Category: bluegrass

Songs About ‘Water, Water Everywhere’, a Don McLean Spotlight and Emmylou Harris Saves The Day, Thursday, August 15, 2024

Good morning, musicologists! We’re headed for the weekend and we’ve got a great lineup in store for you today, including the concert that saved the Ryman!

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

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

Songs about the element that occupies 71% of our planet from Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, The Grass Roots, The Beach Boys, Lindisfarne, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Don McLean

You might remember him best from his epic anthem American Pie, but Don McLean was so much more than that. He released more than 40 gold and platinum records over his career.

8:00 p.m. Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers Live at The Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, April 30-May 2, 1991

This most excellent concert from Emmylou Harris & The Nash Ramblers saved and transformed the iconic Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry.

Join us. We’re not kidding. We don’t cost a dime and we make it so easy that it’s ridiculous. We’re not interested in your credit card number or your personal information. We won’t bombard you with emails. All you need to do is hit the button below.

Emmylou Saves The Day!

Friday We’ve Got ‘Drivin’ Songs’, a Tim Hardin Spotlight, and Brand New Live Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, August 2, 2024

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to the cusp of the weekend here in The Mermaid Lounge. We’ve got a pretty cool lineup here for you today, starting with a dose of driving songs.

Here’s your Friday lineup:

10:00 a.m. Drivin’ Songs: Various Artists

Not merely songs about being in a car or driving somewhere, but songs that give you lead foot. There are many. Radar Love by Golden Earring comes to mind, and that’s just one of the songs you’ll hear in this great multi-artist playlist.

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Tim Hardin

Tim Hardin’s heroin addiction kept him from greatness, yet he remains one of the most consequential artists of the folk movement in America. Today we put him In the Spotlight.

8:00 p.m. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Live at The Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Town Park, Telluride, CO, June 23, 1989 NEW!

This is our first-ever live performance by this enduring band that has graced the musical airwaves for more than half a century now. In this particular show, they bring along special guests Bruce Hornsby and Michael Martin Murphy.

It’s Friday. We’re nearly there, folks; just one more day. Hang in there with us all day today and your day will be better! Just hit the button below.

Friday is Here!

The Day Opens and Closes With Country, With Five Hours of Soul and R&B in Between, Friday, July 26, 2024

Good morning, music lovers! Today we open and close the programming with country music, but in between we’ve got our big, bad soul EP!

Here’s your country-soul programming:

9:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Alison Krauss NEW!

We open with something that has been on the list for a very long time; an Alison Krauss Spotlight featuring her solo work along with her days with Union Station and her collaboration with Robert Plant.

1:00 p.m. A Little Bit O’ Soul: Various Artists

We break for the afternoon and spend time with the titans of soul, including Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ronettes, Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Jimmy Ruffin, Carla Thomas, The Drifters, Stevie Wonder, 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, Percy Sledge and more!

8:00 p.m. The Unbroken Circle: The Music of Rosanne Cash & Carlene Carter

The Johnny Cash-June Carter connection ran deeper than marriage. They were married to music as well. Tonight we give you the music of stepsisters Rosanne Cash and Carlene Carter.

We’re at the very cusp of the weekend and we’re plotting our programming for next week already when we’ll be moving into the final month of summer. We’re on 24/7. We’re totally free. And we do not run commercial advertising. Just hit the button below.

It’s a Country-Soul Friday!

Spotlight Features From The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Ann Peebles, and The Band Live in Japan on Friday, June 21, 2024

We’ve made it to the end of the work week once again, and we’ve got some great stuff on tap as we head into the weekend including a new Nitty Gritty Dirt Band Spotlight feature.

Here’s your end-of-the-work-week lineup:

10:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band NEW!

From their first gig in San Francisco in 1966 to their 2024 farewell tour which kicked off in March 2024, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has distinguished itself as one of the finest country-rock bands in over six decades of music. This Spotlight has been a long time coming, and we’re glad it’s here. Today we kick off our programming with it.

3:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Ann Peebles

If it wasn’t for Tom Petty’s Buried Treasure Show, I may never have heard about Ann Peebles, but I’m sure glad I do. She came into prominence (although not enough of it as far as I’m concerned) with a series of hits during the seventies. You’re going to love her if you haven’t heard her before.

8:00 p.m. Rod Stewart & Faces Live at The Kilburn Theatre, London, UK, December 23, 1974

This was Faces’ swan song; their final live performance together. I confess I have had a very long love-hate relationship with Rod the Mod. From my perspective, early Rod is much better Rod. And this is early Rod. Keith Richards comes along as a special guest on this one.

Every day is a great day to tune us in. No doubt about it. Why not start tomorrow? We’re on 24/7; we’re totally free; and we do not accept any commercial advertising. What’s not to love?

It’s Officially Friday!

