Category: Acoustic Music

It’s The First Moan-Day of the Year, But We’ll Cheer You With Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP and Valerie Carter In the Spotlight, January 3, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! Yes. It’s the very first Monday of 2022 and, unfortunately, I’m working on my day off due to a COVID outbreak. Therefore, I can empathize with you all on this one. But we have got something to cheer you up for sure.

Indeed more than a pretty face. One of the most brilliant singer-songwriters of her generation.

Here’s your Moan-Day, Moan-Day line-up:

12:00 p.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

Water makes up 71% of the earth. When I say that to people, they look at me like I’m a loon. Hey, look it up. I’m not making that shit up. So, therefore, it’s only fitting that we bring you this playlist. (Not to mention the fact that it’s been raining here in the Beantown area for the last five days.) You’ll hear Bob Dylan, Valerie Carter, The Band, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, Deep Purple, Bruce Springsteen, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Bruce Hornsby, The Grass Roots, Lindisfarne, Electric Light Orchestra, Gordon Lightfoot, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Mudcrutch, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tracy Nelson, B.J. Thomas, Al Green, Foo Fighters, and more! Just about five hours of uninterrupted music about water in the title, lyrics, or both.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Valerie Carter

On this particular count, let’s start off by saying that there are still times when I mention Valerie Carter and people look at me like they’re lost in the ozone. That’s because they are if they don’t know who she is or what she accomplished in her career. I could write a tome here, but I don’t have to. Just read this article instead and you’ll know who she is. Then you can tune this playlist in and understand why she’s a Mermaid Lounge favorite.

Before, in between and after, we are streaming 24/7 free of charge. We don’t ask for a damned thing, except that you give us a spin. Join your friends today from the UK, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Denmark, Iceland, Faroe Islands, Russian Federation, Germany, Switzerland, South Africa, and points beyond. All you need to do is click the button below for immediate connection.

Just Push Play

Sunday Brings a Brand New Album of The Week, Our Original Sixties EP, and Plenty of Wide Open Stream, January 2, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve got our Original Sixties EP to bring you through the afternoon and early evening, plus a brand new Album of The Week from Yusuf Islam, also known as the great Cat Stevens!

We bring you the music that inspired the station and the very first playlist we ever built!

Here’s Sunday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Teaser and the Firecat by Cat Stevens (also known as Yusuf Islam) NEW!

This is one of the Cat’s best albums and is undoubtedly one of my favorite albums of all time. I recently read a review of the album where the author stated that Cat Stevens was a “pop” artist at heart. It’s funny how music is in the ears of the beholder. I’ve always viewed Cat Stevens as a folk-rock musician. Labels do not matter, at the end of the day. It’s what you like. On a more somber note, I remember the dark days after the 9-11 attacks, and Cat Stevens being denied entry into the United States because he had converted to Islam. I have a difficult time imagining Cat Stevens as a terrorist. Seriously.

3:00 p.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

This was the very first playlist we ever built back in June of 2017, when we started this up and opened our Facebook page. You’ll hear The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Mary Wells, Dusty Springfield, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Drifters, The Beatles, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Hollies, Buddy Holly, Petula Clark, The Kinks, Neil Diamond, The Band, The Yardbirds, The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, The Searchers, Donovan, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, Jefferson Airplane, Johnny Rivers, and more!

Before, in between, and after, we’ve got that great wide Open Stream where we put you in the capable hands of the Music Mermaid. As you well know, she has impeccable taste in music, and there are days when she simply feels like picking up a playlist or two. Give a listen and see for yourself.

Just click here

We’re at Midweek Once Again With Our ‘Music From Laurel Canyon’ EP and Little Feat ‘Live’ From Beantown, Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers! Here we are again at midweek, and we’ve got our EP of the artists who pushed the limits of popular music from Laurel Canyon as well as some great ‘live’ Little Feat!

Today we’ve got music from Laurel Canyon!

Here’s your midweek line-up:

10:00 a.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

The musical energy from Laurel Canyon was a force to be reckoned with and spanned two decades of music. All of these artists were communal neighbors and fed off each other’s creativity. You’ll be hearing The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Mamas & The Papas, The Doors, The Monkees, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, CSNY, Neil Young, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Canned Heat, J.D. Souther, Carole King, The Eagles, James Taylor, and more! It’s more than four hours of uninterrupted musical nirvana.

