Stephen Thompson

Stephen Thompson appears in the following:

New Music Friday: The best new albums out June 13

Friday, June 13, 2025

Brandee Younger. The Cure. Annahstasia. WRTI's Nate Chinen joins Stephen Thompson to discuss our favorite albums of the week.

Featured albums:

• Annahstasia, 'Tether'

• Mary Halvorson, 'About Ghosts'

• Brandee Younger, 'Gadabout Season'

• Joe Armon-Jones, 'All The Quiet (Part II)'

• The Cure, 'Mixes for a Lost World'

See our long list of albums out June 13 and sample more than 50 of them via our New Music Friday playlist on npr.org.

Credits
Host: Stephen Thompson
Guest: Nate Chinen, WRTI
Producer: Simon Rentner
Editor: Otis Hart
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Vice President, Music and Visuals: Keith Jenkins

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New Music Friday: The best albums out May 2

Friday, May 02, 2025

NPR Music's Stephen Thompson is joined by Julie Bee of Marfa Public Radio to talk through the best albums released on May 2.

Featured albums:

• Car Seat Headrest, 'The Scholars' (Stream)

• Samantha Crain, 'Gumshoe' (Stream)

• PUP, 'Who Will Look After The Dogs?' (Stream)

• Jenny Hval, 'Iris Silver Mist' (Stream)

• Jolie Laide, 'Creatures' (Stream)

See the long list of albums out May 2 and stream our New Music Friday playlist at npr.org/music.

Credits

Host: Stephen Thompson
Guest: Julie Bernal, Marfa Public Radio
Producer: Simon Rentner
Editors: Otis Hart and Elle Mannion
Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
Vice President, Music and Visuals: Keith Jenkins

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New Music Friday: The best albums out April 11

Friday, April 11, 2025

Bon Iver returns. Valerie June branches out. NPR Music's Stephen Thompson welcomes Erin Wolf of Radio Milwaukee's 88Nine to the show for a quick run-through of the best new albums out April 11.

Featured albums:

• Bon Iver, 'SABLE, fABLE'

• Valerie June, 'Owls, Omens, and Oracles'

• Gerald Clayton, 'Ones & Twos'

• Real Lies, 'We Will Annihilate Our Enemies' (out April 16)

• Kills Birds, 'Crave' EP

Check out our long list of albums out April 11 and stream our New Music Friday sampler playlist of more than 70 songs at npr.org/music.

Credits
• Host: Stephen Thompson
• Guest: Erin Wolf, Radio Milwakee's 88Nine
• Producer: Simon Rentner
• Editor: Otis Hart
• Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed
• Vice President, Music & Visuals: Keith Jenkins

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Pop culture that changed our minds

Thursday, April 10, 2025

At a certain point, most of us settle into a groove with our pop culture consumption. We know what we love and what we're not into. But sometimes, all it takes is one great outlier or a willingness to step outside our comfort zone to make us reconsider what we don't like. Today we're talking about our pop culture revelations, including Friday Night Lights, Train to Busan, the poetry of Mary Oliver, and Watchmen.

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Lady Gaga's 'Mayhem' is a dense and intense pop explosion

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Lady Gaga has kept busy as a singer and actor, but it's been five years since she's released a full-blown pop album. Now, she's back with Mayhem, which has already produced three hits — including the chart-topping Bruno Mars duet "Die With A Smile." It's got bangers, it's got ballads, it's Lady Gaga through and through.

To access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Pop Culture Happy Hour, subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour+ at plus.npr.org/happy.

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Terrible but bingeable TV shows

Thursday, March 06, 2025

What is it about a show that turns you into a bitter-ender, that keeps you dutifully watching every last episode, long after the train has jumped the tracks? Even when you know it's not good, but, for you anyway, it's just good enough to muddle through, all the way to the finale? Today, we're revisiting our conversation about terrible but bingeable TV shows

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Our favorite 'SNL' musical moments

Wednesday, March 05, 2025

Perhaps you've heard that Saturday Night Live is celebrating its 50th anniversary — they've mentioned it once or twice. From Lazy Sunday to Domingo to a ton of iconic musical performances, SNL's had a long and fascinating relationship with music. Today, we're talking about some of our favorite SNL musical moments.

