Month: May 2024

We End The Month With ‘Ladies Day Out,’ Janis Live at Winterland and a Brandi Carlile Spotlight, on Friday, May 31, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to Friday, where we celebrate the women of music with our ‘Ladies Day Out’ EP for starters. Then, it’s Janis live at Winterland Ballroom and a new Brandi Carlile Spotlight feature.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

We start out strong with five hours of uninterrupted women power from across all genres. You’ll hear Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Eva Cassidy, Wendy Waldman, Shawn Colvin, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Norah Jones, Phoebe Snow, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Susan Tedeschi, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Dolly Parton and more!

4:00 p.m. Janis Joplin Live at Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, April 12, 1968

We’ve got Janis Joplin captured live during a two-night residency at the famed Winterland Ballroom this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Brandi Carlile NEW!

I’ve been listening to and loving Brandi Carlile’s music for a while now and this has been a long time coming. Watching her perform the late, great John Prine’s Angel From Montgomery with one of my musical idols, Bonnie Raitt, during Mothership just this month certainly gave me the impetus to get this done. Her music has also been added to our standard rotation.

We’re here and it’s all about the women of music today. I don’t think there’s another music station on the planet that focuses on women like we do. That was one of our original intentions when we started this thing. Best of all, we’re on 24/7, we’re free, and there’s no commercial advertising. We’re not even tempted.

The Women of Music!

We Keep It On Folk Today With Our Multi-Artist EP, a Nanci Griffith Spotlight, and Live Joan Baez, Thursday, May 30, 2024

Good morning, music lovers. We’re focusing on the folk side of music today with our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, along with Nanci Griffith and Joan Baez.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists

Folk music has a place in history beyond just being a music genre; it represents the birth of the protest song. This EP is as big as you can get, crossing generations. You’ll hear John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Phil Ochs, James Taylor, The Carter Family, Neil Young, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Nanci Griffith

Nanci Griffith was a singer-songwriter and guitarist who had one foot firmly planted in folk and the other planted in country. It was a beautiful crossover combination.

8:00 p.m. Joan Baez, Live in 1962 NEW!

Yes, that’s simply what it is. No venues listed; no dates which someone like me finds disturbing because I’m ridiculous about that stuff. But it’s the music that really counts. Here we have a collection of songs recorded long ago that reflect Joan Baez’s 1962 live performances. We have a 1963 collection we’ll air a bit down the road.

Join us as our program focuses on the folk music side of life. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free of charge. And we do not air commercial advertising. It’s the music.

Folk Music Fiesta!

Midweek Brings More Sixties Music, a Yusuf/Cat Stevens Spotlight, and Live Dr. John, on Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Good morning, music lovers, here we are again at another midweek. We’ve got a great lineup for you here today, beginning with volume two of our ‘Sixties Rotation’ EP.

Here’s your midweek musical mayhem:

9:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

We’re into the latter portion of the sixties here where the feel is much more psychedelic at times. You’ll hear The Mamas & The Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Marvin Gaye, Buffalo Springfield, Sly & The Family Stone, The Temptation, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, The Animals, Linda Ronstadt, Wilson Pickett, The Band, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Ronettes, The Kinks, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Blind Faith, The Box Tops, CSNY, B. B. King, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell The Doors and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Cat Stevens

I have always been a fan of The Cat. He is undoubtedly one of the best and brightest of his generation of singer-songwriters. Anybody remember the torture this guy went through after 9-11 simply because he had converted to Islam? It was totally unwarranted. He changed religions. He didn’t become a terrorist. Today, he’s rightfully In The Spotlight.

8:00 p.m. Dr. John Live at Ultrasonic Studios, Hempstead, NY, November 6, 1973

The Good Dr. John Creaux, The Night Tripper (his New Orleans alter ego), and one of our very favorites, is on call tonight at 8:00 p.m.

Great day to join in and it’s an effortless process. Just pull up a tab and hit this button below. No lie. That’s it. And it’s not any stinkin’ free trial either. It’s the way it is every day.

Midweek Mayhem!

Tuesday Bluesday Brings Our Big, Bad Blues EP, Live Tedeschi Trucks Band and the “Kings” of The Blues, May 28, 2024

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to Tuesday Bluesday. We kick it off with our biggest, baddest blues EP and close it with a brand new “Kings” playlist.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

This is our biggest, baddest blues EP with Delbert McClinton, Robert Johnson, B. B. King, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Ry Cooder, Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker, The Animals, Albert King, Johnny Winter, Muddy Waters, Little Feat, Bonnie Raitt, The Yardbirds, Janis Joplin, The Rolling Stones, Bobby “Blue” Bland, The Allman Brothers Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elmore James, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Robert Cray Band, J.J. Cale, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, James Cotton, Koko Taylor, Marcia Ball, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Susan Tedeschi, Roomful of Blues, Howlin’ Wolf and more!

