Stephen Thompson : NPR

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.

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Stephen Thompson

Friday August 31, 2018

Pop Culture Happy Hour's Fall TV Preview

Emma Stone stars in Maniac, one of the fall's most anticipated TV releases. Michele K. Short/Netflix hide caption

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Michele K. Short/Netflix

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour's Fall TV Preview

August 31, 2018 • It's almost the end of the summer, which means it's time for Pop Culture Happy Hour's fall TV preview. We're telling you what new shows we're excited about, and which ones we think are built to last. Guest: NPR TV Critic Eric Deggans.

Pop Culture Happy Hour's Fall TV Preview

Listen · 32:49 32:49

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Thursday August 30, 2018

St. Paul & The Broken Bones' 'Young Sick Camellia' Got The Funk

St. Paul & The Broken Bones' new album, Young Sick Camellia, comes out Sept. 7. McNair Evans/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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McNair Evans/Courtesy of the artist

Review

First Listen

St. Paul & The Broken Bones' 'Young Sick Camellia' Got The Funk

August 30, 2018 • The Alabama band keeps getting weirder, more inventive and, in danceable ringers like "Apollo," more committed than ever to the pleasures of sprightly, joyous funk.

Wednesday August 29, 2018

T'Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) settle their differences, Wakanda style. Matt Kennedy/Marvel Studios hide caption

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Matt Kennedy/Marvel Studios

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Black Panther'

August 29, 2018 • Ryan Coogler's Marvel film, set largely in the richly imagined Afro-futurist utopia of Wakanda, is by turns intimate, immediate and — most importantly — original. Guest: Code Switch's Gene Demby. (This episode originally aired on February 16, 2018.)

'Black Panther'

Listen · 19:05 19:05

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Friday August 24, 2018

Dermot Kennedy performs a Tiny Desk Concert on July 27, 2018 (Eslah Attar/NPR). Eslah Attar/NPR hide caption

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Eslah Attar/NPR

Slingshot

Dermot Kennedy: Tiny Desk Concert

August 24, 2018 • Backed for the first time ever by members of the Howard Gospel Choir, the Irish singer-songwriter shows off a voice built to fill stadiums in more ways than one.

Patrice (Laura Harrier) and Ron Stallworth (John David Washington) share a drink in Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansman. David Lee/Focus Features hide caption

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David Lee/Focus Features

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman'

August 24, 2018 • BlacKkKlansman tells the story Ron Stallworth — a black police detective who infiltrated the local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan. On today's Pop Culture Happy Hour, we dive into the most talked about Spike Lee movie in years. Guest: Code Switch's Gene Demby

Spike Lee's 'BlacKkKlansman'

Listen · 26:53 26:53

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Thursday August 23, 2018

Weep With Saintseneca's 'Pillar Of Na' In 4/4 Time

Saintseneca's Pillar of Na comes out August 31. Nick Fancher/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Nick Fancher/Courtesy of the artist

Review

First Listen

Weep With Saintseneca's 'Pillar Of Na' In 4/4 Time

August 23, 2018 • The Ohio folk-rock band matches fatalistic, ruminative rambles to arrangements that sparkle and surprise.

Tuesday August 21, 2018

The MTV VMAs Celebrate Camila Cabello And Cardi B, While Madonna Celebrates Madonna

Nicki Minaj rehearses for the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

The MTV VMAs Celebrate Camila Cabello And Cardi B, While Madonna Celebrates Madonna

August 21, 2018 • Camila Cabello won the night's two biggest prizes, while Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez and Ariana Grande gave splashy performances.

Jennifer Lopez performs onstage during the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for MTV hide caption

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Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for MTV

Pop Culture Happy Hour

2018 MTV VMAs: The Highs And Lows

August 21, 2018 • Last night the VMAs honored some top songs and artists including Camila Cabello, Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. The show also recognized Aretha Franklin—sort of. And trotted out Aerosmith—again. New York Times editor Aisha Harris joins us for a recap.

2018 MTV VMAs: The Highs And Lows

Listen · 15:26 15:26

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Friday August 17, 2018

'Crazy Rich Asians' Is A Crazy Good Movie

Constance Wu and Henry Golding star in Crazy Rich Asians. Sanja Bucko/Warner Bros. hide caption

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Sanja Bucko/Warner Bros.

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Pop Culture Happy Hour

'Crazy Rich Asians' Is A Crazy Good Movie

August 17, 2018 • This week, we talk about the charming romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, which has been lauded as groundbreaking for its all Asian and Asian-American cast. Guests: NPR's Mallory Yu and Code Switch's Kat Chow.

'Crazy Rich Asians' Is A Crazy Good Movie

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Thursday August 16, 2018

Pop Culture Happy Hour Remembers Aretha Franklin

Aretha Franklin performs onstage at the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 2017. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images hide caption

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Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour Remembers Aretha Franklin

August 16, 2018 • The "Queen of Soul" died today at age 76. She was a gifted pop singer, gospel singer, R&B singer, and even opera singer. We talk with All Things Considered's Audie Cornish about the unforgettable Aretha Franklin, and the utter abundance of music she left us.

Pop Culture Happy Hour Remembers Aretha Franklin

21:50

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Wednesday August 15, 2018

Hear Cat Power's New Song With Lana Del Rey

Cat Power's new album, Wanderer, comes out Oct. 5. Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Courtesy of the artist

All Songs TV

Hear Cat Power's New Song With Lana Del Rey

August 15, 2018 • Chan Marshall's first album in six years, Wanderer, has spawned its first official single. "Woman" is a duet that mixes icy defiance with fogbound mystery.

Blockers and Game Night: Playing Catch-Up On Comedies We Missed

Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams star in Game Night, one of this year's most surprisingly enjoyable comedies. Warner Bros. hide caption

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Warner Bros.

Review

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Blockers and Game Night: Playing Catch-Up On Comedies We Missed

August 15, 2018 • Most of this summer's blockbusters are already out. That makes it a great time to catch up on a couple of surprisingly well-reviewed comedies. In this episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour, we talk about Blockers and Game Night.

Blockers and Game Night: Playing Catch-Up On Comedies We Missed

18:51

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Tuesday August 14, 2018

At Long Last, Iron & Wine Drops 'Waves Of Galveston'

Kim Black/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

At Long Last, Iron & Wine Drops 'Waves Of Galveston'

August 14, 2018 • Iron & Wine has been performing the song live since at least 2013, but has just given it its first proper release ahead of the band's upcoming EP, Weed Garden.

Monday August 13, 2018

Two Decades Later, Death Cab For Cutie Wants To 'Thank You For Today'

Death Cab for Cutie Eliot Lee Hazel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Eliot Lee Hazel/Courtesy of the artist

Review

First Listen

Two Decades Later, Death Cab For Cutie Wants To 'Thank You For Today'

August 13, 2018 • On the band's ninth album, Ben Gibbard addresses an array of life's aftermaths, set against propulsive arrangements that know just when to sparkle and sway.

Friday August 10, 2018

Chef and television personality Guy Fieri prepares food at the 12th annual Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appetit in Las Vegas. Ethan Miller/Getty Images hide caption

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Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Punching Bags

August 10, 2018 • Every once in a while, we decide to defend the seemingly indefensible pieces of pop culture that everyone loves to hate. Today, we put on our boxing gloves to defend the honor of some of pop culture's most notorious punching bags. Guests: Audie Cornish and Guy Branum.

Pop Culture Punching Bags

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