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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

Wednesday

Song Premiere: Arca's 'Manners' Finds Warmth Between Extremes

An image from Arca's "Manners." Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Song Premiere: Arca's 'Manners' Finds Warmth Between Extremes

NPR Music's Sami Yenigun answers the question, "What song do you love right now?"

Hear 'Manners' by Arca

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Tuesday

Monday

Hear The Antlers' New 'Drift Dive,' A Song Of Surprising Calm

The Antlers will release the Undersea EP on July 24. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

Hear The Antlers' New 'Drift Dive,' A Song Of Surprising Calm

Hear the sweetly horn-infused "Drift Dive," which kicks off a lovely new EP of songs about water.

Hear 'Drift Dive' by The Antlers

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Friday

Wednesday

Tuesday

Monday

Absent For Years, Cat Power Takes A Long Road To 'Ruin'

Chan Marshall, a.k.a. Cat Power. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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All Songs Considered

Absent For Years, Cat Power Takes A Long Road To 'Ruin'

Chan Marshall's new song has a breezy feel, consistent with her prolific use of the word "bitchin'."

Hear 'Ruin' By Cat Power

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Sunday

First Listen: Beachwood Sparks, 'The Tarnished Gold'

Beachwood Sparks' first album in 11 years, The Tarnished Gold, comes out June 26. Jim Goodrich/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Jim Goodrich/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Beachwood Sparks, 'The Tarnished Gold'

The charming L.A. band recently reassembled after a lengthy hiatus, yet its first full-length album since 2001 still meets at that misty midpoint between '70s singer-songwriter pop and harmony-intensive Americana, with a light dusting of psychedelia to enhance the dreamlike effect.

Glen Hansard: Tiny Desk Concert
Emily Bogle/NPR

Tiny Desk

Glen Hansard: Tiny Desk Concert

While the new Rhythm and Repose feels like a low-key '70s singer-songwriter record (think Cat Stevens or Van Morrison), this five-song set gives Hansard a chance to flex his neck muscles a bit, as he lends blustery force to an assortment of new songs and deep cuts.

Glen Hansard: Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 22:06
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Sunday

First Listen: Glen Hansard, 'Rhythm And Repose'

Glen Hansard's new album, Rhythm and Repose, comes out June 19. Conor Masterson hide caption

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Conor Masterson

First Listen

First Listen: Glen Hansard, 'Rhythm And Repose'

A gentle, breezy bummer, Rhythm and Repose is the Frames and Swell Season singer's quietest record yet. To put it mildly, it spends more time in repose than it spends enslaved by the rhythm.

Hear 'Rhythm And Repose' In Its Entirety

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Monday

Kelly Hogan: Tiny Desk Concert
Michael Katzif/NPR

Tiny Desk

Kelly Hogan: Tiny Desk Concert

Hogan brings confidence and unflappable professionalism to her new album, I Like to Keep Myself in Pain. That carries over to this performance in the NPR Music offices, as she and her ace band knock out three songs with seeming effortlessness and easygoing charm.

Kelly Hogan: Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 11:34
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Sunday

First Listen: The Tallest Man On Earth, 'There's No Leaving Now'

The Tallest Man on Earth's new album, There's No Leaving Now, comes out June 12. Julia Mard hide caption

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Julia Mard

First Listen

First Listen: The Tallest Man On Earth, 'There's No Leaving Now'

Constructed from the simplest and boldest of ingredients, Kristian Matsson's music maintains a capacity for bounciness, poignancy, propulsion and grace.

Hear 'There's No Leaving Now' In Its Entirety

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Thursday

Patrick Watson: Tiny Desk Concert
Michael Katzif/NPR

Tiny Desk

Patrick Watson: Tiny Desk Concert

With a gifted backing band on hand to help flesh out three songs from Adventures in Your Own Backyard, Watson conducts a swirl of interlocking loveliness that still finds room for surprises, from a singing saw to a microphone that makes his voice sound as if it's bouncing off some faraway satellite.

Patrick Watson: Tiny Desk Concert

Listen · 14:44
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Sunday

First Listen: Japandroids, 'Celebration Rock'

Japandroids' new album, Celebration Rock, comes out June 5. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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First Listen

First Listen: Japandroids, 'Celebration Rock'

Celebration Rock is the sound of a band streamlining its boundless energy in an effort to craft the awesomest possible moment, in the moment, only to top it seconds later.

Hear 'Celebration Rock' In Its Entirety

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