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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

Sunday

First Listen: Andrew Bird, 'Break It Yourself'

Andrew Bird's new album, Break It Yourself, comes out March 6. Cameron Wittig/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Cameron Wittig/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Andrew Bird, 'Break It Yourself'

Coming from an artist who's become a model of sunny consistency over the course of a dozen albums, Break It Yourself is a quiet, careful grower. Give it time, though, and it blooms into something beautiful.

Listen To 'Break It Yourself' In Its Entirety

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First Listen: The Magnetic Fields, 'Love At The Bottom Of The Sea'

The Magnetic Fields' new album, Love at the Bottom of the Sea, comes out March 6. Marcelo Krasilcic/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Marcelo Krasilcic/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: The Magnetic Fields, 'Love At The Bottom Of The Sea'

If a prevailing concept runs through Love at the Bottom of the Sea, it's the rejection of grandiosity or self-importance. These 15 songs are slight by design, but there's a world of wit in their brevity.

Hear 'Love At The Bottom Of The Sea' In Its Entirety

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Thursday

The Cranberries: Tiny Desk Concert
Kainaz Amaria/NPR

Tiny Desk

The Cranberries: Tiny Desk Concert

The best-selling Irish pop-rock band has returned with a new album called Roses. But the group isn't afraid to dip into its arsenal of early hits at the NPR Music offices.

The Cranberries: Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 19:41
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Sunday

First Listen: Fanfarlo, 'Rooms Filled With Light'

Fanfarlo's new album, Rooms Filled With Light, comes out Feb. 28. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Fanfarlo, 'Rooms Filled With Light'

A fundamentally approachable band, Fanfarlo fills its new album with hug-and-a-handshake music.

Hear 'Rooms Filled With Light' In Its Entirety

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Tuesday

Dirty Three: For Valentine's Day, A Wordless Love Song

It's a pleasure to spend the holiday rolling around in the sumptuous beauty of Dirty Three's "The Pier." Annabel Mehran hide caption

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Annabel Mehran

Review

Song Of The Day

Dirty Three: For Valentine's Day, A Wordless Love Song

It's a pleasure to spend the holiday rolling around in the sumptuous beauty of "The Pier."

'The Pier' by Dirty Three

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Sunday

First Listen: Lambchop, 'Mr. M'

Lambchop's new album, Mr. M, comes out Feb. 21. Bill Steber/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Bill Steber/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Lambchop, 'Mr. M'

Mr. M is the sound of a downcast dreamer who, 11 albums and nearly 20 years into his career with Lambchop, is just beginning to find what he's wanted all along.

Listen To 'Mr. M' In Its Entirety

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Thursday

Craig Finn: Tiny Desk Concert
Doriane RaimanNPR

Tiny Desk

Craig Finn: Tiny Desk Concert

All these mournful, inward-facing songs (including the unreleased "Jeremiah's Blues") require is the Hold Steady singer, his acoustic guitar and the indispensable pedal steel of Ricky Ray Jackson.

Craig Finn: Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 13:33
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Sunday

First Listen: Shearwater, 'Animal Joy'

Shearwater's new album, Animal Joy, comes out Feb. 14. Amy V. Cooper/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Amy V. Cooper/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Shearwater, 'Animal Joy'

Shearwater's songs about man's relationship with nature boom and swoop with epic grace and grandeur. The new Animal Joy pairs singer Jonathan Meiburg's brainy proclamations with brawny, searching arrangements.

Listen To 'Animal Joy' In Its Entirety

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Saturday

Thursday

First Listen: Air, 'Le Voyage Dans La Lune'

Air's new album, Le Voyage Dans La Lune, comes out Feb. 7. Wendy Bevan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Wendy Bevan/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Air, 'Le Voyage Dans La Lune'

Commissioned in conjunction with the priceless restoration of the groundbreaking 1902 science-fiction film of the same name, Le Voyage Dans La Lune provides a springily modern supplement to a work of massive historical import.

Hear ‘Le Voyage Dans La Lune’ In Its Entirety

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Sunday

First Listen: Sharon Van Etten, 'Tramp'

Sharon Van Etten's new album, Tramp, comes out Feb. 7 Dusdin Condren/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Dusdin Condren/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Sharon Van Etten, 'Tramp'

There's no artifice to Van Etten: With refreshing, unmistakable directness, she sings like a human being who wants more from herself. On Tramp, she finds what she's looking for.

Listen To 'Tramp' In Its Entirety

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First Listen: Heartless Bastards, 'Arrow'

Heartless Bastards' new album, Arrow, comes out Feb. 14. Nathan Presley hide caption

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Nathan Presley

First Listen

First Listen: Heartless Bastards, 'Arrow'

Erika Wennerstrom's booming, throaty, commanding presence dominates the sound of Arrow, out Feb. 14.

Listen To 'Arrow' In Its Entirety

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