7:00 p.m. Little Feat Live at The Orpheum Theatre, Boston, Massachusetts, October 31, 1975

One of the greatest bands of all time is live from Boston in this set, and I’m pleased to say that I was in attendance for this one. They’re a little bit swamp music, a little bit blues, a little bit country and a whole lot of rock n’ roll. They’re also a Mermaid Lounge favorite.

Before, in between, and after our programming we’re on wide Open Stream 24/7. We’ve got so much music you’ll be hard pressed to hear a repeat in a given day. It’s a great day to tune us in, as we continue to say. We hate to sound like a, well, broken record. So, push the button below and see for yourself.

Just DO It Already.

Merry Christmas From The Mermaid Lounge! We’ve Got All Sixties Programming All Day For You, Saturday, December 25, 2021

Hey, but that ain’t all. Before, after and in between we’ve got a 27,000+ song rotation that may or may not be sixties related! But one thing’s for sure, there’s no disco, rap, hip-hop, or head banging heavy metal.

Here’s your Christmas Day line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Big Brother & The Holding Company by Big Brother & The Holding Company FINAL AIRING!

The band’s debut album was recorded over three days in 1966 and released in 1967. After the band’s success at the Monterey Pop festival, their contract was taken over by Columbia. The album was then re-released with the words “featuring Janis Joplin” on the cover. That was the beginning of her meteoric rise before her sad demise. This is our final airing today. Don’t miss it.

2:00 p.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

The music that inspired me to start this station takes over here and brings you into the evening. You’ll hear The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Buffalo Springfield, The Four Tops, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, James Brown, Chuck Berry, The Box Tops, Vanilla Fudge, Sly & The Family Stone, Three Dog Night, The Doors, The Zombies, The Chambers Brothers, The Animals, The Who, The Spencer Davis Group, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and many more!

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at The Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, May 19, 1966

This is a rare repeat here in The Mermaid Lounge, but it hasn’t been aired since right around this time in 2019. It’s as good as new, folks. Another soundboard gem from the world’s premier jam band.

What could be better than spending your Christmas with some great music, and listeners from around the world. We’ve got Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Faroe Islands, Russian Federation, Canada, South Africa, Australia, Ireland, and Germany all on this morning. Give us a shot.

Merry Christmas!

‘Twas The Day Before Christmas and We’re All Still Rocking Here in The Mermaid Lounge, Friday, December 24, 2021

Good Morning, Revelers! Yes, it’s our programming for the day before Christmas and we continue on with the greatest music and programming on the planet. Hang those stockings and rock around the Christmas tree with us!

Hop aboard The Psychedelic Express with us today! Hey, if you can get into a guy in a sled being pulled across the sky by eight tiny reindeer, you’ve got to be on something.

Here’s your pre-Christmas line-up:

9:00 a.m. Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets and More

You know, Linda Ronstadt had an amazing solo career and a run in the seventies that leveled the musical playing field with the boys. In spite of all that, Linda loved singing with others most. In this two-hour playlist, you’ll hear her sing with Frank Sinatra, Emmylou Harris, Don Henley, J.D. Souther, Ann Savoy, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Wendy Waldman, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Maria Muldaur, Hoyt Axton, James Taylor, Neil Young, James Ingram, Paul Simon, Valerie Carter, Rosemary Clooney, Bette Midler, Aaron Neville, and as part of Trio — the only bona fide all-woman supergroup (with Emmylou Harris & Dolly Parton).

3:00 p.m. The Psychedelic Express: Various Artists

Yeah, baby. Like I said, if you’re waiting around for a guy named Santa in a sled pulled across the sky by eight tiny flying reindeer, this is your extended playlist. You’ll hear Strawberry Alarm Clock, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane, The Animals, Eric Burdon & War, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, The Doors, The Who, Fleetwood Mac, Kenny Rogers & The First Edition, Yes, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Mudcrutch, Tommy James & The Shondells, Vanilla Fudge, Cream, Jimi Hendrix Experience, Traffic, The Grateful Dead, Procol Harum, Blues Image, Donovan, The Byrds, Blind Faith, The Chambers Brothers, Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground and more!

Nothing like a little psychedelia for Christmas. That’s my motto. And where better to get that than right here. We give you all this for free, not just at Christmas but every damned day! Who needs capitalism?

