Monday

Our 2020 Grammys Recap

Billie Eilish swept the major categories at the 62nd Grammy Awards. Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy hide caption

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Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Our 2020 Grammys Recap

We've just gotten done watching the 62nd Grammy Awards. Billie Eilish swept the night's four biggest categories and won five Grammys overall. But two major news events cast shadows over the ceremony: the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, and a scandal inside the Recording Academy which includes allegations of vote rigging and sexual misconduct.

Our 2020 Grammys Recap

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Friday

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out On Jan. 24

Andy Shauf. His latest full-length, The Neon Skyline, is on our shortlist of the best albums out on Jan. 24. Colin Medley/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Colin Medley/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out On Jan. 24

Our sprint through the best new albums out this week includes a debut from the rapper Hook, the sinister storytelling of Andy Shauf, a solo release from Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker and more.

Jan. 24 2020

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Wednesday

Vrooming Engines Meet Flaring Tempers In 'Ford V Ferrari'

Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale) in Ford V Ferrari. Merrick Morton/Twentieth Century Fox hide caption

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Merrick Morton/Twentieth Century Fox

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Vrooming Engines Meet Flaring Tempers In 'Ford V Ferrari'

Cars that are going very fast have been cinema staples for decades. In the Oscar best picture nominee Ford v Ferrari, we find out a little about what it can take to make them go that fast. Starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, the film indeed tells the tale of an epic battle of Ford versus Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966.

Vrooming Engines Meet Flaring Tempers In 'Ford V Ferrari'

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Friday

New Music Friday: Our Top 9 Albums Out On Jan. 17

The late rapper Mac Miller. His posthumous release, Circles, is on our shortlist for the best new albums out on Jan. 17. Christian Weber/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Christian Weber/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 9 Albums Out On Jan. 17

A posthumous release from Mac Miller, Halsey's Manic and Little Big Town's Nightfall top our shortlist for the best new albums out this week.

New Music Friday: Our Top 9 Albums Out On Jan. 17

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We're Ride Or Diamond For 'Uncut Gems'

Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler) shows off a diamond-encrusted Furby. A24 hide caption

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A24

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We're Ride Or Diamond For 'Uncut Gems'

A gambler, a rock, a ring, and Kevin Garnett are the primary ingredients in Uncut Gems, a thriller directed by Josh and Benny Safdie. Adam Sandler stars as compulsive gambler Howard Ratner, and the film is so tense that calling it tense seems completely inadequate.

We're Ride Or Diamond For 'Uncut Gems'

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Wednesday

Music

Billie Eilish And The Long Line Of James Bond Theme Songs

Teenage pop star Billie Eilish will compose and sing the theme song for the next James Bond movie. Here's how she fits into a long tradition of Bond songs.

Billie Eilish And The Long Line Of James Bond Theme Songs

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Whitney Houston, The Notorious B.I.G. Among 2020's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees

Whitney Houston is the only woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year. Other 2020 inductees include Depeche Mode, The Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails, Biggie Smalls and T. Rex. Scott Gries/Getty Images hide caption

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Music News

Whitney Houston, The Notorious B.I.G. Among 2020's Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductees

Houston, the only woman included in the 2020 class of a male-dominated institution, will be joined by Biggie Smalls, Nine Inch Nails, The Doobie Brothers, T. Rex and Depeche Mode.

Talking, Laughing, Loving, Breathing: On The Return Of 'The L Word'

Katherine Moennig reprises the role of Shane McCutcheon in The L Word: Generation Q. Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Showtime hide caption

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Hilary Bronwyn Gayle/Showtime

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Talking, Laughing, Loving, Breathing: On The Return Of 'The L Word'

From 2004 to 2009, the Showtime TV drama The L Word examined the lives of a group of queer women in L.A. The show was uneven, but it also marked an important milestone for queer representation on television. Now, the series has a sequel called The L Word: Generation Q. It's moved to a different L.A. neighborhood, it's added a diverse cast of new young stars, and it catches us up on the lives of Bette, Alice, and Shane, among others.

Talking, Laughing, Loving, Breathing: On The Return Of 'The L Word'

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Monday

Friday

New Music Friday: Our Top 7 Albums Out On Jan. 10

The artist known as Poppy. Her latest release, I Disagree, is on our shortlist for the best new albums out on Jan. 10. Jesse Draxler/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jesse Draxler/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 7 Albums Out On Jan. 10

Our sprint through the week's best new albums returns with music from the genre-bending artist known as Poppy, Irish singer-songwriter David Keenan, Echosmith, Field Music and more.

Jan. 10 2020

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