Category: Americana

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!

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!

Thursday Brings The ‘Trio’ Sessions, ‘Repeat After Me,’ and Traffic Live at The Fillmore, April 2, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’re back at it as we continue Fillmore Week with Traffic, but first it’s The ‘Trio’ Sessions with Dolly, Linda and Emmylou and ‘Repeat After Me’.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Complete Trio Sessions: Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt & Emmylou Harris

We kick off the morning with a bona fide supergroup but, of course, all these years later there’s still plenty of misogyny in the music business. So, nobody talks about these three living legends as a “supergroup.” But that’s exactly what Trio is. Today we give you the outtakes, remakes, remixes, alternate versions and final product all rolled into one.

3:00 p.m. Repeat After Me: Various Artists

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and we’ve got the proof right here. You’ll hear CSNY cover Joni Mitchell, Gregg Allman cover Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt cover Little Feat, and Three Dog Night cover Laura Nyro. And that’s just for starters.

7:00 p.m. FILLMORE WEEK: Traffic Live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA, July 1, 1970 NEW!

We’ve had this one hanging around but haven’t aired it until this evening. It’s about time, don’t you think? Yeah.

Join us today. It’ll be an experience in sound. We’re on 24/7 with no commercial interruption, and at no charge to you!

The Complete Trio Sessions

Friday It’s ‘The Original Sixties Rotation,’ The Band, and The Beatles As We Keep It Rooted in The Sixties, April 19, 2024

Good morning, music lovers, especially those who like to get in the Wayback Machine and head to the sixties. That’s our theme for today!

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Original Sixties Rotation: Various Artists

We start it off with the (mostly) early portion of the generation, although I am imperfect and often let some others slip in there. Because I can. You’ll hear The Beatles, The Monkees, Sonny & Cher, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, Little Eva, The Everly Brothers, The Searchers, Dusty Springfield, The Drifters, The Dave Clark Five, Johnny Rivers, Bob Dylan, The Animals, Petula Clark, The Rolling Stones, Procol Harum, The Turtles, Del Shannon, The Temptations, James Brown, Fontella Bass, The Box Tops, Blues Image, The Four Tops, The Lovin’ Spoonful and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of The Band

From Dylan’s back-up band to one of the most prolific, influential bands of its generation. The Band is in a class all by itself.

8:00 p.m. The Beatles Live at The BBC, June 1963

We close out the programming with The Fab Four. Recorded for broadcast as Pop Go The Beatles in June 1963 at BBC Studios in London.

I’m on the run for an unexpected morning shift. But hey, The Music Mermaid is on the ready and is here to serve. Catch you in the morning.

All Sixties Programming!

It’s Saturday With Joan Baez, Steely Dan & Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, April 6, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We’ve got a Joan Baez Spotlight, some ‘live’ Steely Dan this afternoon and our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP playing a night shift for the first time for any EP!

Here’s your musical lineup:

10:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Joan Baez

We kick things off with a Joan Baez Spotlight feature. In her vast 60-year career, Baez never failed to sing the music of justice. It’s in her DNA. In 2019, Joan Baez finally retired from touring, 59 years after she made her debut at the Newport Folk Festive at the age of 18.

3:00 p.m. Steely Dan Live at The National City Pavilion, Cincinnati, OH, July 13, 2008

We’ve got some great live jazz-rock from undoubtedly a Mermaid Lounge favorite, and one of the best things to come out of music in the seventies.

8:00 p.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists FIRST TIME ON THE NIGHT SHIFT!

This marks the first time we’ve aired an EP in the evening, for the benefit of our global audience. You’ll hear Canned Heat, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Box Tops, Arlo Guthrie, The Allman Brothers Band, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, The Doors, Tom Rush, The Byrds, Little Feat, The Band, Willie Nelson, Edwin Starr, The Traveling Wilburys, Del Shannon, Janis Joplin, Ray Charles, The Doobie Brothers, Bob Dylan and more!

Stop on by The Lounge today. You won’t regret it. You can come and go as you please; there are no bouncers at the door. There’s no cover charge and we don’t run commercial advertising either. We’re all about the music.

We’re All About The Music.

Heading To the Weekend With ‘A Little Bit O’ Soul’, Little Feat’s AOW, and ‘Live’ Music From The Band, Thursday, March 21, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the downslide to the weekend. We are opening up the festivities this morning with our big, bad soul and R&B EP!

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

This is the big one; not just the sound of Motown, but also Atlantic, Stax and more with 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 Four Tops, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Eddie Floyd, Percy Sledge, Joe Tex, Wanda Jackson, Ann Peebles, Al Green and more!

4:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Feats Don’t Fail Me Now by Little Feat

We’re winding down on this one. The final airing will be sometime on Saturday. Get it while you can!

7:00 p.m. The Band Live at The Carter Baron Amphitheatre, Washington, D.C., July 17, 1976

From Bob Dylan’s backup band to one of the most influential musical acts in popular music history. The Band was nothing short of fantastic. In my mind, there wasn’t either a bad song or album these guys ever released. This was also broadcast live on the famous King Biscuit Flower Hour.

Just do it, people. We’re on 24/7 with no interruption from any kind of commercial advertising, and at no charge to anyone.

A Little Bit O’ Soul!

