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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

Monday

Review

Song Of The Day

Bat For Lashes: Beauty Atop Beauty

Within the first 25 seconds of "Moon and Moon," Bat for Lashes' Natasha Khan drops the line, "I'm a huntress for a husband lost at sea," revealing both a stark seriousness and a penchant for lyrical flights of fancy. But then, within the song's first five seconds, Khan had already uncorked a mesmerizing minor-key piano melody, so it was already clear that she's not messing around.

'Moon and Moon' by Bat for Lashes

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Sunday

Wednesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Regina Spektor: When Every Sound Sings

Spektor possesses unmistakable warmth and a pronounced sunny side to go with her impeccable phrasing, which finds her crafting and subtly bending every note, whether she's pining for faded memories or honking like a dolphin. She opts for the former over the latter in the marvelous "Eet."

'Eet' by Regina Spektor

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Monday

Tuesday

Thursday

Monday

Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

The Gaslight Anthem: A Morbid Summer Jam

There's no shortage of life, death or profundity in "The '59 Sound," a mile-wide, top-down, hook-laden beast of a summer anthem. But as swollen and adrenaline-infused as it is, it's really a song about the last music each of us gets to hear in our lives.

'The '59 Sound' by The Gaslight Anthem

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Monday

The Avett Brothers: Tiny Desk Concert

The Avett Brothers performing a Tiny Desk Concert. Frannie Kelley/NPR hide caption

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Frannie Kelley/NPR

Tiny Desk

The Avett Brothers: Tiny Desk Concert

If The Avett Brothers could put on a three-song acoustic concert at every workplace in America, the band would be a world-beating colossus.

Audio Only: The Avett Brothers' Tiny Desk Concert

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Wednesday

Tuesday

Review

Song Of The Day

Sarah Siskind: Surveying The Wreckage

In "Say It Louder," Siskind second-guesses a failed relationship, her voice exuding the ache of disappointment. Looking back, she's not really wishing she'd done anything differently, so much as she's wishing she'd done more: "If I had the chance to say it again," she sings, "I'd say it louder."

'Say It Louder' by Sarah Siskind

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Monday

Saturday