4:00 p.m. Tedeschi Trucks Band Live at The Fox Theater, Oakland, CA, September 8 & 9, 2016

Speaking of “big” and “blues” in the same sentence, we have music from one of the best modern-day blues bands with one hell of a lead singer in Susan Tedeschi, and arguably the best blues guitarist in the business in Derek Trucks.

8:00 p.m. The “Kings” of The Blues: B.B. King, Albert King, Freddie King NEW!

There’s no familial relation here among these kings, but they are a great trio of blues artists and we’ve got them this evening to close out Tuesday Bluesday.

Here we are. Join us. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. We ask for no personal information. And we do not run commercial advertising. What’s not to love?

Kings of The Blues!

Memorial Day Is Here and We’ve Got Our ‘Free As A Bird’ Playlist and The Beatles Top 100 Songs, Monday, May 27, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and happy Memorial Day! Yesterday was Doctor Petty’s musical highlight day; today it’s The Beatles, simply the greatest band ever.

Here’s your Memorial Day run:

9:00 a.m. Free As A Bird: Various Artists

Today we celebrate those who fought for freedom with songs about being free in all its forms. This is particularly apropos as we head into November. We’re at that point again in history. You will hear Cream, Steve Winwood, Joni Mitchell, Edgar Winter, Otis Redding, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Who, The Kinks, Chicago, The Byrds, Dave Mason, Van Morrison, Tracy Chapman, Delaney & Bonnie, Chicken Shack, Emmylou Harris, Jimi Hendrix, Pete Seeger, Curtis Mayfield, Bob Dylan and more!

3:00 p.m. The Beatles Top 100 Songs

Again, not by voting listeners or scientific calculation. It’s based on sheer love of the music. We’ve got 100 Beatle songs for you today simply for the sheer listening pleasure. There’s no competition among songs; they are not in order. They simply are.

We’ve got great programming today sprinkled among our excellent playlist of 27,000 ever-rotating songs. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. And we do not run commercial advertising. We’re all about the music.

THE BEATLES TOP 100!

We Start With ‘The Psychedelic Express,’ Then Move to Tom Petty’s Top 100 Songs On Sunday, May 26, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We move into our Memorial Day weekend programming today with Tom Petty’s Top 100. Tomorrow, we close out the weekend with The Beatles Top 100. But before all this, we kick off with ‘The Psychedelic Express.’

Here’s your holiday Sunday playlist:

9:00 a.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

One of our favorite EPs because psychedelic music is one of our favorite genres to explore. You’ll hear Vanilla Fudge, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, Electric Prunes, The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Donovan, Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Byrds, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, Fleetwood Mac, The Who, Canned Heat, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, The Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, Big Brother & The Holding Company and more!

4:00 p.m. Tom Petty’s Top 100 Songs

It’s time to pull out our House Bands for the holiday, and we start with Tom Petty’s Top 100 Songs as we listen to his music with The Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch, The Traveling Wilburys and as a solo artist. And these are in no particular order. We don’t have the infrastructure to handle votes from listeners, so we took a very scientific method and pulled song names out of a bucket. (No laughing.) From our perspective, all of his songs are great, so it doesn’t really matter what song is arbitrarily number one and which is number one hundred. Just enjoy the experience!

Kick back and relax with us this weekend. It was a beautiful day yesterday here in the Boston area, but it’s pouring rain today and it’s the perfect day to wrap your head around some great music.

Tom Petty’s Top 100!

It’s Saturday and We’ve Got ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, a Dylan Spotlight for His 83rd, and ‘Live’ Bobbie Gentry, May 25, 2024

Good morning and welcome to Memorial Day Weekend! We’re not going anywhere; we’re sitting tight here in The Mermaid Lounge playing music all weekend and we’ve got some great stuff lined up!

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

Yes, we kick it all off with our big, bad soul and R&B extended playlist where you’ll hear Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Jimmy Ruffin, The Drifters, Chuck Berry, Stevie Wonder, Carla Thomas, James Brown, The Shirelles, Etta James, Curtis Mayfield, Sam & Dave, The Staple Singers, Nina Simone, LaVern Baker, The Supremes, Sam Cooke, Edwin Starr, Fontella Bass, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Irma Thomas, The Box Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Joe Tex, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bob Dylan

The poet laureate of music turned 83 years young yesterday and we are putting him In The Spotlight where he belongs as one of the best songwriters in the history of any kind of music, among other things.

