Good morning, musicologists! On Monday, May 5, ‘Festival Week’ begins here in The Mermaid Lounge and runs through Sunday, May 11. During that time we will give you performances from Woodstock ’69, Monterey Pop in 1967, The Isle of Wight ’70, and a few of the Newport Folk Festivals of the sixties.
We hope that you will enjoy the next 24 hours of totally uninterrupted music from our vast and eclectic collection of music files. You never know what The Music Mermaid will do, but I can guarantee you will enjoy yourselves. The button is below.
Welcome to May Day, 2025! We’ve got some great stuff today as we continue to build our protest and social justice music content. We give you a Phil Ochs ‘Spotlight’ today along with a free tip on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ and some live James Brown this evening.
Here’s your May Day lineup:
9:00 a.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists
This morning we take a trip on ‘The Psychedelic Express’ along with Vanilla Fudge, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Chambers Brothers, The Beatles, The Electric Prunes, The Animals, Blues Image, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Donovan, The Byrds, Strawberry Alarm Clock, Jimi Hendrix, Traffic, Cream, Dr. John, Procol Harum, The Who, Canned Heat, Yes, Electric Light Orchestra, Tommy James & The Shondells, Mudcrutch, Blind Faith, The Grateful Dead, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Velvet Underground and more!
4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Phil Ochs NEW!
Phil Ochs is the stuff of legends, blessed with great songwriting chops and sardonic humor along with a passion for social justice. He was one of the most prolific musical social activists of his generation. Today we put him ‘In the Spotlight’ and you can read more about him here in The Guardian.
8:00 p.m. We close out May Day with a live performance from James Brown, the hardest working man in show business, from the House of Blues in Las Vegas.
We’re on 24/7 and we do not require a subscription. We also do not track. We do not play commercial advertising and we don’t buy music from Amazon. Ever. We’re all about the music and how we source it. The button is below.
Good morning, music lovers! We are closing out the month in style. Most stations don’t play this much women’s music in two months as we play in a week. For us, it’s a matter of routine. Read on as we close the month in full-female mode!
Here’s your all-girl midweek lineup:
9:00 a.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists
We start out with our big EP featuring Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Carly Simon, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, 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, Norah Jones, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Phoebe Snow, Susan Tedeschi, Nicolette Larson, Sheryl Crow, Valerie Carter, Dusty Springfield, Ann Peebles, Lulu, and more!
4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Ruth Brown NEW!
We finally get this one under our belt, as we give the late, great Ruth Brown her due. She was signed to Atlantic Records and dominated the scene during the fifties with a string of huge hits. As a result, Atlantic became knows as “the house that Ruth built.” Today, she’s in our ‘Spotlight.’
8:00 a.m. Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets & More
People who are Ronstadt watchers know that she loved singing with other people more than she enjoyed her solo career. Today she brings along her friends as we hear her duets and so much more. Her brilliant vocals dominate, and we here in The Mermaid Lounge miss her very much.
We’re here every day and today belongs to the women of music. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free, and we do not run commercial advertising. The button is below.
Welcome to Sunday Funday here in The Mermaid Lounge and we are bringing in some new folk music for the resistance along with the ‘Color My World’ EP and live Joan Baez.
Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:
9:00 a.m. Color My World: Various Artists
We open with five hours of songs about all colors of the spectrum with music from James Taylor, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Donovan, Booker T & The MGs, Procol Harum, Electric Light Orchestra, Linda Ronstadt, Joni Mitchell, John Hiatt, J.D. Souther, The Who, Sam & Dave, Bob Dylan, Amy Winehouse, Badfinger, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Neil Young, Jefferson Airplane, The Hollies, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Cream, Marvin Gaye, Lucinda Williams and more!
4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Richard & Mimi Farina NEW!
Not a lot of music, but some of the most inspiring music ever made. Richard Farina tragically died at the age of 29, never realizing his full genius potential. They were a fixture in the Boston-Cambridge (Massachusetts) folk scene, gracing the stage at Club 47, the Unicorn Coffee House, and other iconic venues. They appeared at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, and collaborated with some of the best, including Joan Baez. Today, we put them in the spotlight where they belong as part of our growing ‘protest music’ focus.
8:00 p.m. Joan Baez: Live in 1962
We close out the day with the great Joan Baez, no stranger to songs about social justice, recorded live at several venues during 1962 at the very beginning of a long and brilliant musical career.
We are committed to music, and we are committed to free music with no commercial avertising. We are also committed to meeting the moment and raising our voices through song. We vowed never to involve politics, but where we are is not a question of politics. It’s right vs. wrong. Truth vs. lies. We must all stand and deliver in some way. This is our way. The button is below.
We’ve got a great day of folk programming coming up today as we increase our push on protest music and artists that include social justice issues as a large part of their musical focus.
Here’s your midweek musical lineup:
9:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-To-Z: Various Artists
We kick off the day with our multi-artist folk music EP featuring John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family and more!
4:00 p.m. Pete Seeger Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY, June 8, 1963 NEW!
We debut live Pete Seeger this afternoon at his ‘We Shall Overcome’ concert at New York’s iconic Carnegie Hall.
8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Joan Baez
We close out the day with another folk icon who has always focused on issues of social justice in her music.
We’ve got it going today, folks, in a time of extraordinary upheaval here in the U.S. We cannot stay stationary on a sinking ship. Join us. The button is below.
We kick off yet another work week with our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, a brand new ‘Spotlight’ featuring the late, great John Hartford, and The Heartbreakers live at The Vic.
Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:
9:00 a.m. Ode To Morning: Various Artists
Yesterday, we had songs about the night. Today it’s songs about the morning with Cat Stevens, Hoyt Axton, The Beatles, Neil Young, The Rascals, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, James Taylor, Gram Parsons, Simon & Garfunkel, Taj Mahal, Harry Chapin, Linda Ronstadt, Dan Fogelberg, Three Dog Night, Ry Cooder, Tim Buckley, Muddy Waters, Jonathan Edwards, Bob Dylan, Badfinger, Townes Van Zandt, Pure Prairie League, Chris Hillman and more!
4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of John Hartford NEW!
John Hartford’s biggest hit was Gentle On My Mind, for which he scored three Grammies. The song was also listed in “BMI’s Top 100 Songs of the Century.” Hartford was a folk, country and bluegrass composer and musician who mastered both the fiddle and banjo and frequently switched between those and the guitar during his live performances. Like John Prine, he was also known for his witty lyrics and unique vocal style, and he had an extensive knowledge of Mississippi River folklore. He also invented his very own tap dance and frequently clogged on a piece of plywood as he sang and played. He was truly a minstrel and entertainer.
8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live at The Victoria, Chicago, IL, April 19, 2003
In 2003, The Heartbreakers played five nights at The Vic. Tonight we bring you their final performance of that residency.
We’ve got some great music for you today, including a ‘Spotlight’ we’ve been meaning to add for quite some time. We finally give the late, great John Hartford his due. We hope you’ll tune us in. We’re on 247 and we’re totally free all the time. The button is below.
Good morning, musicologists! We’ve got a great lineup today, and it includes a tribute to Woody Guthrie on his 100th birthday. Yes, we’re amping up our protest music content, one of our favorite genres. If ever there was a time in our history to do this, it is now.
Here’s your Friday musical lineup:
9:00 a.m. Wheels: Various Artists
We start the day with tunes about driving places with Lucinda Williams, Chuck Berry, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bo Diddley, The Who, War, John Prine, The Eagles, The Byrds, Paul McCartney & Wings, Mudcrutch, Tracy Chapman, Steppenwolf, The Kinks, the Grateful Dead, Wilson Pickett, The Doors, Emmylou Harris, Golden Earring and more!
4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bonnie Raitt
This afternoon we spend some time with Bonnie Raitt, truly one of the greatest singers and guitarists in music who seems to be ageless.
8:00 p.m. Woody Guthrie at 100, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, D.C., June 11, 2013 NEW!
Did any of us think we’d be here back when these great artists celebrated Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday? We need his music now more than ever. You’ll hear Lucinda Williams, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Ani DeFranco, Sweet Honey In the Rock, Rosanne Cash, Judy Collins, Jackson Browne,Tom Morello and more sing Woody’s songs.
We’ve got plenty of our big, wide Open Stream today with great programmed content sprinkled in. This is just the beginning of our increased protest song focus. More than any other genre, folk music has led the way on this front. The button is below.
Good morning, music lovers! Yes, it’s Monday all over again, but we’ve got some great music today that includes some brand new live Phil Ochs!
Here’s your Monday musical lineup:
10:00 a.m. Mudcrutch Monday Madness!
We’re in desperate need of a Mudcrutch Monday, so this is the day. We give you their complete catalogue including the best damned live version of my favorite Mudcrutch song, Hungry No More, recorded live right here at Boston’s House of Blues on their 2016 tour!
4:00 p.m. Phil Ochs Live at The Sall Claude Champagne, Montreal, Canada, October 22, 1966 NEW!
We take a trip in the Wayback Machine for this one as we begin to amp up our collection of protest music. It seems that this is the proper time in our history as a nation for that kind of programming, and so it shall be. No better way to start than with the late, great Phil Ochs. Pay attention, It’s coming.
8:00 p.m. Peace, Love & Understanding: Various Artists
In a world where there’s little of this, there’s plenty here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got music from The Plastic Ono Band, Buffalo Springfield, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Grateful Dead, Patti Smith, War, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Curtis Mayfield, Ringo Starr, Dan Fogelberg, Norah Jones, The Derek Trucks Band, Cat Stevens, Elvis Costello, Peter, Paul & Mary and many more!
It’s a great day here. After what seems to be days of rain, the sun is back! Remember, in between our programming we give you our big, wide Open Stream. We’re never off the air, folks. The button is below.
Good morning, musicologists and welcome to a country kind of day! We’ve got our big country EP followed by The Eagles and Townes Van Zandt!
Here’s your Thursday lineup:
9:00 a.m. Are You Ready For The Country: Various Artists
We’ve got our big country and country-rock EP featuring The Eagles, Asleep At The Wheel, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Patsy Cline, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Linda Ronstadt, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, Gram Parsons, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Tom Rush, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen and more!
4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Eagles
Before they shifted to rock, The Eagles hung out at Laurel Canyon synthesizing the marriage of rock to country.
8:00 p.m. Townes Van Zandt Live at The Whole Coffeehouse, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, September 6, 1973
A master singer-songwriter, whose name is often spoken in the same breath as Bob Dylan’s. Tonight we’ve got him live from Minneapolis.
We’re here 24/7 at no charge to the listening public. We’re also free of commercial advertising. We play the most variety of music anywhere, and women are not a second thought here either. The button is below.
We’ve got an Open Stream day today, giving you hours of our extensively eclectic musical collection with absolutely no commercial interruption. The Music Mermaid is fully in charge and who knows what she’ll do. She could actually even chose a playlist, or a trifecta, or she could just choose to let our file of 30,000 songs run free and wild. You won’t know unless you tune us in!
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