This week we noticed some sheep, sang some songs, and performed some Zelda.

This is what the NPR’s Pop Tradition Blissful Hour crew was listening to — and what you need to take a look at this weekend.

The Soundtrack Present

What’s making me blissful this week is that this podcast referred to as The Soundtrack Present. This can be a podcast that goes deep into analyzing movie scores. It is written and hosted by this man named David Collins, who I consider is a sound designer and a voice actor. It is again with a multipart sequence about John Williams’ rating for E.T., and it is like transcendently good. This present simply … I’m, like, exploding head emoji the entire time I am listening to it, as a result of he goes so deep on music idea and orchestration and the way the music helps the storytelling, and the way this music pertains to music and different movies. … And the E.T. sequence, I might say, is a superb level to leap in, as a result of it’s simply one of many all-time nice movie scores. And I really noticed John Williams conduct his personal music with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra a few months in the past, and he performed a bit little bit of E.T. and I simply, like, floated into area. I used to be so blissful to listen to it.

– Wailin Wong

Reservation Canines

What’s making me blissful this week is that FX launched their summer season premiere schedule, and what I presently care about most is the third season of Reservation Canines. And I say that as a result of I am writing about Reservation Canines proper now and I am revisiting the second season and it’s simply taking me on such a curler coaster of emotion.

These 4 pals are simply actually going by means of it in Season 2 as they proceed to cope with just like the grief of dropping their fifth buddy member as they cope with form of rising up, getting jobs, making an attempt to determine in the event that they wish to stay on the reservation for the remainder of their lives or in the event that they wish to transfer away. So there’s all that like actually nuanced writing and performing that’s occurring inside this ensemble.

However there are additionally these episodes that… as a result of they’ve established this world of Oklahoma, and since they’ve established these characters, the present is keen to get bizarre and foolish. So there is a standalone episode concerning the aunties of this neighborhood. There’s an episode concerning the police character performed by Zahn McClarnon. And I feel it is actually price catching up on Seasons 1 and a pair of as a result of Season 3 is coming in August, and I simply assume it is the most effective reveals on TV.

– Roxana Hadadi

Delusions of Grandeur and Weight for It

What’s making me blissful this week are two podcasts. The primary is known as Delusions of Grandeur. It’s a “Star Wars” Novel Recap podcast. It’s concerning the “Star Wars” novels which have been launched from the canon as of 2014, when Disney removed all of that backstory that lots of people grew up with. Hosts Emily Gadek and Kelly Hardcastle Jones are literally going by means of a few of their favorites, they usually’re recapping every e-book and simply speaking concerning the vastness of the “Star Wars” universe.

And the second is one which’s a bit nearer to my coronary heart. It’s referred to as Weight for It. It’s a podcast that I’ve written and produced that’s popping out later this summer season, and it’s about navigating a fats phobic world in a fats physique, and what that is like. It is telling the tales and unpacking the small print, searching for love, discovering an airplane seat, all the little indignities that come day-after-day with residing life in a bigger physique. I am very excited. It comes out on August fifth, however the trailer and feed is up now, so go subscribe.

– Ronald Younger Jr.

The Act of Pleasure

Effectively, what’s making me blissful this week is that my crush, my lady, Janelle Monáe is again. She’s again as a musical artist. And look, she’s been doing her factor and performing for the final a number of years. She was in Glass Onion, after all. And look, she’s a multi-hyphenate. She will be able to do just about something she desires. However I’ve missed her within the music scene. And now she’s again with a brand new album that is popping out in June referred to as The Age of Pleasure. It is her first album in 5 years since Soiled Pc, and her new video slash tune, “Lipstick Lover” … it is sizzling. She seems to be nice. She co-directed the video together with Alan Ferguson. It seems to be like a house film from the Nineteen Sixties and Nineteen Seventies. The style is on level. It is undoubtedly not protected for work, however I find it irresistible. I really like how she’s form of flourished and, you already know, change into much more open about her sexuality. I additionally simply assume the tune is de facto nice. It is bought massive summer season vibes.

– Aisha Harris

Extra suggestions from the Pop Tradition Blissful Hour e-newsletter

By Glen Weldon

Eurovision was final Saturday. I wrote a preview for it. Subsequent 12 months, Peacock will doubtless broadcast the semi-finals on the Tuesday and Thursday earlier than the finals, because it’s performed for the previous two years, and I might extremely advocate watching them. They add a lot context to the Grand Remaining when you’ll be able to examine a rustic’s Saturday efficiency to the one they did to qualify. Be the unbearable man at your Eurovision watch social gathering who says issues like “She blew the whistle observe!” (Norway) or “Within the semi, he went up an octave on ‘hu-man TOUCH!’ however right here he simply whispered it. That is both an excessive amount of partying or too many nerves” (Australia).

We’ll discuss The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in an upcoming PCHH episode, however for now simply know that I am over right here making my kludgy Tinkertoy rafts that hardly float and considering myself a talented engineer whereas different people are setting up tanks and mechs and inner combustion engines. (Kidding concerning the engines, however critically – give it per week.)

Oscar season is over, the Tonys could or could not go on, however Eisner Award season is without end. A number of nice comics in these nominations, hie thee to your native comedian store with this record as a information.

Amid the fervor round Succession’s upcoming finale, and the darkish, darkish magic that’s being wrought on Barry because it is available in for its personal touchdown, one other HBO Sunday night time present is holding its head down, doing the great work, and delivering quietly spectacular episodes. Do not sleep on Any person Someplace, individuals.

The Greatest Present with Tom Scharpling is nice, and this episode options a few of the forged and crew of Jury Obligation (additionally nice!) and SCTV’s Joe Flaherty (the best)! Scharpling will get to inform Flaherty about struggling to remain awake on Friday nights so he may watch SCTV, and the way it appeared focused to his particular comedy sensibilities. Tom speaks for a terrific many people.

NPR’s Tilda Wilson tailored the Pop Tradition Blissful Hour phase “What’s Making Us Blissful” right into a digital web page. In the event you like these solutions, contemplate signing up for our e-newsletter to get suggestions each week. And take heed to Pop Tradition Blissful Hour on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.