8:00 p.m. Bobbie Gentry Live at The BBC, 1968-1969

Speaking of great songwriters, we’ve got Bobbie Gentry recorded live at the BBC over year’s period. She brings along special guests Donovan and James Taylor as well.

Get in on it. We’re rolling here all day and night with absolutely no interruption and no commercial advertising. We don’t need your credit card. We’re all about the music.

Special Holiday Weekend Programming Coming!

Friday’s Here! We’ve Got Songs About Luck, a New Judy Collins Spotlight, and ‘Live’ Little Feat, May 24, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re at the end of the work week and we’ve got a great lineup today that delivers plenty of big, wide Open Stream wrapped around some excellent programming.

Here’s Friday’s musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Judy Collins NEW!

This has been a long time coming for the woman whose career has spanned seven decades and whose style has encompassed folk, country, pop, rock n’ roll, show tunes, and standards. Her musical resume consists of 36 studio albums, nine live albums, numerous compilation albums, four holiday albums and 21 singles. Judy Collins belongs In The Spotlight.

4:00 p.m. Good Luck, Bad Luck, Dumb Luck: Various Artists

You know the sayings, ” I wouldn’t have any luck if I didn’t have bad luck.” Or “It was pure, dumb luck.” We’ve got songs about them all today with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Cream, Bonnie Raitt, Steve Winwood, The Beatles, Albert King, Jethro Tull, Fats Domino, Taj Mahal, The Wallflowers, The Rolling Stones, Joe Walsh, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney, Linda Ronstadt and more!

8:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at The Orpheum Theater, Boston, MA, October 31, 1975

I’ve seen The Feat twice. Once at Harvard Square Theater with Jerry Jeff Walker as the opening act, and this show. They are a wonder to behold; one of my favorite bands on the planet and, yes, I do prefer the Lowell George Feat, thank you. That’s what we’ve got here.

Join us. It’s easy. There’s nothing to fill out online and no need for a credit card. And that’s because we’re free 24/7 with no commercial advertising. We’re all about the music.

Friday Is Here!

We’ve Got ‘Ode To Morning,’ a Carole King Spotlight, and a Steve Winwood History Lesson on Thursday, May 23, 2024

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to the downslide to the weekend! We’re moving through this day in fine style with some great music.

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists

Yesterday we started out with songs about the night. Today, we get it right with Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Dan Fogelberg, Linda Ronstadt, Harry Chapin, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Carole King

From her days as a songwriter in the famed Brill Building to this very day, Carole King has been a force in the music world. A true legend in her time.

8:00 p.m. Traffic, Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group Super Jam

Or, Steve Winwood 1.0. We close out the programming with another musical legend.

The weather is beginning to cool a bit, and that’s just fine with me. May is a bit too early for 90 degrees. Nevertheless, we are here in The Mermaid Lounge for your listening pleasure, where the music is hot but the atmosphere is cool.

Ode To Morning!

Midweek Brings ‘Here Comes The Night,’ a New Patty Griffin Spotlight and Ringo’s Best Drumming, Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re in a heat wave here this week, both outside and inside The Lounge! We start the morning off with songs about the night!

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Here Comes The Night: Various Artists

Songs about night in the morning brings the music of Warren Zevon, J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Them, The Beatles, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Ronettes, John Cougar Mellencamp, The Doors, Poco, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Steve Winwood and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Patty Griffin NEW!

Patty Griffin is a quite accomplished singer, songwriter and musician whose music has been recorded by many musical artists over the years, yet fame has eluded her. She is not alone, but she has found a home here in The Mermaid Lounge and her music has also been added to our standard rotation.

8:00 p.m. The Beatles: Ringo’s Best Drumming Performances

Ringo Starr isn’t just a drummer, he’s actually a percussionist. While some have brushed off his drumming talents, we suggest that these critics are obsessed with drum solos that break up the mood of the song. That’s not Ringo. And his peers, like Dave Grohl, Stuart Copeland and Tre Cool know how inspirational his style has been over the years. In short, just as McCartney doesn’t play the bass like everyone else, Ringo has his own drumming style, sound and approach, and it has greatly enriched the Beatles music by giving every song just what it needs. Tonight we have his best performances.

We’re at midweek. After today, we’re on the downslide to the weekend once again. Get on board this great music train. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free.

We’re At Midweek!