Category: Americana

At Midweek, It’s Our ‘Under The Influence’ EP, a Poco ‘Spotlight’ and The Band Live in D.C., On Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to midweek. We’ve got a great lineup today, and we’re starting out ‘Under The Influence.’

Here’s your midweek lineup:

9:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

I’m on the run this morning, so my artist list will be a bit shorter. We give you songs about substances, both legal and illegal, from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Byrds, Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, The Rolling Stones, Small Faces, Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Talking Heads, Neil Young and more!

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

This afternoon we give you some great music from one of the very first legitimate country-rock bands.

8:00 p.m. The Band Live at The Carter Baron Amphitheater, Washington, D.C., July 17, 1976

We close with one of the greatest bands in history. They started out as Dylan’s back-up band (hence the name, The Band), and ended up being one of the most revered and influential musical entities in history.

The usual. We’re free. We’re commercial-free. And we don’t have overly talkative DJs to muck up the airwaves. The button is below.

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On Monday It’s ‘Travelin’ Fever’, Live John Prine, and Ian & Sylvia, February 3, 2025

I have a rare working Monday, but it is what it is. In spite of that, The Music Mermaid is ready to rock n’ roll here. We should report here that one of our house bands, some guys called The Beatles, took home two Grammys last night, 55 years after breaking up. We’ll be celebrating them midweek.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

We start with songs about life on the road with Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Steve Miller Band, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Asleep At The Wheels, Mudcrutch, The Traveling Wilburys, Tom Rush, Buffalo Springfield, The Guess Who and more!

4:00 p.m. John Prine Live at The Fifth Peg, Chicago, IL, November ?, 1970 NEW!

This is one of those rare performances for which we cannot pinpoint a date. The back story is fascinating. John Prine, a true American treasure, was originally a mailman who performed a few nights a week at various locations around the Chicago area. One of those venues was The Fifth Peg. On this night, a young Roger Ebert sat in on one of his performances. The rest, as they say, is musical history. This eventually resulted in an album called The Singing Mailman Delivers, and we include Ebert’s 2013 review along with his memories of the performance captured for the album.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Ian & Sylvia

We close out the evening with a ‘Spotlight’ segment on Ian & Sylvia, a Canadian folk duo who eventually helped create the country-rock sound after moving to Nashville.

We’re here 24/7. Before, in between and after our programming, we give you our big, wide Open Stream. See for yourselves. We’re totally free and the button is below.

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We’re Down In New Orleans All Day on Monday with Our EP, Allen Toussaint, and Live Magnolia Sisters, January 27, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! Technically speaking, Mardi Gras season started on January 6 (twelfth night) and the party goes all the way to March 4, which is Mardi Gras Day! So, today we start the musical celebration with an EP we haven’t aired for a while!

Here’s your musical lineup!

10:00 a.m. Down in New Orleans: Various Artists

We’ve got a great playlist here that features not only authentic New Orleans musical genres (a little jazz, cajun/zydeco, etc) but also features artists born and sometimes raised there, including BeauSoleil, Clifton Chenier, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Buckwheat Zydeco, Tony Joe White, Lucinda Williams, Fats Domino, Professor Longhair, Irma Thomas (the Soul Queen of New Orleans), The Boogaloo Swamis, The Neville Brothers, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Queen Ida & The Bon Temps Zydeco Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Daywalkers and more!

4:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Allen Toussaint

Toussaint was a musician, songwriter, arranger and producer who was one of the most influential figures in New Orleans R & B from the 1950’s to the end of the century. Today, he’s in our spotlight.

8:00 p.m. The Magnolia Sisters Live at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Fairgrounds Race Course, New Orleans, LA, July 27, 2021

This is a real treat: An all-woman band from southwest Louisiana that plays many styles of Cajun French music. It’s essentially five women, unrelated by birth, who simply share the love of Cajun music. The band was founded by Ann Savoy (who also made an album with Linda Ronstadt; they called themselves The ZoZo Sisters) and Jane Vidrine back in 1995.

Today is a wondrous day here in The Mermaid Lounge and we do hope you’ll join us for this great New Orleans experience! Remember, before, in between and after we give you our big, wide Open Stream. The button is below!

Down in New Orleans!