‘Twas the Day Before Christmas

We’re at Mid-Week With Our ‘Folk Music From A-to-Z’ EP and Booker T. & The MGs In The Spotlight, December 22, 2021

Good Morning, Music Lovers around the globe. I’ve got an early start to my day, so we’ve got a bit of an early start to our music programming…and another of our multi-artist EPs.

We start off our musical journey with the legends of the American folk scene

Here’s your midweek line-up:

10:00 a.m. Folk Music From A-to-Z: Various Artists UPDATED!

We start today with the legends of folk, along with some folks who just happen to have dipped their toes into the folk music genre. Impressively, I might add. You’ll hear Tom Rush, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Bonnie Raitt, Nanci Griffith, Dave Van Ronk, The Beatles, Joan Baez, The Stone Poneys, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Wallflowers, Jesse Winchester, Eric Anderson, The Band, Emmylou Harris, Pete Seeger, Cat Stevens, Phil Ochs, Simon & Garfunkel, Odetta, Bruce Springsteen, Peter, Paul & Mary, John Prine, and many more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: Booker T. & The MGs

The history of this band is one for the books, folks, and I urge you all to read about it here. They came into play as the house band for Stax-Volt Records. The first iteration of band consisted of 17-year-old Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper (who was eighteen), Lewie Steinberg, and Al Jackson, Jr., and the rest is musicl history. Tonight we put them In the Spotlight.

We’ve got Portugal, Italy, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Russian Federation, Faroe Islands, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Spain, Germany, and points beyond tuning in this morning. What are you waiting for?

It’s Folk Music Day!

We’ve Got a Mudcrutch Monday, a Brand New Beatles Playlist, and Lukas Nelson & POTR In The Spotlight Later, December 20, 2021

Yes, I’ll say it: Happy Monday, Musicologists! We’ve got a great opening day of the work week that features a fun, new Beatles playlist, Mudcrutch, and Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real later.

We’ve got a great, new Beatles playlist up today at 3:00 p.m.

Here’s your Monday line-up:

11:00 a.m. MUDCRUTCH MONDAY! Mudcrutch Live at The Fonda Theater, Hollywood, California, June 26, 2016

Yes, it’s a Mudcrutch Monday again and we’ve got the tour I may never forgive myself for missing. Why? Because it was one of the last opportunities I had to see Mudcrutch for the first time ever, and Tom Petty for the fifth. And, by the way, they blew the doors off the Boston House of Blues with Hungry No More, my favorite Mudcrutch song. What’s not to be upset about here?

3:00 p.m. The Beatles: Songs With Character NEW!

This was a fun one to put together. It’s all about the man in the mack, a lonely woman named Eleanor Rigby, an ode to Dear Prudence, the barber shaving another customer on Penny Lane, a serial killer with a hammer, the walrus, the eggman, the taxman, Bungalow Bill, a racoon named Rocky, a lady trying to make ends meet, a Nowhere Man named Jeremy Hillary Boob, Ph.D., a chick flying around the sky with diamonds while another leaves home, and more! The Beatles know how to tell a story.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Lukas Nelson & Promise of The Real

Also known as POTR for short. A week ago we played Dylan’s boy. Today we feature Willie’s boy, and he’s no slouch either. Get yourself ready for some great country rock to cap off our programming.

Monday. Start the week on the right foot here at #BecomeUngovernable Radio. We’re totally free and uninterrupted by commercial bullshit and DJ banter. It’s all about the music, people. And we’re 24/7.

Happy Monday!

It’s Sunday in The Mermaid Lounge With Our New AOW and The Women of Music Fully in Charge, December 19, 2021

Welcome to another Sunday in the Lounge. Today we have a vintage Album of The Week for you, and we have turned the musical reins over to the women of music. I don’t know a radio station that actually does any of that. We made a commitment to giving female artists a bigger voice. Take advantage of it.

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Big Brother & The Holding Company by Big Brother & The Holding Company

This was the band’s debut album, released on August 23, 1967, with Janis Joplin as their main singer. It was recorded over a three-day stretch in December of 1966. After the band’s blowout success at the Monterey Pop festival in 1967, Columbia Records took over their contract and re-released the album with two additional songs and with Janis Joplin’s name on the front cover. Album reviews are mixed on this one, and we really don’t pay much attention to that stuff anyway. Regardless of the status of the album, it was the birth of Janis Joplin’s all too short, but oh so sweet, career.