The “Court & Spark” Finale, A Trip to Laurel Canyon, and ‘Live’ Heartbreakers on Saturday, March 16, 2024

Good morning, weekenders! We have made it to Saturday once again, and we’ve got some great stuff on tap, including The Heartbreakers 30th Anniversary Tour from Gainsville.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Court & Spark by Joni Mitchell FINAL AIRING!

Today we give you the final airing of this unbelievably amazing album, one of the best albums of all time, as we continue on the 50th anniversary roundup.

12:00 p.m. Music From Laurel Canyon: Various Artists

We’ve got an update on tap for this great playlist that covers two generations of musicians who lived and made music together in Laurel Canyon. It was the cross-fertilization of styles that helped usher in country-rock. You’ll hear The Byrds, The Mamas & The Papas, The Doors, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, The Monkees, CSNY, Manassas, John Mayall, The Eagles, J.D. Souther, Harry Nilsson, Canned Heat, Linda Ronstadt, Carole King, James Taylor, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, The Souther-Hillman-Furay Band and more!

8:00 p.m. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Live From the Stephen C. O’Connell Center, Gainesville, FL, September 21, 2006

The photo on this post is from an earlier timeframe, but the energy The Heartbreakers brought to their live performances never changed over their amazing 40-year run. This would be the band’s 30th Anniversary Tour from their hometown, and it was a beauty.

Wake up and tune us in. We’re on 24/7; not just when we have programming. We’re continually circulating 27,000 songs daily. You never know what’s coming next, and that’s what we really like about radio. Those were the days. We didn’t have custom playlists, Spotify, or whatever else pay-for-play hell is out there. We had our transistor radios and endless summer days waiting for the next song to cue up.

Welcome Weekenders!

On Friday It’s The Band ‘Live’ in Asbury Park, Elvis Costello, John Prine and Joni ‘Live’ in Cali, February 16, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! We have a busy Friday on tap for you all today with a great collection of artists sprinkeled into our big, wide Open Stream.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Elvis Costello FINAL AIRING!

Elvis Costello takes his final turn as this week’s featured singer-songwriter. We’ll have a new artist for you on Monday.

12:00 p.m. The Band Live at The Casino Arena, Asbury Park, NJ, July 20, 1976

The Band is very simply one of the best ever bands on the popular music scene. They started as Bob Dylan’s back-up band and became one of the most influential musical entities of their time. If we added a new House Band, it would be these guys.

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of John Prine

We’re dusting this baby off as we have been remiss. Mr. Prine is one fine singer-songwriter and a man who is most respected by his peers. He always had a unique outlook on life and his wry and sometimes sarcastic viewpoints were part of his charm.

8:00 p.m. Joni Mitchell Live at the Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA, September 9, 1979

We close things out by taking a trip back with Joni Mitchell to her 1979 Shadows and Light Tour. I was lucky enough to see that tour as it passed through Boston.

We have a great lineup today as we toy with expanding programming and, perhaps, even into the wee hours of the morning. It’s a work in progress. One thing that will not change, however, is the fact that we are totally free 24/7 with no commercial interruptions.

Friday is Here!

It’s Simply Sunday With Me, The Mermaid, Bob Dylan’s AOW and Our ‘What’s In a Name’ EP, February 4, 2024

It’s the beginning of two days of unemployed bliss here in The Mermaid Lounge and we keep it simple on Sundays with light programming and plenty of wide Open Stream.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

11:00 a.m. Album of The Week: Planet Waves by Bob Dylan NEW!

Another album turning fifty years old. This album was released on January 17, 1974 and reunited Dylan with his longtime collaborators, The Band (one of the finest in music history). Dylan’s fourteenth release, with a successful tour and plenty of PR, went to number one on the Billboard charts, a first for him. Planet Waves is our album of the week.

3:00 p.m.  What’s In a Name: Various Artists

Janis Joplin sings about Bobby McGee, Linda Ronstadt sings about Justine, Steve Winwood sings about Valerie (about the late, great Valerie Carter), Bobbie Gentry sings the tale of Billie Joe McAllister who jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge, The Kinks tell the tale of Lola and Tony Joe White reveals all about Polk Salad Annie and her grandma. Other artists include The Beatles, Carly Simon, James Taylor, The Association, Joni Mitchell and more!

Before, in between and after we’ve got our great, big wide Open Stream. We’re continually updating our standard rotation. Last week we added The Roches, Ruth Brown, Ian & Sylvia, George Thoroughgood & The Destroyers and Doyle Bramhall III. We’ll be adding more this week. Join us.

Simply Sunday!

We’re at Midweek With a Focus on Folk Music, and a Visit From Delbert McClinton, Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Good morning, folk-ologists! We’re focused on folk today as we open and close with folk music pioneers and those who continue to support the genre.

Here’s your midweek lineup:

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

Today we salute the pioneers of folk, those who have kept the genre flourishing, and those who pay it homage. 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, Led Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, Phil Ochs, Harry Chapin, Bob Dylan, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Delbert McClinton

Delbert stops by at 4:00 p.m. for his second spin as our featured singer-songwriter.

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

Ian & Sylvia was a true folk duo that performed together from 1959 to 1975; after moving to Nashville, they were also instrumental in helping the country-rock genre take hold. They were pretty well respected in their time, but have somehow fallen through the cracks. But today, we put them In The Spotlight where they belong.

Another day is here and we’re delivering the musical goods as usual. We’re totally free of charge and free of advertising. It’s all about the music.

Folk Music Extravaganza!