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Our 2025 Oscars Recap

Monday, March 03, 2025

This year's Oscars was a big night for Sean Baker's Anora, including wins for best picture and director. The film's star Mikey Madison scored one of the night's few upsets, winning best actress. Adrien Brody, Kieran Culkin and Zoe Saldaña also took home acting wins. We also recap the hilarious bits from host Conan O'Brien, the long and discursive speeches, and show stopping musical numbers.

To access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Pop Culture Happy Hour, subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour+ at plus.npr.org/happy.

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Our favorite actors who've never been nominated for an Oscar

Monday, February 24, 2025

The standard line for awards season goes: "It's an honor just to be nominated." But when it comes to the Oscars, there's quite a long list of great performers who have never received this honor. Today, we're talking about some of our favorites who should have at least one Oscar on their mantle — including Pam Grier, John Goodman, Oscar Isaac, and Regina Hall.

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In 'The Monkey' the goring is never boring

Friday, February 21, 2025

In the new horror-comedy The Monkey, Theo James plays a pair of identical twin brothers who get saddled with a cursed wind-up toy monkey that causes people around them to die freakish, gory deaths. It's based on a Stephen King short story, and directed by Osgood Perkins, who made last year's Longlegs.

Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture

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We fantasy cast 'The Traitors'

Tuesday, February 18, 2025

The Peacock reality show The Traitors continues to be a delightful mix of treachery, foolishness, and Alan Cumming's outfits. In the United States, the cast is made up exclusively of so-called celebrities. So today on the show we're fantasy casting who we think should be on the next season of The Traitors.

In the run-up to the Oscars, Pop Culture Happy Hour is watching all 10 best picture nominees – and you're invited to join us! Sign up for the NPR Movie Club newsletter series and tell us what you thought of the movies you watched this week.

Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

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'Paddington in Peru' puts a mild bear in the wild jungle

Monday, February 17, 2025

In the new movie Paddington In Peru, Paddington Bear and the Brown family fly across the globe, into the wilds of Peru, in search of Paddington's Aunt Lucy. Along the way, they meet a not-remotely-suspicious singing nun (Olivia Colman) and a boat captain (Antonio Banderas). The adventure that follows involves lost treasure and narrow escapes — and leads to new revelations about Paddington's past, and a new appreciation for what it means to be home.

In the run-up to the Oscars, Pop Culture Happy Hour is watching all 10 best picture nominees – and you're invited to join us! Sign up for the NPR Movie Club newsletter series and tell us what you thought of the movies you watched this week.

Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture


Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

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There can only be one pope in the delightfully preposterous 'Conclave'

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

The new movie Conclave is a fun and twisty political thriller. Ralph Fiennes plays a cardinal tasked to managing the secretive process in which the pope is replaced. The film offers plenty of scandals, surprises, and dark horses, along with some strong commentary on the state of the Catholic church. Directed by Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front), the film also stars Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini.

Follow Pop Culture Happy Hour on Letterboxd at letterboxd.com/nprpopculture.

Subscribe to Pop Culture Happy Hour Plus at plus.npr.org/happyhour

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Favorite Family Friendly Movies of 2024, and All Time

Tuesday, August 06, 2024

We ask NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour host Stephen Thompson for favorite family friendly movies and we'll take your calls.

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Rock icon or a victim of exploitation? Examining Amy Winehouse's legacy

Sunday, May 19, 2024

A just-released, fictionalized film looks at the life of British singer Amy Winehouse. The music and career of the real Amy Winehouse still fascinate.

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What 'Pop Culture Happy Hour' thinks of Jerry Seinfeld's Pop-Tart movie 'Unfrosted'

Friday, May 10, 2024

The Netflix movie Unfrosted tells a made-up version of Pop-Tarts' origin story. It hasn't been received favorably, including by NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour hosts.

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Review: 'Kung Fu Panda 4'

Sunday, March 17, 2024

How does Kung Fu Panda 4 stack up against its predecessors in the popular animated movie franchise? Stephen Thompson from NPR's Pop Culture Happy Hour brings a group together to review the new film.

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The Oscar nominees for best original film score

Saturday, March 02, 2024

Host Scott Detrow hears about the Academy Award nominees for best original film score.

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The Super Bowl was more than football — it was a night of pop culture

Monday, February 12, 2024

It was a night of football in Las Vegas' first Super Bowl, but also Usher's halftime show, as well as ads featuring celebrities and the conclusion of an NFL season that also starred Taylor Swift.

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Great football movies

Saturday, February 10, 2024

On this Super Bowl weekend, we ask: What makes a great football movie?

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