Category: In The Spotlight

It’s Snowing Outside The Mermaid Lounge, but We’ve Got Our Sixties Rotation EP and Donovan In The Spotlight To Get Us Through This Mess, Friday, February 25, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! If you live here in the Boston area, you know that we were all standing outside a couple of days ago without so much as a jacket on. Today? Today, it’s another foot of snow. Welcome to New England in February. But we’ve got some hot tunes here for you today.

Comin’ at you at 11:00 a.m. EST. The music that inspired us!

Here’s your Friday musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. The Sixties Rotation, Volume Two: Various Artists

There’s no sense denying it, we here in The Mermaid Lounge are lost in the past and find no release in most (but not all) of today’s music. People tell me I must be open-minded, but I actually don’t. Nope. Life is too short to listen to bad music. So, we don’t. This is the music that inspired the station. You’ll hear The Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Four Tops, Buffalo Springfield, Roy Orbison, The Yardbirds, Bob Dylan, James Brown, Chuck Berry, Donovan, The Box Tops, Vanilla Fudge, Sly & The Family Stone, Cream, The Zombies, The Doors, The Chambers Brothers, The Rolling Stones, The Animals, The Who, The Temptations, and more! That’s five hours of commercial-free, uninterrupted music.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Donovan

Donovan was a very big part of the sixties sounds, so his presence in the spotlight today is particularly fitting. His unique sound came from fusing pop, jazz, folk, psychedelic rock and world music. He was a favorite when I was young, and remains so today.

In a few hours, I’ll be digging myself out and heading off to work. But if you don’t have to be anywhere today, this would be a great day to tune us in. All you have to do is give us a shot. And we’re not talking about buying a subscription that you can “cancel anytime.” Don’t you love that shit? We do not require a credit card or a subscription here. The only thing you must have is an Internet connection. End of story.

The Sixties Are Back!

What Could Be Better Than a Friday ‘Under The Influence’ and With Lucinda Williams In the Spotlight Later? February 18, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve made it to Friday. Yes, we have. And it’s looking good as the weekend approaches. Next to love, perhaps being ‘Under The Influence’ is the most sung-about condition. We’ve got it here for you today!

Come join the fun! They’re clearly ‘Under the Influence’

Here’s your Friday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Under The Influence: Various Artists

Look, let’s face it. We’ve all been here at one time or another in our lives, and sometimes with legal substances…but sometimes not. So, we can all identify with the songs of The Doors, The Byrds, Donovan, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Arlo Guthrie, Glenn Frey, Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Small Faces, The Rolling Stones, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, The Velvet Underground, Jackson Browne, Harry Chapin, Emmylou Harris, The Band, Eric Burdon & War, Bob Dylan, The Fraternity of Man, Little Feat, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Lucinda Williams

Lucinda Williams is a blues, country, rock and folk singer, songwriter and musician. Like so many other women of her generation, her early releases went ignored. However, as of today, Williams is recognized as one of the most influential singer-songwriters of her generation. Her commercial breakthrough finally arrived in 1998 with her album Car Wheels On A Gravel Road, which fused blues, rock, country, and Americana music into Lucinda’s own signature sound. The album won the Grammy for the Best Contemporary Folk Album. The rest, as they say, is history.

The weekend is technically here, people. Yes. Yes. I know we have one more day of work (in my case, two days), but the end is in sight now. It’s time to start to mellow out. It would be a great weekend to get on board the music train here in The Mermaid Lounge. Come on. You know you want to.

Just Push Play

We’ve Hit Our Midweek Stride With Our ‘Are You Ready For the Country’ EP, and Tom Rush In The Spotlight, Wednesday, February 16, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! Yes, we’re at midweek. It’s all downhill from here, as they say. We’ve got a great line up today as we wish Tom Rush a happy belated 80th birthday, and turn on the country spigot.

Real country. And country-rock. But no bad pop bands with fiddles here.

Here’s the midweek line-up:

10:00 a.m. Are You Ready For The Country: Various Artists

Tom Petty was a great musicologist. He once referred to the glut of bad country bands as ‘bad pop bands with fiddles.’ None of that shit here today as we give you a great EP of uninterrupted music. You’ll hear Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Pure Prairie League, Asleep At The Wheel, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, The Marshall Tucker Band, The Outlaws, Jerry Jeff Walker, Mudcrutch, The Flying Burrito Brothers and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Tom Rush

Tom Rush turned 80 years young on February 8th and we’re finally wishing him a happy belated birthday. I saw him at his birthday bash in Portsmouth, New Hampshire (the place of his birth) when he turned 79 last year, and he was fantastic. Today, we put Tom Rush, the artist often credited with heralding in the era of the singer-songwriter, In the Spotlight.