Today We Head Down to New Orleans, Then It’s Jefferson Airplane and Dan Fogelberg on Monday, January 29, 2024

Welcome to another work week, and we start it out with a trip to New Orleans, where the only thing as good as the food is the music. Then we put Jefferson Airplane In the Spotlight and introduce the underrated Dan Fogelberg as our featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s your Monday musical lineup:

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

This is a great playlist. Not only do you get authentic New Orleans music, but you get music from artists who were born and raised there. You’ll hear Allen Toussaint, BeauSoleil, Clifton Chenier, Dr. John, Buckwheat Zydeco, Irma Thomas, Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Aaron Neville, Allen Fontenot, Lucinda Williams, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Kermit Ruffins, Louis Armstrong, The Daywalkers, The Neville Brothers, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chance Bushman, The Boogaloo Swamis, Queen Ida & The Bontemps Zydeco Band, Marcia Ball, The Magnolia Sisters and more!

4:00 p.m.  In the Spotlight: The Jefferson Airplane

One of the anchor bands of the sixties, and the band that helped to advance and solidify the status of psychedelic music, led by the great Grace Slick

8:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Dan Fogelberg NEW!

Dan Fogelberg was as important an artist to seventies music as anyone, yet he remains an outsider who has not been given his due. He belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame like many of his peers. There is even a petition campaign out there from his fans. Today we introduce him as this week’s featured singer-songwriter.

Before, in between and after we give you our big, wide Open Stream 24/7 at no charge. We ask for no personal information. Simply tap the button below!

Down In New Orleans!

Welcome Weekenders! We’ve Got Jackson Browne, Our House EP and ‘Live’ Dan Fogelberg, Saturday, January 27, 2024

Good morning and welcome to the weekend here! Today we say farewell to our Album of The Week, hear the music that inspired the station and ‘live’ Dan Fogelberg later.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Album of The Week: Late For The Sky by Jackson Browne FINAL AIRING!

Today we say farewell to the first album in our ’50th Birthday’ series. Tomorrow we will celebrate another album’s 50th!

11:30 a.m. The #BecomeUngovernable House EP: Various Artists

The music that has long been emblazoned in my psyche and was the impetus to start this whole thing. You’ll hear 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, The Plastic Ono Band, Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, Three Dog Night, Jimmy Cliff, Richie Havens, Marvin Gaye, The Association, Phil Ochs, Tom Rush, Pete Seeger, The Band, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin and more!

8:00 p.m.  Dan Fogelberg Live at The Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles, CA, August 15, 1985

The very first Spotlight list we built was for this guy, a most underappreciated singer-songwriter; one of the best of his generation. He belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but that honor seems to have eluded him, in spite of the fact that they’ve managed to induct The BeeGees, Funkadelic, AC/DC, The Clash, Aerosmith, Tupac, Jay-Z and the other “stars” of music. Fogelberg has been ‘eligible’ since 1998; it’s 2024, folks. Figure it the fuck out.

Sorry. Had to get that out. It pissed me off how long it took for them to induct Linda Ronstadt. They waited until she lost her magnificent voice. Give me a break. Anyway, I digress. We are here. It’s our third day of rain. Gloomy. But not here in The Lounge where The Music Mermaid resides. She’ll be in charge today as I work my last shift of the week.

Our ‘House’ EP!

Thursday Brings Our EP About Friendship, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt & Friends, December, 28, 2023

Good morning, music lovers! Today we have songs about friends, Emmylou Harris and her AOW, and Linda Ronstadt drops by with some of her friends.

Here’s your musical lineup:

9:00 a.m.  Friends of Mine: Various Artists

We open with songs about friendship from The Guess Who, Willie Nelson, War, The Beach Boys, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Todd Rundgren, Linda Ronstadt, Queen, REM, Simon & Garfunkel, John Prine, Carole King, Grateful Dead, Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Hank Williams, The Kinks, Joan Baez, The Beatles, Carly Simon, Tracy Nelson, The Byrds, Desmond Dekker, Jackson Browne, Steppenwolf, Elton John, Maria Muldaur, Argent, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Otis Redding and more.

4:00 p.m.  Album of The Week: Evangeline by Emmylou Harris

We’re winding down on this one; Saturday will be our final airing. This would be a good time to tune this one in before it goes away.

8:00 p.m.  Linda Ronstadt & Friends: Duets and More

Linda Ronstadt drops by to close things out and brings along a few friends, like Emmylou Harris, Hoyt Axton, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Don Henley, Kate & Anna McGarrigle, James Taylor and others! Not to be missed!

Don’t know what’s going on with the weather where you are, but here we are in December and it’s raining in the mid forties. We won’t need a “January thaw” this year. But hey, we’re good rain, snow or shine. See for yourself.