Thursday Brings Songs About Water, Live Eva Cassidy, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band on Thursday, January 16, 2025

Good morning, music lovers. We head toward the weekend once again with a great, eclectic lineup of music that starts with songs about water!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

We start out with songs about water from Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan, Valerie Carter, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, Carole King, Van Morrison, Tom Rush and more!

4:00 p.m. Eva Cassidy Live at Blues Alley, Georgetown, Washington, D.C., January 2-3, 1996

This afternoon we’ve got the late, great Eva Cassidy, who left us far too soon at the age of 36, live from a great venue called Blues Alley.

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

We close with an iconic country band that has graced the music scene for more than half a century.

We’re on the way to the weekend and music can make the journey so much more pleasant. We’re free. We’re on 24/7 without commercial interruption. And the button is below.

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Thursday It’s Our House EP, an Alison Krauss ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Live Jimi Hendrix, On January 2, 2025

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to day two of uncertainty in the world, but not here in The Mermaid Lounge where we have our usual eclectic collection on tap!

Here’s Thursday’s musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House Playlist: Various Artists

We start out with our House EP with music from Barry McGuire, The Temptations, Edwin Starr, Peter Tosh, The Beatles, T. Rex, The Who, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, Country Joe & The Fish, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Joan Baez, CSNY, Pink Floyd, The Animals, Ten Years After, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, The Band and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Alison Krauss

An American treasure with a beautiful voice. She’s also a mean fiddle player. We give you her music from her time with Union Station, her unlikely pairing with Robert Plant, and as a solo artist.

8:00 p.m. Jimi Hendrix Live at The Berkeley Community Center, Berkeley, CA, May 30, 1970

We close with a live Hendrix performance in Berkeley, just four months before his death.

We’re here 24/7 and we play music 365 days a year at no cost to you, our listeners. There’s no commercial advertising and no chatty DJ’s to break the mood. The button is below. See for yourselves.

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On Sunday It’s The Staple Singers, Live Leon Russell and Our ‘M is For Motown’ EP. It’s December 15, 2024.

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to Sunday in The Lounge. We’ve got a Staple Singers ‘Spotlight’, some live Leon Russell and our ‘M is For Motown’ EP to bring us through late afternoon and into the evening hours.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

9:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Staple Singers

The Staple Singers were an American gospel, soul, and R&B group with a civil rights emphasis founded by Roebuck “Pops” Staples and his children Cleotha, Pervis, and Mavis. They left us a great library of music.

1:00 p.m. Leon Russell Live at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA, August 7, 1972

To put it bluntly, Leon Russell was a musical legend. Over a sixty-year career he had multiple hits covering many genres, including rock and roll, country, bluegrass, rhythm & blues, southern rock, blues rock, folk, surf and the Tulsa sound. He won two Grammys, was named the top concert attraction of 1973 by Billboard, and in 2011 he was inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

4:00 p.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We close out the day with our great multi-artist Motown EP featuring Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Eddie Holland, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson Five, Kim Weston, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Marvin Gaye, Martha & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, The Contours, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Tammi Terrell, Diana Ross & The Supremes and more!

It’s damned cold here today, and it’s a great day to be inside enjoying the world from a window with some great music coming from my speakers. Join me. The button is below.

The Sunday Funday Button!

Sunday Brings Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, Live Townes Van Zandt, and a Karla Bonoff ‘Spotlight’ Feature, December 8, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Life on the road and traveling are certainly two popular topics in music and we’ve got a great playlist today, followed by Townes Van Zandt live in London and closing with Karla Bonoff.

Here’s today’s musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

We’re on the road with Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Steve Miller Band, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Paul McCartney & Wings, The Eagles, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, Janis Joplin, Guy Clark, The Byrds, Asleep at The Wheel, Mudcrutch, The Traveling Wilburys, Tom Rush, Buffalo Springfield, The Guess Who and more!

4:00 p.m. Townes Van Zandt Live at Union Chapel, London, UK, April 29, 1994

The late, great singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt is in The Lounge this afternoon, possibly the only artist to approach the songwriting ability of Bob Dylan. Indeed, the discussion of whom is better continues. However, I say that we don’t have to continually pit one artist against the other. I love them both.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Karla Bonoff

Speaking of singer-songwriters, we close out the evening with a ‘Spotlight’ feature with the great Karla Bonoff.

