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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

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Monday

Songs We Love: San Fermin, 'Parasites'

Ellis Ludwig-Leone of San Fermin. Denny Renshaw/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Denny Renshaw/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Songs We Love: San Fermin, 'Parasites'

After a quiet opening passage, "Parasites" gets jarringly loud and frenetic, like several songs laid atop one another.

Parasites

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Monday

Sunday

First Listen: She & Him, 'Classics'

She & Him's new album, Classics, comes out Dec. 2. Autumn De Wilde/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Autumn De Wilde/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: She & Him, 'Classics'

Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward cover pop standards with the timeless impeccability for which they're known. Once again, Ward hovers mostly in the background, leaving Deschanel to steal the playful show.

Classics

Audio for First Listens is no longer available after the album is released.

Saturday

Sunday

First Listen: Flake Music, 'When You Land Here, It's Time To Return'

A remixed, remastered reissue of When You Land Here, It's Time to Return, the 1997 debut album by Flake Music, comes out Nov. 25. Singer James Mercer would later become famous for his work in The Shins and Broken Bells. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Flake Music, 'When You Land Here, It's Time To Return'

Before James Mercer became famous in The Shins, he sang in a like-minded band called Flake Music. Its newly remixed, remastered and reissued 1997 debut contains many ideas he would later revisit.

When You Land Here, It's Time To Return

Audio for First Listens is no longer available after an album is released.

Saturday

Sunday

First Listen: Thompson, 'Family'

Thompson is, among others, folk musicians Richard and Linda Thompson and their son Teddy. Thompson's new album, Family, comes out Nov. 18. Linda Thompson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Linda Thompson/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Thompson, 'Family'

Thompson gathers many branches of a formidable family tree that includes Richard, Linda, Teddy, Kami and several musicians not named Thompson.

Family

Audio for First Listens is no longer available after the album is released.

Saturday

Tuesday

Pop Culture Happy Hour, Small Batch: The Rise Of Fan Fiction

Anna Todd is adapting her One Direction fan fiction (featuring Harry Styles, pictured above) into a book series for Gallery, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. Charles Sykes//AP hide caption

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Charles Sykes//AP

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour, Small Batch: The Rise Of Fan Fiction

In the wake of news about One Direction erotic fiction, Stephen Thompson sits down with our resident fan-fiction enthusiast, Petra Mayer, to discuss fan-driven writing and the future of publishing.

Pop Culture Happy Hour, Small Batch: The Rise Of Fan Fiction

Listen · 7:29
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Monday

Pop Culture Happy Hour, Small Batch: Taylor Swift's '1989'
NPR

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour, Small Batch: Taylor Swift's '1989'

NPR Music's Stephen Thompson and Jacob Ganz discuss one of the year's biggest pop records — its sound, its roll-out, its lyrics and its place in Taylor Swift's catalog.

Pop Culture Happy Hour, Small Batch: Taylor Swift's '1989'

Listen · 8:38
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Sunday

First Listen: Damien Rice, 'My Favourite Faded Fantasy'

Damien Rice's new album, My Favourite Faded Fantasy, comes out Nov. 11. Lilja Birgisdottir/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Lilja Birgisdottir/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Damien Rice, 'My Favourite Faded Fantasy'

After an eight-year break from recording, Rice gives his bold, dreamy, impeccably rendered music plenty of room to breathe and seethe over the course of more than 50 minutes.

My Favourite Faded Fantasy

Audio for First Listens is no longer available after the album is released.

Saturday