Category: Americana

It’s Sunday Funday With ‘Color My World’, a Richard & Mimi Farina ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Live Joan Baez, on April 27, 2025

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.

Richard & Mimi Farina

We’re at Midweek With ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’, Live Pete Seeger, and Joan Baez ‘In the Spotlight’, Wednesday, April 23, 2025

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 Shall Overcome

On Friday It’s Our ‘Wheels’ Playlist, a Bonnie Raitt ‘Spotlight’ Feature and a Tribute to Woody Guthrie, April 18, 2025

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.

A Tribute to Woody Guthrie!

On Monday It’s Mudcrutch Madness, New Live Phil Ochs, and Our ‘Peace, Love & Understanding’ Playlist, April 14, 2025

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.

The Button.

On Friday It’s ‘Money, Honey’, a Tracy Nelson ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and The Highwaymen Live, April 11, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! Today we’ve got plenty of wide Open Stream for you with our playlist about money (honey), music from Tracy Nelson, and a country supergroup!

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Money, Honey: Various Artists

We start out this morning with songs about money from The Beatles, Randy Newman, Van Morrison, The Kinks, Joni Mitchell, Tom Waits, The Byrds, Rosanne Cash, Tom Rush, Allen Toussaint, Gerry Rafferty & Steelers Wheel, The Wallflowers, Jerry Jeff Walker, Laura Nyro, The Wallflowers, Willie Nelson and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Tracy Nelson

She’s a little bit country. She’s a little bit blues. She’s even got that country blues vibe. She’s also pretty fantastic.

8:00 p.m. The Highwaymen Live at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, March 14, 1990

We close out the programming today with the authentic outlaw country music supergroup of Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson.

We’re here and we’re always free of charge. We also don’t run commercial advertising because we’re not interested in selling you anything. No lie. The button is below.

The Button.

On Wednesday It’s Songs About Night, Wendy Waldman, and The Band Live in Asbury Park, Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! We’re at midweek and we’ve got great tunes to get you over the hump and on the downslide to the weekend.

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

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

We start out the day with songs about the night from Warren Zevon, the J. Geils Band, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Van Morrison, Patti Smith, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bruce Springsteen, The Kinks, Electric Prunes, Phoebe Snow, Joe Walsh, The Eagles, The Doors, John Cougar Mellencamp, Poco, Emmylou Harris, Neil Diamond, The Animals, The Rolling Stones, Don McLean, Steve Winwood, The Traveling Wilburys, Sam Cooke, Jimmy Cliff, Bonnie Raitt and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Wendy Waldman

Wendy Waldman has had a diverse musical career, but she was an amazing vocalist during the seventies, singing with other great female singers and nurturing her own solo career. Later she moved to Nashville to focus on songwriting for other artists across many musical genres. She was also one of the first recognized female record producers. Today we put her ‘In the Spotlight.’

8:00 p.m. The Band Live at The Casino Arena, Asbury Park, N.J., July 20, 1976

Bob Dylan’s backup band, which he simply referred to as ‘the band’, took on that name and began a career that has made them one of the most influential acts in rock music history. We close out the programming with a live performance from Asbury Park tonight.

It’s midweek. We’re headed to the weekend from here, and we’ve got a great week of music planned to get you there. We’re on 24/7 with great programming built in to our big, wide Open Stream. See for yourselves. The button is below.

Midweek Music!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Windy City Blues, a Robert Johnson ‘Spotlight’ and the Amazing Nina Simone, March 18, 2025

It’s another Tuesday Bluesday, bluesologists, and the music is quite good. We start out with five uninterrupted hours of Chicago blues, then it’s Robert Johnson and Nina Simone!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Best of Chicago Blues: Various Artists

We start out in the Windy City with Otis Rush, Willie Dixon, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, Bo Diddley, Koko Taylor, Lowell Fulson, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy, Magic Slim, Sonny Boy Williamson, Son Seals, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Elmore James, Jimmy Reed, Otis Spann and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Robert Johnson

Although Johnson’s recording career spanned just seven months, he is one of the most influential blues artists in history. We’ve got his music here this afternoon.