3:00 p.m. Ladies Day Out: Various Artists

The ladies return to take you through the afternoon and evening, making it clear that they are not second class citizens on this station. You’ll hear Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Carly Simon, Chrissie Hynde (The Pretenders), Petula Clark, Laura Nyro, Cilla Black, Irma Thomas, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, Carole King, Maria Muldaur, Lucinda Williams, Rosanne Cash, Wendy Waldman, Eva Cassidy, Shawn Colvin, The Ronettes, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Susan Tedeschi, Phoebe Snow, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Nicolette Larson, Norah Jones, and more!

It’s certainly a day of rest, unless you’re supporting capitalism during the holiday season. Personally, I think the gift of music is a wonderful thing. You can listen in, turn your friends on to us, and it won’t cost you a penny. Or them, for that matter. We don’t play the same music over and over and over. We don’t charge for our content. We do not run commercials. And we’re here for you 24/7. What more could you want in your stocking?

The Women Rule!

Saturday is Best Experienced ‘Under the Influence,’ Along With Our Final Airing of the AOW, and LIVE DEAD Later, December 18, 2021

Good Morning, Head Trippers! We begin our day at mid-day today with our multi-artist Under The Influence EP, then move along to our weekend constitution from there.

We begin our musical journey today with Under The Influence at high noon.

Here’s your Saurday line-up:

12:00 p.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

This was originally a smaller playlist, but it had plenty of material for an EP, and so it was done. Whether your choice is legal or not, we’ve pretty much all been there at one time or another. Some of us remember the days fondly and will enjoy hearing The Doors, The Byrds, Arlo Guthrie, Donovan, Eric Clapton, Glenn Frey, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Small Faces. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Velvet Underground, Jackson Browne, Harry Chapin, Emmylou Harris, The Band, Bob Dylan, Eric Burdon & War, The Fraternity of Man, Jefferson Airplane, and more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Brainwashed by George Harrison FINAL AIRING!

Today we bid a fond farewell to George Harrison’s twelfth and final album, an album that was brought to you lovingly by his son Dhani, and Jeff Lynne of ELO, and George’s bandmate in The Traveling Wilburys. Tomorrow, there will be a brand new selection when you roll out of bed.

10:00 p.m. LIVE DEAD! The Grateful Dead Live at Olde Renaissance Faire Grounds, Veneta, Oregon, August 27, 1972 NEW!

Another new live extravaganza from the consummate road warriors. I’m not sure how many people listen to the Dead’s studio stuff (I do), but I know far more people prefer them live. They are the world’s ultimate jam band for a reason. This performance is no exception.

Hey, it’s Saturday. Some of us are still in retail bondage, but many are not. What better time to make this your ‘go-to’ radio station? After all, it’s totally free of both commercials and overly-talkative DJs who like the sound of their own voices. All you need is a tab and an index finger. No lie.

Feed Your Head

If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be Bluesday! Today We Have Our Looooong Blues EP and Our Album of The Week, December 14, 2021

Good Morning, Bluesologists! Another Tuesday Bluesday rolls around and it’s time once again for our Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues EP!

Here’s Tuesday’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blues: Various Artists

We keep Bluesday simple today with our great multi-artist EP. Simply put, everyone’s in the spotlight today. You’ll hear B. B. King, Delbert McClinton, Eric Clapton, Little Walter, Slim Harpo, Marcia Ball, the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Canned Heat, John Lee Hooker, Ry Cooder, The Animals, Susan Tedeschi, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, The Yardbirds, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Allman Brothers Band, Elmore James, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, James Cotton, J.J. Cale, Long John Baldry, Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Johnny Winter, Tracy Nelson and more!

7:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Brainwashed by George Harrison

George’s twelfth and final studio album was brought to fruition lovingly by his son, Dhani, and Jeff Lynne, leader of Electric Light Orchestra and George’s mate in The Traveling Wilburys. It was finally released just about a year after his death. It’s a great listen, and some propose it’s his best album. Tune it in.

Another day in paradise, as they say. Listen, a lot of people are working from home these days. In between those obligatory phone calls, you could be listening to some of the greatest music on the planet. You know, like right here. Totally free 24/7, no commercials, and no strings. What else do you want?

The Blues Are Here.