Get on it, folks. This is the toughest day of the week, and we’ll help you get through it with some great music. No charge for the service. Honest. We’re not kidding.

Are You Ready?

At Midweek, We’ve Got Our ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP & Bonnie Raitt In The Spotlight, February 9, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! We’ve reached our midweek stride here with our multi-artist ‘Travelin’ Fever’ EP, and Bonnie Raitt In The Spotlight later on.

Here’s today’s line-up:

10:00 a.m. Travelin’ Fever: Various Artists

We’re back on the road with the musical road warriors today for an extended trip around the planet. You’ll hear The Grateful Dead, Jackson Browne, Edwin Starr, The Marshall Tucker Band, Dan Fogelberg, The Box Tops, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Canned Heat, Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, The Who, Janis Joplin, The Eagles, Guy Clark, Asleep At The Wheel, Jesse Winchester, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Emmylou Harris, Led Zeppelin, Linda Ronstadt, Little Feat, Willie Nelson, Carole King, Fats Domino and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt has been serving up great music for half a century now, combining blues, country, folk and rock into her own great signature sound. Let’s also not forget that she’s one of the greatest slide guitar players on the planet. We rightfully put her In the Spotlight tonight. Be there or be square, as they say.

Before, in between and after, we run 24/7 with our great wide Open Stream with The Music Mermaid calling the shots. She does, as you know, have impeccable taste in music. Tune us in. We’re totally free with no strings and no hidden costs. We don’t ask for a credit card, a subscription or personal information. And we don’t give Joe Rogan a platform either.

Hit The Road.

It’s Tuesday Bluesday With Some New ‘Live’ Music From Roomful of Blues, Tracy Nelson In The Spotlight, and Our AOW, February 8, 2022

Good Morning, Bluesologists! It’s another Tuesday and you know what that means! Today, we’ve got our blues programming on tap for you.

Here’s your Tuesday Bluesday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Roomful of Blues Live at Bimbo’s 365 Club, San Francisco, CA, February 3, 1996 NEW!

Roomful of Blues has been around playing ‘swing’ blues for half a century. I’ve experienced them ‘live’ twice here in Boston in small venues and they are a really great band. Tune us in at 11:00 a.m. EST to see for yourselves as we add a new live performance from Bimbo’s in San Francisco.

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Ode To Billie Joe by Bobbie Gentry

We’ve got our second airing of Ode To Billie Joe by the mysterious singer-songwriter Bobbie Gentry, whose contributions to music are often underappreciated but also undeniable. We hope to change the underappreciated aspect.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Tracy Nelson

Tracy Nelson who keeps one foot in country and the other in the blues, has been singing, writing and recording albums since 1965. She started out with her band called Mother Earth (which we will soon be adding to our standard rotation), and was the composer of one of my favorite Linda Ronstadt songs, Down So Low, which is most definitely a blues song. Tune her in tonight and see just how good she is.

Tuesday Bluesday is always a great day to tune #BecomeUngovernable Radio in. We truly are outside the system. We do not charge for subscriptions, do not ask for a credit card, or request your personal information. We also do not accept advertising, so you get the best of both worlds. A truly free music source without any strings or hidden costs. No lie.

Tuesday Bluesday

Yes, Monday Rolls Around Quickly, But We’ve Got The Supremes, ‘Live’ Linda Ronstadt, and Bob Marley On Tap, February 7, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! As you all head back to the working world, we’ve got you musically covered. If you can find a free tab, tune us in. It’ll improve your working day.

Today we wish Bob Marley a happy birthday!

Here’s your week-opening line-up:

11:00 a.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of the Supremes NEW!

This one has been a long time coming, and we’ve finally got it done. You know, The Beatles were great fans of R & B in general, and had a particular musical fondness for the girl bands. The Supremes were just one of those bands, but they were the biggest of their day.

3:00 p.m. Linda Ronstadt Live at Rai Halle, Amsterdam, Netherlands, November 21, 1976

We’ve got some classic live Ronstadt here from back in the early days as she began her meteoric rise to the top as the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Ronstadt live on stage is never a disappointment. I know. I’ve seen her forty times in my lifetime.