Friends of Mine

Friday Brings Our Big Folk Music EP, Henley & Frey’s Swan Song, and ‘Live’ Emmylou Harris, December 22, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! Are we in the Christmas spirit yet? We’ll make your day better with our big folk music EP, the final airing of Don Henley & Glen Frey and Emmylou Harris bring up the rear.

Here’s your musical lineup:

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

Yes, citizens, the music that helped spread social justice and consciousness. You’ll hear Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, 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, The Band, Eric Andersen, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Nanci Griffith, Jesse Winchester, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Lead Belly, Tim Hardin, The Kingston Trio, Simon & Garfunkel, Richie Havens, Jackson Browne, Guy Clark, James Taylor, Harry Chapin, Townes Van Zandt, The Carter Family, Neil Young and many more!

4:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Don Henley & Glen Frey FINAL AIRING!

We bid a fond farewell to Don Henley and Glen Frey today, the musical songwriting genius behind The Eagles.

8:00 p.m.  Emmylou Harris & The Desert Rose Band Live at Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, CA, August 8, 1986

Emmylou Harris has traveled the world both assembling great bands and joining others. This time she’s on stage with Byrds founding member Chris Hillman and his Desert Rose Band.

We’re getting closer to both the weekend and the Christmas holiday! What better way to take the edge off than with great music. Hell, here we are. Give yourself a Christmas gift. It won’t cost you a penny.

Folk Music Extravaganza!

Friday Brings The Magnolia Sisters, Jesse Winchester and a Christine McVie Spotlight, December 15, 2023

We’ve got some great music for you today, including The Magnolia Sisters whom you probably won’t hear anywhere else unless you’re in New Orleans. But we have all their music here in The Mermaid Lounge. Today’s other two artists you, of course, should know.

Here’s today’s musical mayhem:

11:00 a.m. The Magnolia Sisters Live at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, The Fair Grounds Race Course, New Orleans, LA, July 27, 2021 NEW!

I love New Orleans; it’s a hotbed of musical styles and innovation and you can hear all of it right on the streets every day. What we have here is an all-woman Cajun/Zydeco band from Lafayette, Louisiana, populated by Ann Savoy, Jane Vidrine, Anya Burgess, and Lisa Trahan. They play the full gamut of the musical style from dancehall Cajun to primitive Creole to a cappella. The first time I ever heard them, they knocked me out and I was hooked. Maybe you will be too.

3:00 p.m.  Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Jesse Winchester FINAL AIRING!

We bid farewell to Jesse Winchester’s singer-songwriter focus today, although I promise that all of his music is in our general rotation every day.

8:00 p.m.  In The Spotlight: The Music of Christine McVie

We close our programming tonight with the heart and soul of Fleetwood Mac (sorry, Stevie), the late, great Christine McVie. We include not only her Fleetwood Mac songs, but her early blues work with Chicken Shack and her solo work.

It’s officially Friday, the end of the work week (for some lucky people who don’t work retail). Tomorrow, you’re officially ‘weekenders’ here in The Mermaid Lounge! We’re on 24/7, we’re totally free, and we do not air commercial advertising. What could be better?

Just Push Play.

Friday It’s ‘The Complete Trio Sessions,’ Randy Newman, and Our New ‘Unbroken Circle’ Playlist, December 8, 2023

Good morning, musicologists! We have officially made it to Friday and we’re whooping it up with some fine female country singers today. The only break in the programming is our final airing of Randy Newman as our featured singer-songwriter.

Here’s your end-of-the-work-week lineup:

10:00 a.m. The Complete Trio Sessions: Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris

We open the programming with the only female supergroup I know of in music history. But, of course, the music world media is like the mainstream media: They never actually call Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton (otherwise known as ‘Trio’) a supergroup even thought they fit every criteria for the term. So we will call them a supergroup, and moreover, they are right up there with The Traveling Wilburys. Today, you’ll get the full magilla: Remixes, outtakes, alternative versions, remasters and more!

3:00 p.m. Singer-Songwriter Series: The Music of Randy Newman FINAL AIRING!

Randy Newman takes his final turn as our featured singer-songwriter for the week. Tomorrow we’ll have a new selection.

8:00 p.m. The Unbroken Circle: The Music of Rosanne Cash & Carlene Carter NEW!

Here we have stepsisters with an incredible country music pedigree in Johnny Cash and June Carter, and they have continued their family legacy admirably. We are definitely fans here in The Mermaid Lounge and we’re happy to share this great new playlist with you today.

We have made it to the end of the work week. Sort of. For some of us. Retail never really ends, particularly at this time of year. But I digress. The real news here is that we’re on 24/7 and are completely free of charge every single day. We have no ideas who you are or what your buying patterns are because we don’t sell anything to you. And neither does anyone else.

The Country Ladies Are Here!