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Playlists from The Beat Authority

Recent Playlists

Find all The Beat Authority playlists

Urban and world Music

Marques Toliver: An R&B Crooner With Strings Attached

Toliver's music is anchored by the violin, on which he is classically trained. He says he discovered the instrument in fifth grade — and that in a way, it chose him.

Latin Roots: Son Jarocho

Jasmine Garsd introduces a melancholy, mischievous genre from the port city of Veracruz, Mexico.

First Listen: G&D, 'The Lighthouse'

On <em>The Lighthouse</em>, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins engineer an overstuffed, idea-packed collision of funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz, psychedelic space-rock, spoken-word poetry, protest music and more. Along the way, they...

more Music from NPR

Finding Music

You can find or special order any of the music heard on this program from local music stores, including:

Northern Music & Video, Potsdam: 315-265-8100

SLU Brewer Bookstore, Canton

Ampersound, Saranac Lake:
518-891-3114

Peacock Music, Plattsburgh:
518-561-0555

Suggest a regional music vendor

The Beat Authority with David Sommerstein airs Fridays from 3-5 pm.

David's Best Beats lists

Listen to the 05/17/13 edition of The Beat Authority with David Sommerstein

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About The Beat Authority

The Beat Authority with David Sommerstein is a Friday show. It's a kick into the weekend, a bounce for your afternoon, a swing for your end-of-the-week step. A fresh, eclectic choice of dance music from all over the world. You may hear cumbia or bluegrass or afrobeat or jazz, but it'll keep your head a-noddin' and your spirits up. Join in the groove and enjoy. And if you have suggestions, e-mail 'em in!

Host David Sommerstein says:

Ever since I got a Fisher Price record player for Chanukkah when I was four, I've been a musical sponge. My favorite stuff is music that ventures across genres, and music that makes you dance.

Globalization has been a mixed bag, but it's sure invigorated the world of music. Salsa from Israel, flamenco from east L.A., Algerian rai from Paris, hip-hop from Senegal, reggae from Morocco--artists are borrowing at will, threading the sounds they hear on TV and radio into their own traditions.

David Sommerstein

Recent features on The Beat Authority

Chris Morris' Top 10 Hip Hop albums of 2012

by David Sommerstein

Dec 14, 2012 — Chris Morris is one of NCPR's Adirondack correspondents, and a serious hip hop fan. He sent this awesome list of the best of hip hop from 2012:

I need to preface this list by saying that it was close to impossible for me to narrow this list down to 10 - 2012 was easily one of the best years for new hip-hop music in close to a decade.

(I listed the album, the artist, a brief description of why I loved it, and then the album's best track)

Note: Three of the artists on this list - Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, and Ab-Soul - belong to a Los Angeles super-group called Black Hippy. I encourage all of your listeners to go out and listen to EVERYTHING they've put out in the last three years. (The fourth member is Jay Rock - go back to 2011 and check out his freshman release "Follow Me Home" - it would have made the list this year.) Go to full article

Beat Authority Top 10 of 2012

by David Sommerstein

Dec 14, 2012 — Here are my picks for the best music of the year. Now go support these awesome artists and buy some of their music! Go to full article

John McLean

Mr. Something Something: Afrobeat with a message

by David Sommerstein

Potsdam, NY, Oct 13, 2009 — Deep African beats and environmental activism make a special appearance in Potsdam this week. Toronto-based band Mr. Something Something is playing at La Casbah Moroccan restaurant Thursday night at 8:30 pm. The band's music is rooted in Afrobeat. It's a style created by the legendary musician and political activist Fela Kuti of Nigeria. It features lots of drums playing hypnotic grooves, horns punctuating phrases, and lyrics with a message. The band describes its music as "the soundtrack to a joyful revolution." Mr. Something Something was co-founded by John McLean, who's actually a Potsdam native. He hasn't been here since he was little, and he told David Sommerstein he's excited to return. McLean says he and childhood friend Larry Graves have played together since they were in first grade. Advance tickets are $8, $10 at the door. You can get yours by calling 315-274-9696 or e-mailing derekmaus@gmail.com. Go to full article

Swimming in Speakers live on The Beat Authority

by Concert Hall

Canton, NY, Aug 28, 2009 — The Adirondack electric/acoustic band Swimming in Speakers were live guests on The Beat Authority. Chris Clarke and his fellow band member, Meadow, brought a cellist, a viloinist and a drummer into the NCPR studios for a special live set on the show. Hear the whole interview/music segment as they perform "Nevergreen," "Near My Ear," "Mind Does Take," "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Svoboda." Go to full article

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