Category: Folk Music

We’re at Midweek With ‘The Founders’, a James Taylor ‘Spotlight’, and The Pretenders Live in Germany, Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Good morning, music lovers and welcome to midweek. We start out with the founders of rock and roll, then it’s a JT ‘Spotlight’ feature and some live Pretenders!

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The Founders: Various Artists

We start our musical journey in the Wayback Machine as we pay respect to those who started it all, including Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, Hank Williams, Bill Haley & His Comets, Ray Charles, The Drifters, Roy Orbison, Robert Johnson, Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochran, Johnny Cash, Muddy Waters and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of James Taylor

Sweet Baby James visits us this afternoon, a singer-songwriting legend whose volume of work speaks for itself.

8:00 p.m. The Pretenders Live at Laeiszhalle, Hamburg, Germany, June 23, 2009

We close it out with a live performance from The Pretenders, a band that has literally been in flux for decades with the only constant being the amazing Chrissie Hynde.

We’re at midweek and that means that tomorrow we’ll be on the downslide to the weekend, the only time we can sort of catch our breath under this misbegotten fascist regime. Music can help us get through this, and we remain free of charge and broadcasting 24/7. The button, my friends, is below.

The Button.

On Tuesday Bluesday It’s ‘Ladies Sing the Blues’, Live Paul Butterfield Blues Band, and a Rory Block ‘Spotlight’, April 15, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists and welcome to another Tuesday Bluesday. We’ve got a full plate of great blues programming and we start with The Mermaid Lounge in the care of the blues women.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

9:00 a.m. Ladies Sing The Blues: Various Artists

Five hours of the legendary blues women and those who keep it alive with Billie Holiday, Big Mama Thornton, Ruth Brown, Nina Simone, Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Christine McVie, Marcia Ball, Ellen McIlwaine, Susan Tedeschi, Irma Thomas, Tracy Nelson, Etta James, Linda Ronstadt, Sippie Wallace, Bessie Smith, Shawn Murphy, Angela Strehli, Aretha Franklin, The Blues Broads and more!

4:00 p.m. The Paul Butterfieid Blues Band Live at The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, October 14, 1966

We’re headed for the Wayback Machine with this performance from The Fillmore, a legendary blues band in a legendary venue!

8:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Rory Block

We close out the programming in style with a Rory Block ‘Spotlight’ featuring music over her long six-decade career.

Remember, before, in betwee and after our programming, we give you our big, wide Open Stream of more than 27,000 songs. It’s hard to find a repeat in a week, let alone a day. The button is below!

Da Blues. Da Button.

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.

It’s Sunday Funday With Songs About Water, Dr. John Live at The Lone Star, and Ann Peebles ‘In The Spotlight’, April 13, 2025

Good morning, Weekenders! It’s Sunday and we’ve got some great stuff on tap today starting with ‘Water, Water Everywhere’, then moving on to a brand new Dr. John performance and Ann Peebles, a favorite of Dr. Tom Petty.

Here’s your Sunday Funday lineup:

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

I’m not going to remind everyone that water makes up 71% of the earth’s surface. No sir. I’m going to tell you that you’ll hear the music of Paul McCartney, Deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Otis Redding, The Doobie Brothers, Valerie Carter, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Al Green, Loggins & Messina, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, Linda Ronstadt, Spirit, Bonnie Raitt, The Grass Roots, Carole King, Tom Rush, Donovan, America, Johnny Rivers and more!

4:00 p.m. Dr. John Live at The Lone Star Cafe, New York, NY, December 22 & 23, 1986 NEW!

We’ve got a new-to-the-station performance from the incredible Dr. John this afternoon live from The Lone Star Cafe!

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Ann Peebles

It should be no surprise that I’m a lover of Tom Petty’s Sirius XM Buried Treasure show. I would not have learned about the amazing Ann Peebles had I not been a devoted listener. If you don’t know her, you should. Tune in tonight and see for yourselves.