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Bob Marley & The Wailers NEW!

This is another of those playlists that has been a while in coming, and yesterday was Bob Marley’s birthday, so we’re celebrating (albeit, belatedly) it today. Join us this evening as we wish Bob Marley a happy b-day!

We’re up for another week of great music to help you take the edge off your work life. We run 24/7 uninterrupted, and we don’t charge you to listen to music. And best of all, we do not accept advertising. We’re self funded, and we’re all about the music. That should be enough to get you to tune us in. No?

Cursor here, please.

It’s Pouring Rain Here and We’ve Got Our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP On Tap Along With Buddy Holly In The Spotlight, Friday, February 4, 2022

Good Morning, Music Lovers! We’ve got a great line-up on tap today including, appropriately, our ‘Water, Water Everywhere’ EP on a day that is pouring rain (last week at this time, it was a blizzard). But that’s not all. Read on for details!

Today, we finally put Buddy Holly, a true founding father of rock n’ roll, In the Spotlight!

Here’s your Friday line-up:

11:00 a.m. Water, Water Everywhere: Various Artists

I promise I didn’t plan this to be aired on a day when it’s pouring out. It kind of just happens that way, but we do have it on tap, as we say. You’ll hear from Valerie Carter, Bob Dylan, The Band, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Deep Purple, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Bruce Hornsby, The Grass Roots, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Steely Dan, Tom Rush, Lindesfarne, Electric Light Orchestra, Gordon Lightfoot, Bonnie Raitt, Carole King, Mudcrutch, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tracy Nelson, B.J. Thomas, Al Green, Foo Fighters, and more!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Buddy Holly NEW!

It was 63 years ago yesterday, on February 3, 1959, that the plane carrying Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and J.P. Richardson (also known as The Big Bopper) went down in Clear Lake, Iowa. It was “the day the music died” for Don McLean, as he relayed so eloquently in his song American Pie. We are not focusing on all three here, but we are putting Buddy Holly In the Spotlight. He and his band, The Crickets, had a profound effect on many who came after him. Although The Beatles only recorded one of his songs for an album, they used to fill their early live shows with several of his songs. His songs have also been covered by Linda Ronstadt, Eva Cassidy, The Rolling Stones, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen and many others. Today, we give you Buddy Holly & The Crickets singing his own songs, but we close out the playlist with a few of our favorite covers as well as Don McLean’s opus, American Pie as the final tribute.

Great day to tune us in. Actually, I know I say that every day, but it is the truth, after all. We run totally free 24/7 with no commercial advertising. We’re all about the music, and nothing but the music. So help me, Buddha.

Just Push Play.

Heading Toward The Weekend, We’ve Got Songs About Luck and Chance, America In The Spotlight, and Our AOW, On Thursday, February 3, 2022

Good Morning, Early Risers! We’ve got some great stuff on tap today as we slide on down toward the weekend, including songs about good luck, bad luck, and just pure dumb luck.

Today’s musical line-up. In a nutshell.

Here are all the details on today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. Good Luck, Bad Luck, Dumb Luck: Various Artists UPDATED!

We were on a roll here last night and added a few more songs to the list of songs about good luck, bad luck, and just pure dumb luck. You’ll hear Alison Krauss & Union Station, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, The Rolling Stones, Joe Walsh, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow, Paul McCartney (with and without Wings), Cream, The Byrds, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and more!

3:00 p.m. Album of The Week: Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones

Time for my Thursday mantra: Time’s getting short on this one. The final airing will be on Saturday, so get it in while you can! On Sunday, we’ve got a brand new selection to unveil.

7:00 p.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of America

Like all bands, the story of America doesn’t just lie in their “hits.” Those are the songs that the record company knows will certainly sell. The success of those songs also gives bands the creative license they need to produce great work. America is no exception. People refer to their stuff as soft rock, and I guess that’s one term. This band was so much more. For me, they are more along the folk-rock line, with unbelievable melodies and harmonies, and pretty fair songwriting. They’re up In The Spotlight tonight.

Come on, folks. Tune us in. We don’t even charge you. We’re in this for the music, and the music alone. And frankly, if nobody listened, I’d still be doing this. It’s my personal project. I’m sharing my music collection. Just push play. Okay?

PUSH HERE.

