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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

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out On June 28

Rapper Freddie Gibbs and Madlib. Their latest project, Bandana is on our short list of the best albums out on June 28. Nick Walker/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Nick Walker/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out On June 28

Our list for this week's best new albums includes a solo release from Thom Yorke, the return of garage rock stalwarts They Black Keys, a new project from Freddie Gibbs and Madlib and more.

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out On June 28

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'Yesterday' Imagines A World Without The Beatles

Ellie (Lily James) and Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) in Yesterday, the latest film from Danny Boyle. Jonathan Prime/Universal Pictures hide caption

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Jonathan Prime/Universal Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Yesterday' Imagines A World Without The Beatles

In Yesterday, Himesh Patel plays Jack Malik, an English singer whose career is going nowhere. His parents don't understand him, but he's got the support of his friends — especially Ellie, his manager, played by Lily James. One night, Jack gets hit by a bus at the precise moment of a worldwide power outage. When he wakes up, he learns that he's in a world where the Beatles never existed. So he starts playing their songs — the world soon hears them for the first time, and Jack finds his entire life upended.

'Yesterday' Imagines A World Without The Beatles

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Thursday

Wednesday

We Spoil 'Avengers: Endgame'

Women superheroes unite in Avengers: Endgame. Marvel Studios hide caption

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Marvel Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We Spoil 'Avengers: Endgame'

When Avengers: Endgame came out in late April, it got good reviews and it did huge business. As with everything we talk about, we didn't want to spoil it for you, so some of its biggest developments went un-analyzed. But no more. We thought this one deserved a second look before we bid this chapter of the Marvel Universe farewell. So today, we're discussing and revealing with abandon.

We Spoil 'Avengers: Endgame'

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Friday

New Music Friday: Our Top 7 Albums For June 21

Lil Nas X. His debut EP 7 is on our shortlist for the best releases out on June 21. Tanima Mehrotra/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Tanima Mehrotra/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 7 Albums For June 21

It's another packed release week; Lil Nas X's debut EP is finally here, along with a posthumous release from Prince, a solo album from producer Mark Ronson, the return of The Raconteurs and more.

New Music Friday: Our Top 7 Albums For June 21

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'Toy Story 4' Mixes Nostalgia And Existential Dread

Woody (Tom Hanks) and Bo Peep (Annie Potts) reunite in Toy Story 4. Pixar/Disney/Pixar hide caption

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Pixar/Disney/Pixar

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Toy Story 4' Mixes Nostalgia And Existential Dread

The Toy Story movies have been skittering around the closets of our hearts for almost 25 years. Anchored by Woody the sheriff, voiced by Tom Hanks, they're central to the story of Pixar. Now we're up to Toy Story 4. This time, Woody has to protect a homemade toy named Forky, voiced by Tony Hale. Forky may just be a spork with a face, but he's special to Bonnie, the little girl Woody lives with.

'Toy Story 4' Mixes Nostalgia And Existential Dread

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Friday

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out June 14

The rapper Goldlink. His new album, Diaspora, is on our shortlist for the best new releases of the week. Joyce Ng/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Joyce Ng/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out June 14

Our list of the week's best new albums includes Bruce Springsteen's wistful ode to orchestral pop, the rock artistry of Baroness, DMV rapper Goldlink, the spoken-word artist Kate Tempest and more.

New Music Friday: Our Top 8 Albums Out June 14

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Mindy Kaling And Emma Thompson Team Up In 'Late Night'

Emma Thompson plays the fictional talk show host Katherine Newbury in Late Night. Emily Aragones/Amazon Studios hide caption

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Emily Aragones/Amazon Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Mindy Kaling And Emma Thompson Team Up In 'Late Night'

In the movie Late Night, Mindy Kaling plays Molly Patel, a woman who gets her big break in the writers' room of late night host Katherine Newbury. Newbury, played by Emma Thompson, is on thin ice with the network and wants to add Molly as a way of diversifying her very white and very male writing staff. But once Molly gets there, she finds that being considered a diversity hire comes with challenges of its own. Late Night also features John Lithgow, Denis O'Hare, and Reid Scott.

Mindy Kaling And Emma Thompson Team Up In 'Late Night'

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Thursday

Monday

The 2019 Tony Awards

Tony winner Ali Stroker performs "I Can't Say No" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma! onstage during the 2019 Tony Awards. Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions hide caption

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Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The 2019 Tony Awards

We are recapping this year's Tony Awards. James Corden was back as the host, and it was a big night for the musical Hadestown and the Irish play The Ferryman. The musicals Tootsie and Oklahoma! also picked up multiple awards.

The 2019 Tony Awards

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Friday

We Break The Fourth Wall To Talk 'Fleabag'

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is the creator and star of Fleabag, now streaming on Amazon. Amazon hide caption

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Amazon

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

We Break The Fourth Wall To Talk 'Fleabag'

In 2016, Phoebe Waller-Bridge presented the world with Fleabag. She not only writes the show, but she stars in it too. She plays a young woman only referred to as Fleabag who is bruised by external and internal struggles. And in 2019, the show came back for a wonderful second and, we're told, final season.

We Break The Fourth Wall To Talk 'Fleabag'

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Thursday

Calexico And Iron & Wine Return, With 'Years To Burn'

Iron & Wine's Sam Beam teams up with Calexico for Years to Burn, their first album-length collaboration since 2005. Piper Ferguson/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Piper Ferguson/Courtesy of the artist

Review

First Listen

Calexico And Iron & Wine Return, With 'Years To Burn'

Sam Beam and Calexico's first album-length collaboration since 2005 feels most of all like the work of a complete, cohesive band — a group of old friends who've gathered to sing in a single voice.

Wednesday

Can You Feel The Love (For 'Rocketman') Tonight?

Taron Egerton as Elton John in Rocketman. Gavin Bond/Paramount Pictures hide caption

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Gavin Bond/Paramount Pictures

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Can You Feel The Love (For 'Rocketman') Tonight?

Rocketman is a new biopic about queer rock icon Elton John. It is in many ways a typical rise-and-fall, dangers of fame kind of rock star biopic. But there is a difference: this is a full-on jukebox musical on film. And star Taron Egerton doesn't just lip-sync — he actually sings.

Can You Feel The Love (For 'Rocketman') Tonight?

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Monday

Saturday