8:00 p.m. Nina Simone Sings The Blues

Nina Simone’s long and storied career as a singer, songwriter and pianist has crossed many musical genres, but she can really belt out the blues. We close with her this evening.

Once again, we’re here 24/7 and we won’t cost you a thing. We don’t track. We don’t know who you are unless you write us, and that’s because we’re anti-capitalist music lovers. In these times you should know that we don’t access our files from any Trump supporters, nor will we. Ever. The button is below.

Windy City Blues!

On Friday It’s Folk Music With Our EP, a New Eric Andersen ‘Spotlight’, and The McGarrigle Sisters, February 21, 2025

Good morning, folk music lovers! That’s the prevailing programming today with our big folk music EP, a long-planned Eric Andersen ‘Spotlight’ and some rare stuff from Kate & Anna McGarrigle!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

One of our favorite genres here in The Lounge…the genre that essentially birthed the protest song and social justice awareness. You’ll hear Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Peter, Paul & Mary, Odetta, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Arlo Guthrie, The Beatles, 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, Richie Havens, Simon & Garfunkel, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, The Carter Family, Townes Van Zandt and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Eric Andersen NEW!

A veteran of the Greenwich Village folk scene, singer-songwriter Eric Andersen has had his songs recorded by Johnny Cash, Linda Ronstadt, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, The Grateful Dead, Rick Nelson and so many others. Today, we’ll hear him sing them himself.

8:00 p.m. Tell My Sister: The Unreleased Recordings, Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Tonight a real treat as we hear some rare music from Kate & Anna McGarrigle, the folk singer-songwriter duo who also provided many songs for others to record, including the aforementioned Linda Ronstadt.

We’ve got a great day of music lined up after a day off to pull some new music together. We hope you enjoyed your Open Stream day. We remind you that Open Stream covers most of the hours of our programming, and we’re totally free 24/7 with no commercial interruption. The button is below.

Folk Music Day!

At Midweek It’s ‘Ode To Morning’, a Ry Cooder ‘Spotlight’, and Live Bob Dylan in ’63, Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Good morning, music lovers! At midweek, we open the show with our ‘Ode To Morning’ EP, then it’s the great Ry Cooder ‘In the Spotlight’ and Dylan live at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, vintage 1963!

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

It’s Open Stream with a theme with Yusuf/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, Chris Hillman and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Ry Cooder

We put the ‘Spotlight’ on a literal musical genius today, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has collaborated with many creative artists over his long career. This is the guy Linda Ronstadt says was the best guitarist she’s ever worked with.

8:00 p.m. Bob Dylan Live at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, May 10, 1963

We jump in the Wayback Machine again tonight for vintage, early Dylan at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. I was only nine years old when this concert took place.

Another day of fascism in America awaits us; we the people have got to change this picture. In the meantime, you can fortify yourself with some great music here. We’re anti-capitalist; we don’t charge you one penny. We’re free 24/7. We don’t track you or break into your personal files with juvenile dumbass hackers. The button is below.

The Button.

Saturday is a Country Day With Our Big EP, Kris Kristofferson, and Live Flying Burrito Brothers, February 8, 2025

Good morning, Weekenders! Saturday has rolled around and we are all about country today. No, this is not Beyonce’s kind of country. Ours comes from the real Nashville country artists, the outlaws who broke the mold, and those who the forged country-rock genre.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Are You Ready For The Country: Various Artists

The Eagles, Asleep at The Wheel, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Patsy Cline, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Linda Ronstadt, Alison Krauss & Union Station, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Willie Nelson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Gram Parsons, John Prine, Tom Rush, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Kris Kristofferson

We lost a great one here. Kristofferson was one of the outlaws, a brilliant singer-songwriter who broke out of the constraints of the traditional Nashville sound, but kept it real country.

8:00 p.m. The Flying Burrito Brothers Live at The Palomino, W. Hollywood, CA, June 8 1969

We get into the Wayback Machine for this one as we explore some of the great country-rock sounds that were born in Laurel Canyon.

As usual, we’re on 24/7. We’re free. We don’t do a lot of talking. There’s never any commercial interruptions. The button is below.