Before, in between and after our programming, we give you our big, wide Open Stream of incredible music. We don’t charge you. We don’t track you. We don’t ask you for information. The button is below.

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Monday Brings the ‘Rolling Thunder Revue’, a Yusuf/Cat Stevens ‘Spotlight’ and a Byrds Reunion on December 2, 2024

Back to the work week as Christmas season in retail is in full swing. It’s never pretty. But we have got some great Monday music on tap to help get you through.

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Bob Dylan: Selections From the 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue

We start out with selections from Dylan’s 1975 Rolling Thunder Revue tour recorded in a variety of venues in the U.S. and Canada. Some of the folks accompanying Dylan on the tour are Joan Baez, Roger McGuinn, T-Bone Burnett, Scarlet Rivera, Ronee Blakeley and others.

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

I remember when Tea for The Tillerman came out. I practically wore out the grooves. The Cat, as we used to call him when we were young, had delivered some of the best music on the planet. I also remember how badly he was treated here in the U.S. after 9-11 simply because he had converted to Islam. One of the darkest times in history. We’ve got another coming up soon.

8:00 p.m. The Byrds Live at The Boarding House, San Francisco, CA, February 9, 1978

A reunion of one of the most consequential bands in music history broadcast live on KSAN 95 FM, San Francisco.

Another work week rolls around, but we’re at work delivering the best music on the planet 24/7, 365 days a year, at no charge and with absolutely no commercial interruption. We’re the anti-capitalist station. The button is below. Listening is believing.

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Today We ‘Paint It Black’, Then It’s Harrison & Clapton Live in Japan and Brandi Carlile Later on Friday, November 29, 2024

Yeah, it’s Black Friday. We’re not selling anything. We’re giving you free music, so we start it all out with our ‘Paint It Black’ playlist…not quite an EP, but close!

Here’s your Black Friday anti-capitalist lineup:

10:00 a.m. Paint It Black: Various Artists

We’ve got an EP about colors and we’ve got a slightly smaller playlist for the color black. You’ll hear The Rolling Stones, The Wallflowers, James Brown, Three Dog Night, The Beatles, Warren Zevon, The Band, Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, Lucinda Williams, John Lee Hooker, J.D. Souther, Jethro Tull, Guy Clark Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Tom Rush and more!

4:00 p.m. George Harrison & Eric Clapton Live at The Nagoya International Exhibition Hall, Nagoya, Japan, December 5, 1991

This afternoon we have two good friends, who also happen to be two stellar musicians, playing together on the same stage.

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

Ten-time Grammy award winner Brandi Carlile closes the day’s programming with folk rock, alternative country, Americana and classic rock.

We’re here 24/7 playing the best music on the planet at no cost to the listening public. No strings. No bullshit. No commercial advertising. We’re all about the music. We have nothing to sell you on Black Friday. See for yourself. The button is below.

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At Midweek, It’s Our Folk Fiesta, Followed by a Tom Waits ‘Spotlight’ and Some Live Tim Hardin, Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Good morning, folk music lovers! We’re opening today with our ‘Folk Music From A-To-Z’ EP, then it’s Tom Waits and Tim Hardin live at Woodstock ’69 (The only Woodstock).

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

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

We’re starting the day off with a music genre that pretty much birthed the protest music movement with John Prine, Dave Van Ronk, Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Odetta, Peter, Paul & Mary, Yusuf/Cat Stevens, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Beatles, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, Bonnie Raitt, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, 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. In the Spotlight: The Music of Tom Waits

Not always, but sometimes, folk is Tom Waits. He writes about the underbelly of humanity and delivers his stories in his signature gravelly voice. Today he’s ‘In the Spotlight.’

8:00 p.m. Tim Hardin Live at Woodstock, Max Yasgur’s Farm, Bethel, NY, August 15, 1969

We close out the programming tonight with folk icon Tim Hardin, one of those artist who passed from this planet at far too young an age.

I could tell you that we’re here 24/7 at no charge and with absolutely no commercial advertising. But you’ve heard it all before. The button is below.

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