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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

Pop Culture Happy Hour: A Long Day's Journey To Mork And Mindy's House
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Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour: A Long Day's Journey To Mork And Mindy's House

This week's podcast kicks off with a brief discussion of the pulpily titillating HBO fantasy miniseries Game of Thrones, then delves into adaptations, Pop Culture Travels and all things happiness-inducing.

Pop Culture Happy Hour: A Long Day's Journey To Mork And Mindy's House

Listen · 46:05
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Monday

Steve Earle: Tiny Desk Concert
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Tiny Desk

Steve Earle: Tiny Desk Concert

Earle has lived through the sort of horrors that have launched a million country songs: addiction, affliction, heartbreak, even prison. He wears them in his voice, but what's most appealing about him is the wide-eyed, unmistakable fearlessness with which he goes about his life these days.

Steve Earle: Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 9:06
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Wednesday

Crisis Averted: Lady Gaga Approves 'Weird Al' Yankovic Parody

For those who hope to one day see a video in which "Weird Al" Yankovic adopts many satirized Lady Gaga personas, all's well that ends well. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Opinion

All Songs Considered

Crisis Averted: Lady Gaga Approves 'Weird Al' Yankovic Parody

For those anxiously awaiting a video in which Yankovic adopts many satirized Lady Gaga personas, rest easy: Gaga has, after a brief online controversy, heard the song and approved of its release.

Sunday

Monday

Josh Ritter: Tiny Desk Concert
Adele Hampton/NPR

Tiny Desk

Josh Ritter: Tiny Desk Concert

The gifted singer-songwriter's performance in our offices was the best Valentine's Day gift we could have gotten, short of the immediate cessation of the holiday itself.

Josh Ritter: Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 16:43
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Saturday

Bright Eyes, Live In Concert: SXSW 2011

Conor Oberst, a rock 'n' roll lifer at the age of 31, played a two-hour set with his band Bright Eyes at Auditorium Shores in Austin, Tex. Shantel Mitchell for NPR hide caption

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SXSW Music Festival

Bright Eyes, Live In Concert: SXSW 2011

On the new People's Key, Conor Oberst is no longer a prodigiously gifted kid; he's become an adventurous, fully formed folk-rock icon. Listen to Bright Eyes cap SXSW 2011 with a two-hour concert.

Listen Now: Bright Eyes In Concert

Listen · 2:02:10
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Friday

Tuesday

Download: Thurston Moore's Beautiful 'Benediction'

A glorious bit of Velvet Underground-esque balladry, Thurston Moore's "Benediction" unfolds like a graceful prayer. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Review

Song Of The Day

Download: Thurston Moore's Beautiful 'Benediction'

A glorious bit of Velvet Underground-esque balladry, "Benediction" moves elegantly through five minutes of subtle, gentle grace, propelled sure-handedly by Samara Lubelski's exquisite violin.

'Benediction' by Thurston Moore

Listen · 5:17
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Monday

Fang Island: A Mope-Free Zone

Fang Island's "Daisy" unfolds as a sunny summer jam in which emotion gives way to perpetual motion. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Review

Song Of The Day

Fang Island: A Mope-Free Zone

Fang Island's "Daisy" unfolds as a sunny summer jam in which emotion gives way to perpetual motion. Along the way, it lives up to the band's stated wish to sound like "everyone high-fiving everyone."

'Daisy' by Fang Island

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Sunday

Middle Brother, Live In Concert: SXSW 2011

Middle Brother's Matt Vasquez shreds at Auditorium Shores in Austin, Texas. Katie Hayes Luke for NPR hide caption

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Live in Concert

Middle Brother, Live In Concert: SXSW 2011

Middle Brother fits right alongside the rustic likes of Dawes, Delta Spirit and Deer Tick — which makes sense, given that each of those bands contributes a member.

Middle Brother, Live In Concert: SXSW 2011

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Man Man, Live In Concert: SXSW 2011

Man Man (led by Honus Honus) performed several songs off their forthcoming album, Live Fantastic. Shantel Mitchell for NPR hide caption

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Live in Concert

Man Man, Live In Concert: SXSW 2011

There's something unhinged about Man Man. The Philadelphia band careens and stomps through songs at once bizarre, run-down and decadent.

Man Man, Live In Concert: SXSW 2011

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Front Row: The Felice Brothers

The Felice Brothers performed at Auditorium Shores. Shantel Mitchell for NPR hide caption

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Live in Concert

Front Row: The Felice Brothers

The Felice Brothers' ramshackle sound draws on the past for a mix of subdued, Dylan-inspired folk and freewheeling Springsteenian rock.

Front Row: The Felice Brothers

Listen · 42:55
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Saturday

Friday

The Calm Blue Sea: Beautiful Buildup, Pummeling Payoff

The Calm Blue Sea's "Literal" spends nearly eight minutes billowing into a majestic wonder. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Review

Song Of The Day

The Calm Blue Sea: Beautiful Buildup, Pummeling Payoff

At nearly eight minutes, The Calm Blue Sea's "Literal" moves through so many phases and changes, and achieves such elegance and power in the process, that it's actually a shame to hear it end.

'Literal' by The Calm Blue Sea

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