Here we are again on the weekend. The Orange Menace is golfing at Mar-a-Lardo, so it’s relatively quiet for another 24 hours. In the meantime, we’ve got music non-stop around the clock at no expense to you and without commercial interruption. The button is below.

New Dr. John!

Saturday Brings a Trip to Motor City, a Cass Elliot ‘Spotlight’ Feature, and Gov’t Mule Live at the Roseland, April 12, 2025

Welcome, Weekenders! I return to work today but The Music Mermaid is large and in charge for a great day of programming. Very eclectic, I might add.

Here’s your Saturday lineup:

9:00 a.m. M is For Motown: Various Artists

We take a trip to Motor City this morning with songs from Barrett Strong, Eddie Kendricks, Edwin Starr, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson Five, Kim Weston, Marvin Gaye, Jr Walker & The All Stars, Martha & The Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Isley Brothers, The Contours, Rare Earth, Mary Wells, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Tammi Terrell and more!

4:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Cass Elliot NEW!

We leave out the “Mama” because we’ve read many times that she hated that moniker. Cass Elliot was an enigma and the subject of many rumors, and I very much look forward to reading her daughter’s biography. One thing is for certain, she had a great voice and was a member of one of the most influential bands of the sixties, The Mamas & The Papas. She went on to have a successful solo career, recording five albums as a solo artist. She died far too young, at the age of 35. Today, we’ve finally given her the ‘Spotlight’ she deserves.

8:00 p.m. Gov’t Mule Live at The Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY, October 22, 1996

One of the best road jam bands finishes up our Saturday programming this evening. The band started at a ‘side project’ by guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody on a break from The Allman Brothers Band back in 1994. They’ve been together ever since.

We’re here 24/7 and we’re completely free of charge and free of any commercial advertising. We’re all about the music. See for yourselves. 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 Thursday It’s ‘Are You Ready For The Country’, an Eagles ‘Spotlight’ and Live Townes Van Zandt On April 10, 2025

Good morning, musicologists and welcome to a country kind of day! We’ve got our big country EP followed by The Eagles and Townes Van Zandt!

Here’s your Thursday lineup:

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

We’ve got our big country and country-rock EP featuring The Eagles, Asleep At The Wheel, Hank Williams, The Byrds, Patsy Cline, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Steve Earle, Dolly Parton, Poco, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Linda Ronstadt, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Jerry Jeff Walker, New Riders of The Purple Sage, Carlene Carter, Rosanne Cash, Gram Parsons, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, John Prine, Tom Rush, Townes Van Zandt, The Highwaymen and more!

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

Before they shifted to rock, The Eagles hung out at Laurel Canyon synthesizing the marriage of rock to country.

8:00 p.m. Townes Van Zandt Live at The Whole Coffeehouse, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, September 6, 1973

A master singer-songwriter, whose name is often spoken in the same breath as Bob Dylan’s. Tonight we’ve got him live from Minneapolis.

We’re here 24/7 at no charge to the listening public. We’re also free of commercial advertising. We play the most variety of music anywhere, and women are not a second thought here either. The button is below.

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We’re in All British Mode With Our Big EP, The Beatles’ Singles, and Live Rod Stewart & Faces On Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Good morning, musicologists! It’s an all-British Wednesday as we start out with our ‘British Are Coming’ EP, then it’s The Beatles singles and live Rod Stewart & Faces!

Here’s your midweek musical lineup:

9:00 a.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

We start out the day with music from the British Invasion and beyond from The Beatles, The Who, Dave Mason, The Zombies, The Hollies, Dusty Springfield, Small Faces, Led Zeppelin, Queen, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, The Bee Gees, The Moody Blues, Rod Stewart, Them, Herman’s Hermits, The Rolling Stones, Gerry & The Pacemakers, Badfinger, The Yardbirds, Traffic, Elton John, Lulu, Pink Floyd, Yes, The Animals, Spencer Davis Group, Cream, Donovan, The Searchers and more!