Today It’s CSNY In the Spotlight, The Magnolia Sisters ‘Live’ in Simi Valley, and ‘Paint It Black’ Later, Monday, January 31, 2022

Good Morning, Musicologists! It’s another Monday morning here in The Mermaid Lounge, and we’ve got a great line-up for you to start the week off with.

Today we’ve got some Cajun music from the Magnolia Sisters!

Here’s today’s line-up:

11:00 a.m. In the Spotlight: The Music of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Our number one supergroup here in these parts is for sure The Traveling Wilburys, but these guys are right behind them at number two. Crosby, Stills & Nash were the original configuration, but Neil Young added a dimension that cannot be denied, giving them the Canadian portion of this Canadian-American supergroup. They made some great music together, and we’ve got them In the Spotlight to start off the day.

3:00 p.m. The Magnolia Sisters: Live at the Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Festival, Rancho Santa Susanna Community Park, Simi Valley, California, May 23, 2015

We love Cajun-Zydeco here in the Lounge as you know, and we’ve got a short but sweet performance here by the only all-girl Cajun band on the planet. Ann Savoy is the impetus behind the Magnolia Sisters. For those who may not know her, she teamed up with Linda Ronstadt (as the Zozo Sisters) for the brilliant Grammy-nominated album Adieu False Heart, and their remake release of Walk Away Renee. Their music is part of our standard rotation, but we hope to bolster this genre of music in 2022, starting today. We remain on the hunt for more live music from The Magnolia Sisters.

7:00 p.m. Paint It Black: Various Artists

Nope. It’s not quite an EP, but that’s okay because we do need some short players as well. This is all about the color black in song…in the title or lyrics, or both. You’ll hear from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Doobie Brothers, The Wallflowers, The Move, Steely Dan, Curtis Mayfield, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Linda Ronstadt, Johnny Cash, Amy Winehouse, The Hollies, Stephen Stills, Warren Zevon, The Band, Nina Simone, Tom Rush, k.d. lang, the Grateful Dead, Fairport Convention, Dr. John, The Kinks, Guy Clark, J.D. Souther, and more!

Look. It’s Moan-Day. We all need a bit of a lift to start the week off. We’ve got it for you here all day long. Best of all, it’s free. No subscription required. No credit card need come out of your wallet. No commercials will blight the airwaves. And best of all, we think Joe Rogan is a public menace. He doesn’t have a home here. Tune us in.

Cursor Here, Please.

Friday Brings ‘The British Are Coming’ EP and Puts Neil Young In the Spotlight As We Prepare For The Snow, January 28, 2022

Welcome to Friday as we all prepare to be bombed by a potentially historic nor’easter here in the Beantown area. As we all know in these parts, we can get anywhere from 10 inches to 2 feet. Stay tuned. But one thing is certain, the music is always outstanding here in The Mermaid Lounge, rain, snow or shine.

Yeah. They’ll be here promptly at 11:00 a.m. EST for an extended visit.

Here’s Friday’s musical landscape:

11:00 a.m. The British Are Coming: Various Artists

We all know how the story goes. The American musicians were influenced by the Brits, and vice versa. That’s how we got here. With this extended playlist, you’ll hear The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Them, The Hollies, The Who, The Animals, Yes, Queen, The Kinks, The Dave Clark Five, Rod Stewart, The Bee Gees (before they caught night fever; not after), The Yardbirds, The Pretenders, Lulu, Herman’s Hermits, Blind Faith, The Spencer Davis Group, Cream, Traffic, Donovan, Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac, and more! That’s five hours of uninterrupted music from across the pond!

7:00 p.m. In The Spotlight: The Music of Neil Young

While we remove Eric Clapton from the limelight, we put Neil Young in the limelight. This isn’t a question of politics which, as you know, we keep out of this radio station’s airing. The public health is not a political issue, and medical misinformation is not in the public interest. We will neither participate in it nor will we give voice to those who do. Like Eric Clapton. Aside from Neil Young’s stand on the issue, consider that the man is the Energizer Bunny of rock n’ roll, recently releasing his 41st album and his 14th with Crazy Horse. His career has spanned more than a half century, and he is deserving of the spotlight.

All of our friends are here this morning, including our new listeners from Pakistan, Lithuania, and Turkey. Why don’t you join them? It’s easy, as they’ve found out. No information required. No subscription required. No credit card required. All you need is a computer, a new tab, and your mouse. Eek.

Music Nirvana Awaits!