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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: Maps, 'Vicissitude'

Maps' new album, Vicissitude, comes out July 9. Erika Wall/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Erika Wall/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Maps, 'Vicissitude'

James Chapman's charming songs sound fizzy and bright throughout Vicissitude, Maps' third album, but they also convey his thoughtful reflections on transition and doubt.

Maps, 'Vicissitude'

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Monday

Patty Griffin: Tiny Desk Concert
Denise DeBelius/NPR

All Songs Considered Newsletter

Patty Griffin: Tiny Desk Concert

Griffin has always had a gift for locating a song's nerve endings; for surveying her subject matter and identifying the most efficient possible pathways to listeners' emotions.

Patty Griffin: Tiny Desk Concert

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First Listen: Cheyenne Mize, 'Among The Grey'

Cheyenne Mize's new album, Among the Grey, comes out June 25. Meagan Jordan/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Meagan Jordan/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Cheyenne Mize, 'Among The Grey'

On her new album, Mize's wearily melancholic sound makes room for sounds that can be playful, potent, lush and sweet. Among the Grey finds the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist sounding fully formed: Rich and assertive, its songs alternately storm and sparkle.

Cheyenne Mize, 'Among The Grey'

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Sunday

First Listen: Smith Westerns, 'Soft Will'

Smith Westerns' third studio album, Soft Will, comes out June 25. Sandy Kim/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Sandy Kim/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered Newsletter

First Listen: Smith Westerns, 'Soft Will'

The Chicago band's third album unleashes a sparkly charm offensive that practically rolls down your car windows for you. Sweet and dreamy, slick and sunny, Soft Will is the sound of weaponized agreeability.

Smith Westerns, 'Soft Will'

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First Listen: Mavis Staples, 'One True Vine'

Mavis Staples' new album, One True Vine, comes out June 25. Chris Strong/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Chris Strong/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Mavis Staples, 'One True Vine'

Produced by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, One True Vine radiates reverence while summoning a slow burn well-suited to Staples' rich, dusky voice. Then, as the album blooms into something more celebratory, joy peeks through like slivers of sunshine.

Mavis Staples, 'One True Vine'

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Thursday

Monday

Sunday

First Listen: Austra, 'Olympia'

Austra's new album, Olympia, comes out June 18. Norman Wong/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Norman Wong/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Austra, 'Olympia'

The Canadian band's second album showcases Katie Stelmanis' massive voice and increasingly personal lyrics in style, keeping one foot in the conservatory even as both are occupied on the dance floor.

Austra, 'Olympia'

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First Listen: Primal Scream, 'More Light'

Primal Scream's 10th album, More Light, comes out June 18. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Primal Scream, 'More Light'

Overstuffed at 69 minutes, the Scottish band's 10th album plays out like a larger-than-life celebration of survival. Like the group itself, More Light is erratic and given to excess, but still reaching for transcendence — and vital enough to find what it's looking for.

Primal Scream, 'More Light'

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Thursday

Sunday

First Listen: Surfer Blood, 'Pythons'

Surfer Blood's new album, Pythons, comes out June 11. Frank Maddocks/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Frank Maddocks/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Surfer Blood, 'Pythons'

On its second album, the beachy pop-rock band balances its fussy, studio-bound side with rich full-band chemistry and songs whose hooks pop into your thoughts days later. Pythons is more streamlined and straight-ahead than 2010's Astro Coast, but it's still catchy as anything.

Surfer Blood, 'Pythons'

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First Listen: Airhead, 'For Years'

Airhead's new album, For Years, comes out June 25. Angela Stephenson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Angela Stephenson/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Airhead, 'For Years'

A multi-instrumentalist and DJ, James Blake collaborator Rob McAndrews has an innate understanding of how to use snippets of sad music as shortcuts to emotion. But he also knows when to exude lightness and joy.

Airhead, 'For Years'

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Thursday

Sunday

First Listen: Eleanor Friedberger, 'Personal Record'

Eleanor Friedberger's new album, Personal Record, comes out June 4. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Eleanor Friedberger, 'Personal Record'

As a solo artist, the Fiery Furnaces singer is the epitome of subtle, un-showy cool. On Personal Record, her palette expands to include a wider array of themes and perspectives, while she maintains a minimalist-cool sound that's sweet, simple and timeless.

Eleanor Friedberger, 'Personal Record'

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First Listen: Jon Hopkins, 'Immunity'

Jon Hopkins new album, Immunity, comes out June 4. Steve Gullick/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Steve Gullick/Courtesy of the artist

First Listen

First Listen: Jon Hopkins, 'Immunity'

Immunity is intended to mirror the feel of a night out, and it captures both highs and lows. In Hopkins' living, breathing world of sound, beauty and beats are always free to commingle in ways that move, in every sense of the word.

Jon Hopkins, 'Immunity'

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