4:00 p.m. The Beatles: The Singles Collection

This afternoon we give you every Beatles single released around the globe. Are you aware that on April 4, 1964, The Beatles held the top five slots on the Billboard Top 100, a feat that no other artist has achieved to this day? The Top 5 songs were:

  • “Can’t Buy Me Love” at #1
  • “Twist and Shout” at #2
  • “She Loves You” at #3
  • “I Want to Hold Your Hand” at #4
  • “Please Please Me” at #5

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

This was the final live show for Rod Stewart and his mates, and tonight we bring it to you to close out our all-British day.

It’s another day in paradise, but take heart! Tomorrow we’re on the downslide to the weekend once again. The Orange Scourge will be playing in fake golf tournaments in Flori-DUH and the world will be kind of quiet for a couple of days. We’re on 24/7 and we’re totally free. There’s no commercial interruption either. The button is below.

The British Are Coming!

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Blues From The Bayou and Beyond, Albert King & SRV, and Roomful of Blues, April 8, 2025

Good morning, bluesologists! It’s Tuesday Bluesday and we’ve got ‘The Best of Louisiana Blues,’ Albert King and Stevie Ray Vaughan ‘in session’, and a Roomful of Blues ‘Spotlight’ feature to light up your day!

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday lineup:

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

Today we give you the blues from the bayou and beyond with Ray Charles, Lillian Glinn, Slim Harpo, Roy Brown, Fats Domino, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Rodney Harris, Roosevelt Sykes, Shirley & Lee, Papa Lightfoot, Guiitar Slim, Annie Laurie, Dave Bartholomew, Allen Toussaint, Mary Butler, Erline Harris, Marcia Ball, Fats Matthews, Dr. John, Professor Longhair, The Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas and more!

4:00 p.m. Albert King & Stevie Ray Vaughan In Session at CHCH-TV Studios, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, December 6, 1983

King was 60 years old and Stevie Ray Vaughan was 29 when they got together for this session work for Canadian television. Two masters at their best. Give a listen.

8:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Roomful of Blues

Originating in Westerly, Rhode Island, this blues band gives you more than you bargained for. They’ve been exciting audiences for half a century, pushing the boundaries of traditional blues but keeping it rooted in the blues. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, they “Swagger, sway and swing with energy and precision.”

We’re here for another great day of blues intertwined with our big, wide Open Stream. Tune us in. We’re on 24/7 and we’re always free of charge and without commercial interruption. The button is below.

Tuesday Bluesday!

On Monday It’s ‘By The Numbers’, Live BeauSoleil, and the Paul & Elvis Catalogue, April 7, 2025

Happy Monday, working class! It has been rainy for days here in the Boston area, but it’s just fine here in The Mermaid Lounge as we bring you some great programming today, including a brand new playlist of Paul (McCartney) & Elvis (Costello) music!

Here’s your Monday, Monday lineup:

10:00 a.m. By The Numbers: Various Artists

We open up the day with a playlist of songs with numbers in the title, lyrics or both with Three Dog Night, Chicago, Mudcrutch, J.J. Cale, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Alice Cooper, Rosanne Cash, Shawn Colvin, Wilson Pickett, Johnny Rivers, Emmylou Harris, The Grass Roots, Jefferson Airplane, The Byrds, John Lennon, Prince and more.

4:00 p.m. BeauSoleil Live at The Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, MA, March 24, 2007

BeauSoleil happens to be one of the premier, if not the premier, Cajun/Zydeco Band in the world. Today we’ve got them live from Williamstown, Massachusetts.

8:00 p.m. Paul & Elvis: The Collaboration NEW!

That’s McCartney and Costello, who formed a musical alliance in 1987 and produced a series of fantastic songs later used on each other’s albums. Today we have the results of that alliance, along with one memorable live performance of The Beatles’ One After 909, recorded at St. James Palace in London on March 23, 1995. (Costello is a noted Beatles fan.)

Yeah, Monday’s pretty much suck, but we’re here to make them better. We can decidedly make yours better today if you give us a chance. We’re totally free and, even better, we run no commercial advertising. See for yourself how good Monday can be. The button is below.

Paul & Elvis.